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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

  1. The Beach
  2. The tropical climate
  3. Instagram-worthiness
  4. Outdoor activities
  5. 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…

  1. Solo travellers: Suncity
  2. Couples: Winelands
  3. Families: Drakensberg
  4. Luxury travelers: Cape Town or Umhlanga
  5. 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.

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Verushka’s Insider Guide to Durban

Meet our insider from Durban, Verushka Ramasami, currently working full-time as a Travel and Tourism lecturer at a local college in Durban. By day her lectures, marking and dogs keep her busy and every spare minute in between she is busy working on her blog and blog related things.

She loves exploring locally and  since returning home in 2010 after living abroad she now sees her home town through the eyes of a tourist. She is a foodie so she loves discovering local foodie places and most week days she becomes the Indian version of the Nigella Dawson and dons her apron as a domestic goddess. 

5 things I love most about Durban

  1. The amazing food spots all around the city.
  2. All year round fantastic weather.
  3. The friendly locals who make up the rainbow nation can all be found in Durban.
  4. Durban is a cultural hub and home to many beautiful places of worship.
  5. The amazing beaches and not forgetting the stunning sunsets.

A few quirky/cool/fun things only locals know about Durban

  1. Board the Holiday Express Train for a family adventure to Shongweni Market or down the southcoast to Scottburgh for the day.
  2. Visit Beaver Creek Coffee Estate.
  3. Chocolate Garden.
  4. Waffle House.
  5. Karkloof Safari Villas.
  6. Abingdon wine estate in the Midlands.

Best place here to enjoy the..

The water– Umhlanga Beach or Warner Beach.

The mountains/countryside– Midlands Meander.

The outdoors– a down drive the South coast will bring you to Oribi Gorge and Lake Eland both adventure sport places.

The food – Florida Road has a few amazing places which include home to once market stalls now eateries on the block Roti& Chai, Falafel Fundi and not forgetting Mozambik and Cubana. For the best Indian food head to Malis in Goble Road or Palki near Musgrave centre. Lingella at the Elangeni Hotel has an amazing buffet. Not forgetting Old Town.

The general vibe or nightlife-The Umhlanga area is a great spot for a night out with numerous bars and places to eat.

Good coffee/tea/wine – Saviour and CO, Bike and Bean , I want my coffee

Wine Selection– try The Big Easy situated at the Hilton Hotel

Meet locals – Local markets like I Heart Market, Shongweni Market (only opened on a Saturday), Suncoast Casino and places of worship like the Hare Krishna Temple in Chatsworth, not forgetting all the eating places around Durban.

What makes a city/town special for you?

The people, food and culture

What is your favorite small town in South Africa and why?

The Midlands Meander it is a great escape from city life and is full of wondesful little spots like Rawdons Brewery , The Midlands Kitchen, Fordoun Spa,Piggly Wiggly are a few places to mention. And the best part is that you can see the night sky filled with stars.

If you could do a 10 day road trip through south africa, which stops would you make?

Garden Route to Cape Town, a trip I did as a kid with my parents. It would include Hole in the Wale, Port Elizabeth – Addo National Park and the Big Pineapple, Knysna, Oudtshoorn, Jeffrey’s Bay, Stellenbosch before Cape Town.

What is the ultimate bush experience anyone can have in SA?

Is to explore the KZN province we have some pretty amazing game reserves some with the Big 5. They include places like Tala Game Reserve , Nambiti , Rhino River Lodge and Phinda.

What is the ultimate bush experience anyone can have in Southern Africa?

Besides South Africa I think Botswana is pretty amazing.

The best places to visit in South Africa for..

  1. solo travellers- Durban
  2. Couples- Midlands Meander
  3. Families- Drakensberg
  4. Luxury travelers- Cape Town
  5. Those seeking off-the-grid spots- Mozambique

Verushka is the Founder of spice goddess.co.za, a lifestyle blog with a focus on travel, food and culture. It is a place where I share my world with the world. Aside from her blog get more insider tips to Durban and beyond on Facebook.

