Umhlanga Tourism, Author at Umhlanga Rocks Tourism

The only official 'Umhlanga Tourism' website

The only official 'Umhlanga Tourism' website

Umhlanga pier aerial view

Exceptional architecture and award winning engineering work have helped make Umhlanga’s whale-bone pier a favourite.

Pier in the morning

Every once in a while someone comes along and builds something that not only serves its purpose well, but looks spectacular into the bargain. For an example of just such a happy union of style and substance, consider the Umhlanga Stormwater Outfall Pier. The eThekwini municipality commissioned the whale-bone pier (as it’s more popularly and romantically…

African eagle Umhlanga Rocks

In the last blog in this series, we followed the trail atop the dune at the Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve. From the end of the dune, some 200 metres distant, lies the Ohlanga River mouth. It happened to be open to the sea. But often a sandbank closes it. It’s a mostly natural process (artificial…

Blacksmith lapwings (Vanellus armatus) at Umhlanga Lagoon – a great place for bird lovers

The Umhlanga Lagoon Nature Reserve is not just for the birds – and bird lovers. Its dunes, forest and reedbeds are a good bet for a visit when the beaches get too hot or if the wind blows up.

Bongani Chisale boardwalk

A guided walking tour of the Umhlanga Lagoon is a great way to take in the nature reserve, home to more than 200 species of birds.

Alwyn and Humphrey on Chartwell Drive

Umhlanga Tourism’s loveable mascot Humphrey is fast approaching the R700 000 mark in his collection for the SPCA. And his owner, Alwyn Immerman, reckons R1 million is in their sights. We caught up with the pair the other day and can confirm the pooch has lost none of his charm. While Immerman remains smitten and…

Ettiene Botha, Mandalay owner-manager

In this, the second installment in an occasional series on B&Bs and guesthouses, we talk to Ettiene Botha, co-owner and manager of Mandalay, in Durban North. Business travellers provide their bread and butter and tourism and leisure a welcome topping, he told Umhlanga Tourism over a cup of coffee in the airy breakfast room. Despite…

Lunch at Angelo's

My mate, my china plate: Cockney rhyming slang, coined by barrow boys or East End gangsters. It was a kind of a code, say the experts. It was a way for those in the know to speak their mind while hiding their meaning from outsiders. But there’s no call for secrets or keeping people in…

Oyster Box Occean Terrace

The oft-honoured Oyster Box Hotel has done it again, this time taking a top spot in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards. Readers of the international travel magazine voted the Umhlanga establishment into first place in the award’s Top 5 Africa Resort Hotels category. And the same awards placed The Oyster Box in 21st…

Snappy footwork, including crew and cast doubling up in the kitchen, has put Rockwood Theatre in the pound seats for a 15 July reopening. The performing arts has been among the sectors hardest hit by lockdown. So news that the curtains were soon coming up at the popular Sibaya supper theatre venue should add to…

Crocodile Creek Sean and big croc

There can’t be many unreformed killers on the FunShine Coast enjoying themselves more than Umthakathi. “He came from the Nseli River. He killed a 12-year-old boy,” says Sean Le Clus of the big male Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) menacingly near his feet. “It’s a fantastic sentence for murder. You lie around the pool and get…

In this, the first in an occasional series on B&Bs and guesthouses, we chat to Jack Hogan. His four-star Manaar House consistently features in the top of the pops. At time of publishing it ranked No. 2 on TripAdvisor, an online travel and tourism booking platform. The ranking was based on 298 guest reviews. Booking.com,…

Mxolisi Kaunda at M4 opening

The reopening of a major road serving Umhlanga and its surrounds augurs well for efforts to get tourism in the region back on track. A stretch of the M4 Ruth First Highway, linking Umhlanga with resorts to its north, as well the airport and Sibiya casino, officially reopened on Friday, 12 June. KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle…

Tour guide Greg Garson and Gandhi grandson at Spioenkop

Form is temporary, class is permanent, sports journalists are wont to say whenever a much-loved team or star player slumps. Greg Garson, the Umhlanga Tourism committee member, tour operator and national guide, is hoping the same holds true for him. Of course, the sporting analogy is a little wide of the mark. It’s not like…

coffee at the Daily Dose in Umhlanga

If you ever doubted the addictive powers of a fresh cup of coffee, you probably haven’t seen the line at Daily Dose. We’re talking about the little wood-clad kiosk above Umhlanga’s Durban View Park, which reopened in early May to the considerable approval of its clientele, new and old. These being lockdown times, the caffeine-lovers…

Umhlanga soccer football

To thousands of visitors he’s the friendly, unassuming chap behind the information desk. And to many B&B owners and other operators, he’s the helpful voice at the end of the phone line. But few perhaps realise that Umhlanga Tourism’s Sabelo Didi also does a lot of good work in a completely different ball game. The…

A bargain is up for grabs for Umhlanga Rocks tourists, with special rates on holiday flats on offer through to the end of November. All but a handful of the area’s estimated 700 holiday flats were empty at present while Covid-19 lockdown restrictions remained in place. But the sector was preparing for this to change.…

Umhlanga promenade

Sometimes you have to lose something – if only for a while – to realise just how much it means to you it. Certainly that’s been the case for FunShine Coast residents, cooped up in their homes for five weeks. The modest easing of Coronavirus lockdown restrictions which now lets them out for a few…

