Capetonians on Holiday in Umhlanga
2017-06-15. We hopped onto our FlySafair flight from Cape Town to Durban, with the 4 sprogs in tow. FlySafair were offering a kids fly free special (insane, I know), with 4 little ones in tow it was a no-brainer which airline to fly with. We were staying at Marine Terraces in Umhlanga, which is relatively close to King Shaka International Airport (a lot closer than the old airport).
FlySafair have forged a strong partnership with First Car Rental, and wherever we looked there were First Car Rental adverts - we even got a R100 voucher reduce our next car hire with FCR - we had already booked with Bidvest Car Hire, but kept it handy for the next time we travel.
After landing, we picked up our VW Kombi at Bidvest Car Rental, and headed for Marine Terraces, which would serve as home for 3 nights. It's about a 5 minute walk to the beach. We spent the first day at the beach, on Umhlanga's golden sands. The beach opposite Marine Terraces isn't suitable for swimming, as there are rocks in the sea and a vicious backwash (it's well signposted that swimming isn't allowed); so we restricted ourselves to dipping our toes at the end of the wash, digging holes, building sandcastles, soaking up the sun and, of course, eating ice-cream. Our apartment didn't offer wifi - so be sure to check whether yours does, before you book.
Here's the view from the balcony of Marine Terraces:
Here's the pool at Marine Terraces. It's chlorinated and rather cool. There's a shallow end on the right (about knee-deep) which the kids enjoyed splashing around in.
Front-on view of Marine Terraces:
Next to the pool is a braai area, with tables to sit at:
The balcony had a table and a generous amount of space:
Later we headed down to the Cabana Resort, ate some pizza and played in the rock pools. To be frank, for a family holiday the Cabana area is far better positioned than the Marine Terraces given its proximity to a safe swimming area and restaurants, and the only reasons I'd stay at Marine Terrances would be cost or if I didn't have kids and was looking for slightly more silence.
La Spiaggia Trattoria is a lovely little spot to eat pizza with the family (they did a table for 10 for us). Tip: if you're in a hurry eat inside the restaurant, as outside it's harder to keep in touch with your waiter.
One of the things to do in Umhlanga, is enjoy a walk along the beachfront:
We walked towards the famous whale bone pier:
And of course it's obligatory to walk to the end of the pier (tip: try to prevent your 2-year-old from climbing over the edge!):
And if you've got kids like our, you've got to get onto the sand and play amongst the rocks, and dare each other to go further in:
It was getting dark, and we don't know the area well, and this is South Africa, so we reluctantly ended our adventures on the beaches.
Umhlanga in Short
Funsunzi in KZN gets no better than Umhlanga, which is situated to the north of Durban in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. Umhlanga and nearby areas like Salt Rock have always been popular, but since Durban's Airport was moved from the south to the north (King Shaka International) they have boomed.
Stand-out hotels are:
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The Oyster Box which was voted 10th best hotel in South Africa - foodies will love their high tea and curry buffet at lunchtime. After you've eaten go for a swim in the infinity pool, and enjoy the views of the beach.
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Beverly Hills which was voted 8th Best Hotel in South Africa
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Teremok Marine (Close to the sea, choose the milkwood suite, with its view over the sea from a private balcony and huge bedroom)
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Manaar House (Fifteen minute walk to the beach, and 25m back up the hill, room 3 is the most peaceful).
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Here's a list of spots to stay in Umhlanga:
Oyster Box Hotel |
2 Lighthouse Road |
info@oysterbox.co.za |
Tel: 031 514 5000 |
Three Cities Gateway Hotel |
Corner Boulevard & Twighlight Drive, Gateway, |
Tel : 031-536-9200 |
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African Dreamz |
97 Ridge Road, Umhlanga Rocks |
Tel : 031 562 8943 Fax: 0866 352 013 |
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Beachside Guesthouse |
24 Ypsilanti Avenue |
www.beachsideguesthouse.co.za |
Tel: 031 562 9859 |
Beverly Hills Hotel |
Lighthouse Road |
Tel: 031 561 2211 |
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Breakers Resort Hotel |
88 Lagoon Drive |
reservations@breakersresort.co.za www.breakersresort.co.za |
Tel: 031 561 2271 |
City Lodge Hotel Umhlanga Ridge |
2 Palm Boulevard, |
Tel: 031 580 7000 |
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10 Lagoon Drive |
Tel: 031 561 2371 |
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If you forgot to hire a car, no worries - there's an Avis-Budget kiosk at the Cabana Beach Resort:
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Crooked Tree Bed & Breakfast |
39 Hilken Drive |
www.crookedtreecottage.co.za |
Tel: 031 561 5759 |
Endless Horizons Hotel |
108 Umhlanga Rocks |
Tel: 031 564 0360 |
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Gateway Country Lodge |
Gateway Country Lodge |
Tel : 031 566 1206 Fax: 086 690 6480 |
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Honey Pot Bed & Breakfast |
11 Hilken Drive |
Tel: 031 561 3795 |
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La Loggia Bed & Breakfast |
57 Herrwood Dr, |
www.laloggia.co.za |
Tel: 031 561 2411 |
Manaar House |
Manaar House |
Tel: 031-5617902 Fax: 031-5617336 |
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Pearls Hotel |
4 -6 Lagoon Drive |
Tel: 087 808 6166 |
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Protea Hotel Umhlanga |
Protea Mall Cnr Lighthouse & Chartwell Drive |
Tel: 031 561 4413 Fax: 031 561 4564 |
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Royal Palm Hotel |
08 Palm Boulevard, |
Tel: 031 581 8000 |
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Sandringham Bed & Breakfast |
No. 8 SandringhamCourt |
Tel: 031 561 3823 |
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Sylvan Grove Hotel |
49 Sylvan Grove |
Tel: 031 561 5137 |
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44 Lagoon Drive, |
Tel: 031 561 2323 |
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For something a bit different, Umhlanga Ocean Charters offers Deep Sea Fishing & Boat Trips, launching from Granny's Pool. The deep sea fishing charters are on a 19ft YELD Cat, whilst the boat trips are on a 7.2m rubber duck.
Ask our lovely travel consultant your questions here. She would love to assist.