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How to Keep Cool in South Africa’s Big Cities

Whether you’re in Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban, you may need a place to cool down, a body of water to dive into and a way to refresh in between your city sightseeing. Here’s a few hotels, pools and dams to dip into within South Africa’s big cities:

Johannesburg

Saxon Hotel

Find solace at the luxurious, leafy retreat of the Saxon Hotel in the heart of Sandhurst, Johannesburg. Some luxury villas and suites have their very own pools else you can dip into their heated pool. Or even better, book yourself into their spa with cascading water features and Himalayan salt and copper influences.

Public Swimming Spots

With no coastline, lots of nearby dams and a few public swimming pools; your best option would be at your hotel or there’s the Linden indoor heated swimming pool or the biggest public swimming pool ( Olympic-size) at Ellis Park.

Durban

The Canelands Hotel

Whether you’re on deck on walk or sipping cocktails on the terrace of The Canelands Hotel; you’ll be surrounded by views of the ocean and the pool blue beside you. Wake up to hear crashing waves, dive into the ocean, dip in the pool, go horse-riding on the coast or micro-light along the coast.

Public Swimming Spots

Durban’s golden mile of coastline is a wonderful place to enjoy the beach.  With safe-swimming beacons, lifeguards on duty at most beaches, warmer water, shark nets and public amenities, there is so much on and around the beach to enjoy.

Cape Town

Mandela Rhodes Place Hotel

Catch a city break here in the heart of Cape Town’s cultural quarter at Mandela Rhodes Place and when the days get hot and you’re not keen on finding your way to the seaside, laze on lofty heights and dive into the rooftop swimming pool.

Public Swimming Spots

Being a peninsula, Cape Town has a plethora of options where everyone can cool down. Dams and little streams running down from the mountain and beaches galore. Choose between the Atlantic Seaboard beaches tucked between giant boulders with white sand beaches and cooler Atlantic ocean water or the False Bay peninsula with warmer water and family-friendly tidal and rock pools and beaches. Here’s more ideas in our Mini-guide to Cape Town’s Coastline.

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Beaches not to miss in Southern Africa

The Southern African countries of Namibia, South Africa and Mozambique present beauty and diversity in their varying landscapes of mountains, islands, rivers, deserts and of course beaches. Come rain or shine, each coastline will present families, romance-seekers and adventurers with many opportunities to enjoy the water. While there are too many to mention, we’ve narrowed it to down a few beaches for every kind of traveller and ones you can’t miss when visiting these African countries:

1. Coffee Bay, South Africa’s Wild Coast

Wild, rural and beautiful without abandon this is a beach and stretch of coastline best enjoyed by walking along it. Coastal trails will take you past rural huts, river mouths and grazing cattle. Trail with a guide to the natural wonder of Hole in the wall which juts out to sea, try a surf lesson at Coffee Bay Beach or perch atop one of the green cliffs and take in the endless views of this blissful rural life that still exists in very few parts of South Africa.

2. Skeleton Coast, Namibia

Don’t arrive expecting to relax, tan or frolic in this wild, chilly Atlantic Ocean, but come with anticipation of a rugged stretch of beach found between the Kunene and Swakop rivers. A haven for seals, marine birdlife and ship wreakages ( due to the tumultuous ocean), where the barren warm desert meets the cold ocean and forms a haunting mist. Come with your camera and desire to witness one of the most unique stretches of African coastline.

3. Bazaruto, Mozambique

It’s not called one of the world’s most picturesque islands for nothing. A tropical paradise bringing day trip visitors from the mainland, divers seeking great visibility and dugong sightings as well as snorkelers wanting to enjoy the turquoise ocean, turtles and rich marine life. Climb the dunes for island views and a feeling of being caught somewhere in the desert and savanah, enjoy a fish braai with local guides on the beach or hop on a dhow cruise to bid farewell to the sun.

4. Cape Columbine Reserve Beaches, South Africa’s West Coast

Most visitors get stuck in Paternoster and never look past the instagram-worthy fishing boats of Paternoster, but once in Paternoster, keep left until you enter the reserve where giant boulders enclose tiny bays with clear, cool water. Jump from boulder to boulder or join a kayaking tour in the bay or just savour the serenity of the reserve.