Golf Umhlanga

Umhlanga really is a swinging little place. And if you love golf then around about now is the sweetest of times to be in the unofficial capital of KwaZulu-Natal’s FunShine Coast. Just ask the organisers of the IGT Pro Tour, which was scheduled to return to these shores from mid May through to July next…

The bosses of Umhlanga’s two best-known hotels are refusing to let the lockdown get them down. They are calling on the hospitality industry and public to keep its collective chin up and plan for the future. Desmond O’Conner, general manager of The Oysterbox Hotel, said he wanted the world to return to some semblance of…

Saraj Ferguson

Durban North endurance swimmer and eco-warrior Sarah Ferguson has renewed her call to shoppers and local businesses to curb plastic use despite the hygiene challenges posed by Covid-19. Ferguson was speaking to Umhlanga Tourism a few days after completing her isolation for coronavirus. Readers of this blog and FunShine Coast residents will recall that Ferguson…

Durban North Japanese Gardens

In the previous blog in this series on the Durban North Japanese Gardens, we reached the top of a slope overlooking an outdoor chapel and eastwards to the sea… ‘But at my back,” as the poet told his coy mistress, “I always hear, time’s winged chariot hurrying near.” Our stroll in the gardens had gone…

Durban North Japanese Gardens

In the previous blog, on the eve of lockdown, the Durban North Japanese Gardens was proving to be an agreeable place for picnicking. A number of polished concrete tables and benches have recently been installed in the Durban North park. And your correspondent found one near a pond and was sitting, eating sushi and counting…

Japanese Gardens

Ah, the quiet pleasures of a walk in the park. And so it was last week, on the eve of lockdown, as opportunities for public recreation began to disappear like so many rolls of twin-ply from the supermarket shelf, I returned to the Japanese Gardens. As returns go, it was not one of those nostalgic…

Garden art at the Hingham Nursery

Social distancing – now there’s an oxymoron for our times. But If you happen to be on the FunShine Coast and need to be far from the madding crowd and want a pleasant, airy place for a light meal, then try the Hingham Nursery Tea Garden. We asked our waitress Sharon Makope, a cheerful young woman…

Granny's Pool dog walking

They wrote a song about Copacabana. Patriotic Aussies reckon Bondi’s a beaut. Waikiki is wonderful, if eroded. While a stretch of shore on Phi Phi Islands became so famous after it featured in a film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, the Thai government had to limit visitor numbers. Some beaches seem to capture the popular imagination. Then…

Umhlanga Rocks Lighhouse 2020 Feb copyright

It looms large on the promenade and it’s at the heart of the local tourism association’s logo, so it’s pleasing that the Umhlanga Rocks Lighthouse is getting a lick of paint. Or to be more precise, an estimated 395 litres of the stuff. The interior, exterior and lantern house are being repainted at a cost of…

Wheelchair user enjoys feeding elephants

Accessible, family-friendly facilities, good shopping and its nearness to the airport make Umhlanga a hit with disabled tourists. That’s according to Jennae Bezuidenhout, of Access2Africa Safaris, an award-winning tour operator that caters for the needs of people with disabilities and their families. Bezuidenhout, who was speaking to Umhlanga Tourism ahead of International Wheelchair Day, on…

If you are one of those people who, excuse the salty language, regards eating oysters as akin to licking boogers off the back of a tortoise, read no further. The little molluscs, it must be stated, are an acquired taste. But if, like your correspondent, you have done the hard yards acquiring, then you will be…

Unless you’re on the right side of 25 or genetically blessed, you won’t get that trim Umhlanga beach body lounging on the sofa scoffing pizza and binge watching miniseries. There’s a price to pay for everything. But the good news for residents and visitors to the FunShine Coast is that it has recently got easier,…

Marketing and tourism go together like, well, love and marriage. So it’s only right that scores of FunShine Coast hospitality businesses have been quick to climb on the Valentine’s Day promotional bandwagon (or should that be, carriage?). The romantically inclined, or the just plain anxious to placate, are being inundated with offers – spoilt for…

WHEN people ask the new general manager of the Oyster Box Hotel why on earth he moved from Cape Town, his response is immediate. “It’s because of the people and the hotel,” Desmond O’Connor explains. Two weeks into his dream job at the world-famous award-winning five-star hotel, O’Connor, has also got used to people telling…

bowls club action in Umhlanga

A heresy to say it here perhaps, but Umhlanga’s beaches aren’t for everyone. And even ardent holidaymakers sometimes tire of the seaside and seek alternatives. Chris Carter reckons the answer lies at the local lawn bowls club. Carter, coach of the Umhlanga Bowling Club, says the sport offers a winning way to hone your physical,…

Beachwood Mangroves beach entrance

Come see Beachwood’s battling crabs, cool trees Talk about the survival of the fittest. If you need a neat reminder of how competition shapes our natural world, take a tour of Durban’s Beachwood Mangroves. Assuming it’s low tide at the reserve, at the mouth of the Mgeni River, expect to witness pitched battles among its…

What do you do if you have a soft spot for Umhlanga Rocks and its famous pier? Mention it to a few friends, maybe. Share a picture or two on social media, perhaps… Well if your name’s Jonathan Syster, a regular visitor to the seaside fun spot, then you go the extra mile to spread…

