Asha’s Insider Guide Series to South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal
Asha Singh, founder of Life By Asha Singh, is a South African lifestyle blogger from South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, who writes about women empowerment, travel, product reviews and cool events. Her writing tends to often be feminist themed, although you’ll also find some more personal posts as well as write ups on everything that’s a part of her life.
5 things I love most about South Coast
- The Beach
- The tropical climate
- Instagram-worthiness
- Outdoor activities
- The small town vibe
A few quirky/cool/fun things only locals know about
Mpenjati nature reserve is lesser known, and the Umtentweni and Ramsgate whale watching deck. For some lovely food with a view you can go to Fish On The River in Port Shepstone.
The least touristy thing to do in South Coast
The towns on the south coast are all very touristy since it’s a holiday destination, but I guess fishing.
Best place in South Coast to enjoy…
The water: There are tons of beach front places all along the south coast, you just have to pick the town… perhaps Southbroom or Port Edward.
The mountains/countryside: The Oribi Gorge.
The outdoors: Pretty much anywhere since it’s always green and lush, any of the beaches or for a more daring outdoor vibe then Oribi Gorge.
The food: You have to go to Waffle House in Ramsgate.
The general vibe or nightlife: Margate or The Wild Coast Sun.
Good coffee/tea/wine: We don’t have much of a coffee or wine culture here however I highly recommend Beaver Creek for coffee.
Meet locals: Jaxx Restaurant in Umtentweni is a local hangout spot with good food.
What makes a city/town special for me
The natural beauty. The south coast won the nature lottery – beautiful beaches, lush greenery and the perfect weather all year.
My favourite small town in South Africa and why
Clarens and Stellenbosch. I’m a very artsy and wine person and both these towns cater for that!
If I were to do a 10 day road trip through South Africa, these are the stops I’d make:
I did a Durban to Cape Town trip in 2015 with my family and that was absolutely amazing but since I already did it it doesn’t count. I would like to do a trip to the Kruger. This is what the itinerary looked like: Graaff Reinet – Beaufort West – Winelands – Cape Town (For a few days) – Garden Route – Port Elizabeth – East London. Midlands – Drakensberg – Clarens – Johannesburg – Hartbeespoort – Pretoria – Blyde River Canyon – Kruger.
The ultimate bush experience anyone can have in SA
My ultimate was Addo in Port Elizabeth
The ultimate bush experience anyone can have in Southern Africa (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia)
I haven’t travelled Southern Africa extensively yet, but I would love to experience Namibia.
My best beach/island experience in Southern Africa
Port Elizabeth – the beaches are stunning, sand is white, and sea is not nearly as cold as Cape Town.
The most magical place in South Africa and why
Drakensberg.
The best places to visit in South Africa for…
- Solo travellers: Suncity
- Couples: Winelands
- Families: Drakensberg
- Luxury travelers: Cape Town or Umhlanga
- Those seeking off-the-grid spots: Clarens
Asha, founder of Life By Asha Singh is a 21 year old wine-a-holic. She’s passionate about women empowerment, politics, and social media. She enjoys travelling and sharing snippets of her life on social media. For more of her, check out her Facebook page.