Photo Credit: thetravelmanuel.com

5. Swakopmund, Namibia

Find little Germany in this town along with a beach bustling with ways for visitors to enjoy it such as  quad biking, sand boarding, kayaking and surfing and of course just lazing in the sand.

6. Tofo and Tofino Beaches, Mozambique

Four hours drive from the popular town of Vilankulo, lies 8km worth of sandy beach for swimming, wading, sunning and family fun. For those wishing to go deeper, diving, deep sea fishing excursions are on the cards. Surfers and those wanting to try their hand at fly fishing will do well to visit nearby Tofino beach.

7. North Beach, Durban South Africa

A hive of activity for those to keen to jump in the water and those wishing to enjoy it from a distance. With a skate park, bike rental, nearby coffee shops and restaurants, families can take their pick of how they’d like to spend an afternoon here. Popular amongst locals for surfing, catch a glimpse of these guys ( and girls) jumping off the pier to catch waves.

8. Smitswinkel Bay, Cape Town South Africa

A short walk down a pathway at the base of a cliff beside Cape Point Nature Reserve, you’ll find a beach much-loved by local residents and one providing a wonderful place to picnic and laze in the sand more than swim. Pack a picnic and all the food you need as there are no shops nearby and be mindful to take all refuse and goodies you brought with you.

9. Terence Bay, Namibia

Another beach known for its wildlife appeal and beach angling opportunities rather than swimming and ideal beach temperatures. The icy Benguela current will ensure that you may not want to dip into its waters, but join  a desert excursion and look out for desert-adapted wildlife roaming the coastline.

10. Cape Vidal Beach, Northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Found beside Lake St. Lucia in the fairly secluded region of Northern Kwa-Zulu Natal, this beach can get windy but provides a long stretch of beach perfect for walks, family picnics, snorkeling right off the beach hugging the reef and solitude on most days.

11. Muizenberg Beach, Cape Town

The more laid-back cousin to Cape Town’s Atlantic Seaboard sexy beaches, Muizenberg is a beach packed with energy, life, restaurants, cafes and places to rent and get lessons in surfing, SUPPing ( stand-up paddle boarding). Dog walkers, toddlers, couples and families love this beach for its play park, coastal walk, relatively warm water ( warmer than the Atlantic seaboard) and local vibe.

12. Point and Main Beach, Jeffreys Bay- South Africa

Top International surfers hurry here from around the globe to catch one of the world’s best right-hand breaks at the beaches of Supertubes and Point. For non-surfers, these aloe-lined beaches with their wooden walkways are also enjoyable for the rock pools, long stretches of sand to walk on or a place to bring your coffee and take in the surf artistry below. Main Beach is wonderful for families who want to laze on the beach, bodyboard or even learn to surf. Coffee shops and restaurants offering incredible seafood can be found nearby as well as  water park the kids will love.

13. Chintsa Beach, South Africa’s Wild Coast

Another wild beach with hardly anyone on it, go on a coastal horse riding trail and ride on the sand, past dunes and over green hills. Find serenity and a place to relax away from the city crowds. Just in from the beach is a river where you can rent a kayak and float down the river watching the abundant bird life.

14. Kraalbaai, South Africa’s West Coast National Park

Once you set eyes on Kraalbaai’s aquamarine ocean, you’ll be forgiven for thinking you’re somewhere in the Maldives. With houseboats moored in the bay, learner kitesurfer and SUPPers ( stand-up paddle boarders) loving this calm, sheltered bay, this is a beach perfect for a hot day where the refreshing water is welcomed and all you need do is lay back beneath your umbrella.

Photo Credit: thetravelmanuel.com

15. Llandudno Beach, Cape Town

There isn’t a better place for romantic sunset picnics, visits with the family and a chance to bring the dog for a walk. Nestled between plump boulders and something resembling an Italian coastline, this is a beach favorite amongst locals and foreigners alike. Don’t miss out on the viewpoints from above as well as the coastal drive all the way from Llanduno to Camps bay and Clifton.

Photo Credit: thetravelmanuel.com

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