Forget the clichés about tantrums and tiaras. While the Miss and Mr Umhlanga pageant was under way at Main Beach at the weekend, one of the eventual winners was torn between the onstage excitement and the drama of a rescue and a broken leg incident nearby. But Janique Pretorius,16, kept her cool on a steamy Saturday,…

Carols under the Stars, Umhlanga’s annual Christmas concert, more than lived up to its billing with stellar performances from the entertainers on Thursday. And the crowd, including visitors from Columbia, the US and the UK, packed the courtyard at Granada Square, joining in heartily to sing the much-loved yuletide tunes. It proved to be very…

Life’s a beach as Umhlanga summer showpiece gets into full swing On a gorgeous day, with the skies clear, the beach a sea of brollies and the sea itself part azure, part navy, it’s hard to top Umhlanga. But the capital of the FunShine Coast was far from resting on its laurels on Monday. As…

Umhlanga Tourism welcomed East Coast Radio to its offices on Thursday, on the eve of the 2019 Summer Festival. And ECR Drive show presenters Mags Westerhof and Bongani Mtolo were rich in their praise for the area’s charms. Mtolo told listeners he was green with envy when he arrived in Umhlanga Rocks to prepare for…

Umhlanga's carols concert entertainer Mikey Mathaba

Most everyone loves the old Christmas favourites and yule certainly be getting that at Umhlanga’s Carols under the Stars concert. But to mix things up a bit, and back by popular demand, will be beatboxer Mikey Mathaba. Mathaba, who is among an impressive lineup of artists set to entertain at the Thursday 19 December concert,…

A dazzling new diorama of your favourite seaside resort is now on show. It’s a treat for the young and young-at-heart. There’s the landmark lighthouse and the famous whale-bone pier. And nearby, people are having fun: building sand castles, fishing from the rocks or enjoying the promenade. It’s a slice of the Umhlanga Rocks you…

Preparations for the annual Umhlanga Summer Festival are now in full swing, with a packed programme of seaside fun from 14 to 23 December. Highlights include the Miss and Mr Umhlanga pageant and the Carols under the Stars concert. The festival theme is “Colours of Africa: Embracing all that is Beautiful” and that’s what guests…

Durban avian zoo welcomes four cygnets Forget what you’ve heard about ducklings and how poor, little and plug-ugly they are. Only the hard of heart could deny their charm. And when it comes to baby swans, well the little fellas are positively button cute. If you want proof of this, get yourself down to the…

The Oyster Box Hotel has done it again. The Umhlanga landmark took the trophy for best five-star hotel for a fifth year in a row at the national Lilizela Tourism Awards. The hotel was one of seven KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) tourism businesses honoured at the finals, in Pretoria at the weekend. The annual awards, which recognise…

Take a craft brewery tour in the heart of the FunShine coast “Who doesn’t like a Hot Blonde?” asks Barry Schoeman. Who indeed, but we haven’t called at the Durban Brewing Company’s pint-sized brewery in Redhill for locker room chat. No, we are here to hear about the beer they make including one that bears…

A record-breaking endurance swimmer shrugged off “wild” conditions, illness and a nasty bluebottle sting, to complete a 101km campaign on the KZN North Coast in aid of plastic-free oceans. Sarah Ferguson tackled the multi-stage swim in concert with hikers who were doing the newly launched Philocaly Trail, a charity beach walk and cleanup from Durban…

Umhlanga Tourism tries out some of the fine fare at the lakeside market. ‘Merhaba (hello there)…. Türkiye çok guzel,” I say, digging deep into the holiday phrasebook memory banks. Murat Oncel, looks up and smiles, one eye on me, the other on a lamb kebab he is busy singeing with a blow-torch. Yes, Turkey is…

Plans are afoot to extend one of KwaZulu-Natal’s most important elephant sanctuaries. The 30 000 hectare Tembe Elephant Park, on the southern border with Mozambique, is looking at expanding by 26 000ha. The park had run out of space for its elephants, forcing it to put its females on contraceptives since 2007. The expansion to…

In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love, the poet tells us. Or, in the case of your middle-aged correspondent, to outdoor pursuits and vague thoughts about getting fitter, and leaner, not merely meaner. The dark winter mornings are behind us too, so quitting the bed is less of a…

HONOURED IN THE BREACH: IHmpbacks are celebrated for their aerial displays. Picture: Whit Welles

And so we bid farewell to a much loved visitor to these shores. Every September and October, humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) begin leaving the East Coast of Southern Africa to return to their summer grounds in the Southern Ocean, where they feed on the rich abundance of small fish and krill, a shrimp like crustacean.…

A LAVISH beautifully illustrated book about uMhlanga’s world-famous Oyster Box Hotel has just been published. And in keeping with what guests and visitors have come to expect down the years, it does not disappoint. It is a masterly keepsake that captures the history and tales of a bygone era that was lovingly brought up to…

Spring may have sprung on the funshine coast, as the marketing men love to remind us, but up on the hill things have taken a turn for the wintery. A new pleasure dome, Snow Wonderland, has opened at Umhlanga’s Gateway shopping centre. It will let funseekers experience, all year round, some of the delights normally…

Heck, these days you could probably watch the World Cup on your smartphone. But would you want to? Fortunately for fans visiting Umhlanga or its surrounds during the course of the rugby showpiece – from 20 September to 2 November – there are more agreeable alternatives. Here’s a potted selection to help you choose… A sharp…

Want to get out and stretch those legs; perhaps meet a few people from elsewhere in the country and beyond? Well then, give the Umhlanga parkrun (the organisers insist it is spelled without a capital) a whirl. The free timed fun event north along the promenade and back again, has proved a hit with locals and…

IT is not just people who are pampered at uMhlanga’s Oyster Box Hotel – their pets get the VIP treatment too. The famous five-star hotel has a pet-friendly policy and small-to-medium sized dogs and cats can enjoy the same sort of luxury as their owners at the Oyster Box’s superior villas. Demand for the pet-friendly…

Globe-trotting comic Carvin H Goldstone will be giving his first solo KZN performance of the year at uMhlanga Ridge’s Protea Hotel Fire & Ice! on Saturday, 31 August. A son of the Durban soil, Goldstone combines a talent for observation, great storytelling skills and an infectious laugh. Umhlanga Rocks Tourism asked the big man about…

Thousands of girls across South Africa are feeling a little Cinderella-ish right now. Matric farewell season is in swing, but the dresses and accessories they need for the big night are simply beyond their means. Now hope is at hand. A national department store chain has stepped forward to play the proverbial fairy godmother, by…

Two festivals, sweet deals for dames dining à deux and a little pampering – just some of Women’s Day fare on offer north of the Umgeni on Friday, 9 August.

Classical and show tunes are on the bill at a Durban Symphonic Choir concert in Umhlanga.

An internationally acclaimed tribute singer and two of the country’s best loved comediennes are on the bill for I’m Every Woman, a Sibiya Casino and Entertainment Kingdom fundraising concert in aid of the Aryan Benevolent Home (ABH). The Friday (July 26) iZulu Theatre concert stars Belinda Davids, a South African singer who has carved out…

Who killed the second secretary-general of the United Nations and why after nearly 58 years should we even care? Two questions at the heart of Cold Case Hammarskjöld, an intriguing documentary showing at Ster Kinekor Gateway as part of the Durban International Film Festival. Swede Dag Hammarskjöld perished when his plane crashed in September 1961,…

Orchid

Durban North’s Fairway Guesthouse will be hosting the Fairway Orchid and Rare Plant Fair on July 20.

Beauty, brains, and plenty of spirit — just a few of the fine qualities on abundant display at the Miss Umhlanga Winter Festival pageant on Friday, 5 July. The judges were looking for an attractive young woman to represent Umhlanga Tourism and they were spoilt for choice as 24 hopefuls lined up at a Main…

The Winter Festival returns to Umhlanga Main Beach on 4 July, with a beauty pageant among the highlights.

KwaZulu-Natal is welcoming thousands of visitors, including hundreds from abroad for the Comrades Marathon on Sunday, 9 June. And some hospitality businesses with strong Umhlanga ties have been quick off the mark to cash in. The ultra-marathon, with its 22 000 runners and legions of supporters, was expected to boost the provincial economy by up…

US reality television street racing car personalities Murder Nova, Farmtruck and AZN will be topping the bill at the Gas Motorshow, which runs at Cornubia Mall from 15 to 17 June. Showgoers can expect a glimpse into American car culture and a few of the men who build or race some of the United State’s…

Having a torn tendon followed by surgery was not about to slow down dancer, choreographer and innovator Jemma van Breda of La Lucia. Although the operation and recovery phase meant she was on crutches for a while, her creativeness knew no bounds. Jemma, 21, is the brains behind the cultural and tourism one-of-a-kind platform, called…

Umhlanga Rocks Urban Improvement Precinct users remain overwhelmingly positive about the area and its facilities according to a recent survey. The perception survey conducted for the precinct over the March/April holidays sought participants’ views on the safety, cleaning, maintenance and greening services in the area. In reply to the question, “Would you recommend Umhlanga Rocks”,…

UMHLANGA surfer Beyrick de Vries is going “all out” this year in a bid to take the honours at the Ballito Pro contest, the world’s longest continuously running professional surfing event. “It would mean so much to win in front of all your friends and family who have spent time and energy in supporting me…

The R65 million upgrade of the La Lucia mall is on target and its owners say it will complement new plans for an office development and a residential block on adjoining sites. The developers and owners of the mall, Growthpoint Properties, confirmed it was seeking planning approval for a R95-million, office building, next to the…

Tourists and small businesses in the tourism sector will soon be able to book and plan their trips and connect via a new online platform and mobile app, Jurni. CEO of the National Tourism Visitor Information system Dr Nomvuselelo Songelwa unveiled, Jurni, a new digital initiative of the national department of tourism at the recent…

More than 150 volunteers have cleared tons of trash from the Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve. The 11 May cleanup comes in the wake of the storm that devastated parts of KwaZulu-Natal after the Easter Weekend. Flooding claimed at least 70 lives, destroying millions of rands in infrastructure and dumping mountains of debris on beaches in…

Guesthouse and B&B owners have expressed concern regarding the impact of unfair competition from local Airbnb hosts Home owners who run Airbnb businesses came under under the spotlight at Africa’s Travel Indaba in Durban where the government reiterated its stance on regulating the industry. Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom said the government welcomed the technological innovations…

The Umhlanga Community Tourism Organisation has issued a friendly warning to homeowners thinking of running a B&B on the quiet. If you don’t have the correct permissions and approvals think twice before you advertise your spare room on A‌i‌r‌b‌n‌b‌. Herbert Achhammer, the organisation’s committee member handling legal and compliance matters, said many people believed affiliation…

When Fiona McLeod first came across a ‘cling wrap replacement’ she didn’t know what it was. ‘A relative had come back from Australia and given me a pack and I wondered what it was,’ said Fiona. ‘But when I realised the product was a good way of helping to reduce our reliance on single-use plastic…

In the spacious Pearls Shopping Mall in Umhlanga Rocks is a bright and colourful gift shop called AWESOME AFRICA. African – or more precisely South African – it definitely is. Most of the gifts on display are sourced and proudly made in South Africa. Now that really is awesome! ‘Supporting South African-made products should be…

You spend a frustrating amount of time in traffic each week. Your job and its deadlines take hours of hard work from you every day. In just one hour at Spa Durban the stress of those used minutes will be forgotten. Spa Durban is the home of Fleur De Lis Spa and El Elyon Day…

La Cremosa is an Italian gelateria in Umhlanga. Well situated in the land of eternal summer (Umhlanga) La Cremosa occupies space next door to News Café on Palm Boulevard opposite the main entrance to Gateway Shopping Centre. This genuine Italian gelateria, run by Italians Mauro and Sandro, offers a typical Italian experience. Coffee and bakery…

Hluhluwe, and Zululand in general, is home to some of the most varied landscape, ecology and wildlife on the East Coast of South Africa. It is also the base for Snakepharm, an NPO that is researching interesting new antivenom products and methods. Donald Schultz is a herpetologist who works for Snakepharm. He was born and…

Lara Mostert of Monkeyland KZN reported that the organisation, which is new to KZN, cannot function at 100% as they are not yet allowed to take members of the public on ‘monkey safaris’ for a fee. Until they are, they can offer free ‘monkey safaris’ to the trade. This means that anyone who works in…

The winner of the Waitronathon held as part of Umhlanga Tourism December 2018 Festival was Nhlanhla Khoza of Beach Garden Café & Events. See more about this fun event here: https://bit.ly/2T6bfqz. Nhlanhla’s prize included R1000 cash for the speedster himself. The restaurant he represented also won a prize: a free half-page advert in the 2019…

I arrived at the Beverly Hills’ Mangwanani Boutique Spa just before 4pm on a Tuesday afternoon. I had booked a foot massage – one of my favourite types of treatment. There was a venue choice: either indoors in the airconditioned, fragranced shop, or outdoors in the gently billowing tented area. I chose outdoors. The outlook…

The Umhlanga Tourism Summer Festival 2018 finished on Sunday 23 December in wacky style with a loopy new activation: the Waitronathon. The Waitronathon was a beach obstacle race for waitrons in the Umhlanga area with prizes for first, second and third place. Participants, winners and organisers were delighted with the fun spectacle and they feel…

Thanks to the Department of Arts & Culture the Umhlanga Tourism Summer Festival of 2018 hosted two surprise entertainment pieces: Young Mbazo on Reconciliation Day 16 December, and The Linda Vargas Flamenco Dancy Company on Monday 17 December. Young Mbazo – get this – are the grandchildren of musician Joseph Shabalala, founder of the hugely…

A group of children from Girls and Boys Town showed up on the beach on Tuesday 18 December to take part in Umhlanga Tourism’s fun in the sun festival. The children had great fun playing games and all were given a number of super prizes, donated by generous sponsors. These included vouchers from Cornubia Mall…

Umhlanga Main Beach was hot and happening on Monday 17 December when dozens of beautiful girls took part in the tenth Miss Umhlanga Beauty pageant. With the ocean and sand as a backdrop, and a breeze to cool the 30-degree sunshine, the competition was fun and relaxed. Beachgoers pulled up their deckchairs and enjoyed watching…

Eventors Kevin Ellis and Gareth Greaves are beginning to select books, clothes, toys and games to purchase for less privileged children over this festive season. Entry to participate in the Miss Umhlanga is R150 cash – which will go towards purchasing needed items for Umhlanga child-focused NGOs – supporting the season’s theme this year: It’s…

The new kid on the block at this year’s Umhlanga Summer Festival is the first wacky ‘Waitronathon’, a feature event taking place on Sunday 23 December. The 23rd of December is the final day of the festival and it promises to end in great style. Waitrons from participating Umhlanga restaurants and hotels will make their…

The annual Umhlanga Summer Festival brings loads of family-centred holiday activities to Umhlanga for the 2018 festive season for visitors and locals alike, from 14 to 23 December. Understanding that the season is about goodwill, family and community, the theme for this year’s festival is It’s Cool to Care – with all aspects of the…

The annual Umhlanga Summer Festival brings a host of family-centred holiday activities to Umhlanga for the 2018 festive season for visitors and locals alike, from 14 – 23 December. Understanding that the season is about goodwill, family and community, the theme for this year’s festival is It’s Cool to Care – with all aspects of…

Always a crowd favourite, the annual al-fresco Umhlanga Carols Under the Stars, takes place at the Granada Square in Umhlanga Rocks on Thursday 20 December from 6pm in the courtyard of the favourite shopping and dining destinations on the Umhlanga Strip. The concert is co-ordinated by Shelley McLean featuring a myriad special guests. The evening…

The annual Umhlanga Summer Festival brings a myriad family-centred holiday activities to Umhlanga for the 2018 festive season for visitors and locals alike, from 14 to 23 December. Understanding that the season is about goodwill, family and community, the theme for this year’s festival is It’s Cool to Care – with all aspects of the…

The tenth Miss Umhlanga Beauty Pageant will take place on Monday 17 December 2018 on Umhlanga Main Beach, as one of the highlights of the Umhlanga Summer Festival programme. Registration is from 10.30am on the Millennium Stage, Main Beach, and the competition will run from 12 noon until 2pm. Winners will be crowned on the…

The Umhlanga Summer Festival 2018 was launched this week at the beautifully decorated Cabana Beach Resort conference room. Invited guests were treated to talking, music, dancing, singing and modelling – all by locals. Umhlanga Tourism is a Community Tourist Association and as such supports initiatives, creatives and organisations in our own back yard and the…

Review by: Brenda Daniels Environmentally friendly alternatives are becoming more and more available, and plastic replacements and buying local are two great ways to cut down on pollution. One company that offers both non-plastic and local is Kloof-based Chempac Distribution. Chempac Distribution supplies B&Bs, guesthouses, coffee shops, restaurants, laundromats and others in the Durban area…

The authentic Barnyard Theatre returns to Durban and will be opening at Suncoast soon! The Barnyard Theatre is returning to Durban with the launch of its new venue at the renowned SUNCOAST Casino Hotels & Entertainment – a member of the prestigious Tsogo Sun Group. The planned opening date is 12 December 2018 and bookings…

Spa Durban, which has four branches in and around Umhlanga, is offering the most wonderful-sounding spring spa packages. Choose from: Spring Treat, Oh So Heavenly, Massage Spoil, Bud Blossom & Bloom, Spring Time Romance or Blissful Spring Time. The treats are aimed at couples, singles and even groups, and range in time from a ‘quick’…

The Umhlanga Tourism Summer Festival 2018 is just around the corner and this year’s theme is: Cool to Care. The popular Umhlanga Tourism Summer Festival will this year feature old favourites such as the Miss Umhlanga Beauty Pageant, Carols Under the Stars, and 10 days of beach fun. There will also be a relatively new…

WIN these super exciting prizes from The Escape Hunt Experience Durban – DUR, South Africa 1) 3 x GROUP experiences for 4 people 2) 2 x TEAM BUILDING experiences for 10 people. The Escape Hunt Experience is a fantastic global entertainment franchise offering unique ‘escape the room’ adventures with branches all over the world from Brussels…

Did you know that tucked away on an open piece of ground in the busy precinct of Umhlanga Ridge is the Umhlanga Farmers’ Market? The market, depending on which stallholder we spoke to, has been in existence for 20 to 25 years. It convenes every Wednesday from 8am to 12pm in Autumn Drive, Prestondale (next…

Umhlanga is a vibrant, growing city. Just count all the cranes active at one time and you’ll see the growth! Umhlanga Tourism recently ran an article on co-working spaces and how they are catching on. Another one of these spaces is the Homebru Graft Café. On first glance Homebru is a trendy coffee shop with…

‘That’s it,’ I decided, ‘I’m going to become a vegetarian.’ I was enjoying my first taste of Korean food, at Glenashley-based restaurant, The Crazy Korean. The first course was a Pajeon, followed by a meatless Dol-sot Bi-bim-bap. The pajeon was a pancake about the size of a small dinner plate filled with spring onion, carrot and…

Robbie and Elna Bachmann recently celebrated their first-year anniversary at the helm of Pasha’s Restaurant in Glenashley. The little Italian restaurant and take-away, though, has been a part of the Durban North community for much longer than that. The Bachmanns, who have lived and worked in the area for 30 years, were patrons of Pasha’s…

Kevin Ellis is a champion! Pinetown-boy Kevin returned to South Africa as the reigning European and World, doubles and singles champion after competing in the 2018 World Dance Masters competition in Blackpool, England in August, and the European competition in Dublin, Ireland in March. His partner in the doubles category was Robyn Beck. Kevin’s speciality…

The Last Straw campaign is gaining ground with many restaurants in Umhlanga alone no longer offering plastic straws. Alternatives to plastic, too, are growing in popularity. One of these alternatives is bamboo. Carol Mackintosh from the Wilderness in the Cape has a company aptly named The Last Straw which makes reusable straws from bamboo. The…

An article in The Mercury newspaper (18 May 2018) stated that worldwide there were 14 411 co-working spaces. Several of those 14-odd thousand are right here in Durban North and Umhlanga it would seem. One such example is ‘The Meeting Place’, situated in Kensington Boulevard, Durban North. The Meeting Place offers a mix of office…

Durban North businesswoman, Sharon Emmerich, recently celebrated 21 years in business. Sharon runs a Fiduciary Practice which includes financial estate planning, and tax planning and administration. To celebrate her ‘coming of age’ in the business world Sharon held a breakfast at the Royal Palm Hotel, Umhlanga. Invited guests enthusiastically purchased raffle tickets and were delighted…

Jukebox Hits is a fun musical currently showing at the beautiful Rockwood Theatre at Sibaya Casino, just a few kilometres north of the Umhlanga CBD. The venue is a supper theatre and guests can either bring or order their own food. Drinks can only be purchased within the theatre. The term ‘jukebox’ became popular in…

The rainbow nation Madiba named is looking somewhat refracted; the seven colours of the rainbow are not shining as one. So said Tushar Gandhi on a recent visit to Umhlanga, Durban, South Africa. Tushar and his father Dr Arun Gandhi were part of a tour group that recently took American tourists to a number of…

Ant Man & The Wasp is the latest Marvel superhero movie to be released. A sort of an antihero, Ant Man (Paul Rudd) is full of foibles and weaknesses. His sidekick, the Wasp, definitely has things more together and Wasp’s quest to find her long-lost mother forms the plot of the film. There are several…

Do you enjoy good food? Eating out? But have no-one to go with? Then sign up for a dining experience with DINE4SIX. I attended a DINE4SIX event recently and cannot recommend it highly enough. DINE4SIX is a platform through which people (six at a time) wanting to eat out can sign up for a restaurant…

On Oceans Day 9 June this year South Africa’s SA Agulhas 2 was opened to the public in Durban. Groups of people were taken through this beautifully maintained ship, shown its different areas, and told how scientific research on the ship takes place. Onboard laboratories were used by scientists to conduct marine, environmental, biological and…

Need a movie for the whole family this weekend? Don’t miss Incredibles 2 which opens today at Ster Kinekor, Gateway. Read A Feast of Tales‘ review here: https://wp.me/p4c1s1-rB.

Plastic pollution and climate change are very real. Even in the remotest parts of the earth. In fact, those remote polar regions are the sections of earth that feel climate change effects the most. And those same environments, far from human habitation, are subject to some of the same plastic pollution we struggle with in…

Umhlanga Tourism advocates the elimination of single-use plastics from everyday use. We recently featured The George’s and The Oyster Box‘s efforts in this regard. In support of other local Umhlanga businesses who are cutting down their reliance on these pollutants, we highlight here another restaurant that has joined the ban on plastic straws: RocoMamas. ‘The…

Africa’s Travel Indaba is one of the largest tourism marketing events on the African calendar and one of the top three ‘must visit’ events of its kind on the global calendar. It showcases the widest variety of Southern Africa’s best tourism products and attracts international buyers and media from across the world. Africa’s Travel Indaba…

Okay so Umhlanga doesn’t have just anyone leading their campaigns. No, they have champions! Kevin Ellis, entertainer, style guru and Umhlanga Tourism’s Easter Festival host, is a dance champion. Kevin returned to South Africa on Wednesday 28 March struggling to carry the number of trophies he won at the 2018 European Championships in line dancing.…

Girls, it’s Miss Beach Babe time! As part of the Umhlanga Tourism Easter Festival a fun beauty pageant for girls will be held on Easter Saturday 31 March at Main Beach, Umhlanga. So, don your bikinis and get down to the Millennium stage at 11am for registration, 12pm to 2pm for the competition. Sashes, tiaras…

Plastic seems to be in everything and almost impossible to avoid these days. But with the advent of social media awareness around the ills of single-use plastic growing daily, various initiatives such as #refusethestraw, #plasticpollution and #singleuseplastics, have galvanised the public into using their voices and purchasing power to stamp out its gratuitous use. Umhlanga…

We have egg-citing news: it’s almost time for the Umhlanga Tourism Easter Festival! So hop along to the eggstravaganza being held on Easter weekend, Friday to Monday 30 and 31 March, 1 and 2 April, at the Millennium Stage, Main Beach, Umhlanga. Kids will be kept EXtremely busy with a host of EXciting activities like…

Humphrey, the friendly Umhlanga Tourism ambassador, will be stretching his legs to raise funds for the SPCA. Join him on 25 March 2018 on the Umhlanga Promenade at 6.30am for an easy 5km walk and make a difference for animals in our community. The ‘Honouring Humphrey Big Walk’ sets off from the pier and the…

Pete Ely has had enough. When his young daughter came home from the beach after swimming with plastic (not sea creatures) one too many times, Pete decided that The George had seen its last (plastic) straw. The proprietor of one of Umhlanga’s best-known pubs has banned plastic straws and polystyrene take-away containers from the bar/grill…

Humphrey is going strong in his campaign to be a dog in a million. Over the festive season he raised R8 000 for the SPCA – a timely donation because of the many strays brought to the animal charity at that time of year. Seeff Properties Umhlanga thought his efforts so marvellous they named him…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · 23RD DECEMBER 2017 What a wonderful evening was had by all at Granada Square in Umhlanga on 20 December. The occasion? Umhlanga Tourism’s Carols by Starlight. Sandwiched in between rainy days, Wednesday the 20thwas calm and sunny, perfect for this family outdoor event. About 600 people fitted comfortably into the square…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · 15TH DECEMBER 2017 Huge thanks must go to the Umhlanga UIP for giving the ablution block at Main Beach an overhaul. The upgrade included a new paint job and replacement of broken amenities. Paint was supplied by eThekwini Municipality. Also looking good is the Millennium stage on Main Beach. X-treme Cleaning…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · 6TH DECEMBER 2017 New to Umhlanga is the intriguing detective game experience Mindgame Escape. The venue is just across the road from the Umhlanga Tourism office, on the second floor of Granada Square, Chartwell Drive. Umhlanga Tourism recently gathered a team of six and arrived in a flurry, having made our…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · PUBLISHED 24TH NOVEMBER 2017 · UPDATED 24TH NOVEMBER 2017 At 10.45am on a Thursday in October 2017 my husband and I arrived at CASEA Charters on Umhlanga Main Beach. We had signed up for a boat ride and – in my opinion – couldn’t have picked a better day. The weather…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · PUBLISHED 23RD NOVEMBER 2017 · UPDATED 23RD NOVEMBER 2017 The annual uMhlanga Summer Festivalbrings a myriad family-centred holiday activities to uMhlanga for the festive season for visitors and locals alike, from 14 – 23 December. Of course, being uMhlanga, one of the main areas of focus is the beach. The Beach Festival…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · 14TH OCTOBER 2017 Humphrey is aiming to be a dog in a million. Here’s your chance to help him get there! Umhlanga-based Humphrey (who may be a Russian wire-haired terrier, we can’t be sure) raises funds for the SPCA and his challenge is to schools, companies, organisations and individuals to donate…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · 14TH OCTOBER 2017 Think Umhlanga is all about beach fun and sunshine? Well, yes, it is. But there’s also a great deal of cultural interest and GANDHI LEGACY TOUR LED BY DR ARUN GANDHI, FIFTH GRANDSON OF THE MAHATMA GANDHI. L – R: Mandla Nxumalo of Ohlange Institute, Greg Garson of…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · PUBLISHED 5TH OCTOBER 2017 · UPDATED 3RD OCTOBER 2017 As the weather warms up little by little, work behind the scenes is increasing in intensity. Beach games, Christmas functions, beauty parades and sporting challenges all form part of the 2017 festivities. So, get out the suntan lotion, dust off your running…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · PUBLISHED 29TH SEPTEMBER 2017 · UPDATED 29TH SEPTEMBER 2017 Gandhi 1906 (via The Heritage Portal) In recognition of Gandhi’s 148th birth date on 2 October 2017, Durbanites and visitors to Umhlanga can take part in the International Day of Nonviolence and a prayer organised by the Counsel General of India at…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · PUBLISHED 15TH SEPTEMBER 2017 · UPDATED 12TH SEPTEMBER 2017 ‘Africa’s game reserves and national parks are scattered about this vast continent to an estimated total of 850,000 sqkm. That is equivalent to an area much larger than Britain and Germany combined. In many of these wildlife reserves, you can see the…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · 8TH SEPTEMBER 2017 September is tourism month. Remember to use the hashtag #WeDoTourism in all your social media campaigns until the 30th! Mom, Amelia Meyer, bemoans letting frizzy hair and fear of bikinis keep her away from Umhlanga. With so much beauty to enjoy along our coastline and lots of things to…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · 25TH AUGUST 2017 In honour of Women’s Month… Ann Proksch (Art Director), left, and Pauline Oor (Manager) at Imbizo Gallery are flanked by a Marke Meyer Bronze called ‘Wayward Dreams of the Outside World’. Behind Ann and Pauline is Ngwenya recycled glass from Swaziland, and a painting by Diane Erasmus. Imbizo…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · PUBLISHED 17TH AUGUST 2017 · UPDATED 17TH AUGUST 2017 In honour of Women’s Month… Who said Superwoman was a fictional comic character only? There is proof that she exists in real life. In various forms. Take these ladies as a modern-day, local example. Lynn Eaton, Shivanie Naidoo, Trish Roberts-Loose, Claudette Lingenfelder…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · 11TH AUGUST 2017 Anchor’s Rest Guest House was recently listed on TripAdvisor as the number one of 43 B&Bs in the Umhlanga area. Cilla Rose, owner of Anchor’s Rest, attributed the rating to several factors. These included customer service, consistency, flexibility and enjoyment of people. “You can’t be in this business…

BY UMHLANGA TOURISM · 4TH AUGUST 2017 In honour of Women’s Month… Every weekend, across the planet, whether at a local park, on a beach, a promenade or other accessible venue out in nature, runners and walkers line up for a distance that almost anyone can complete – the beautiful 5km run. It costs them…

The Umhlanga Parkrun takes place every Saturday at 8am. An average of 500 to 600 runners/walkers/trotters gather at the Umhlanga Pier each week and set off in a northerly direction once the welcome has been given. Insanely fast runners sprint away at the front of the pack and a mix of others jostle their way…

Sport, recreation and the arts have the capacity to unite people. Take the latest Umhlanga Trail Run as an example. Top runners along with first-time trail runners participated in the winter trail run held earlier this month at Sibaya Casino. And enjoyed it. Runners young and old, competitive and casual, long distance (18km) and short…

www.webtickets.co.za → July 13 to 15 is Bastille Day Weekend At Granada Square. It’s not too late to enjoy the festivities. Tickets cost R125 per day each and include a Festival glass and festival tokens to use for wine or/and food. Bookings are essential and can be done at http://www.webtickets.co.za/. For more information and updates…

Umhlanga Summer Festival has been staged for 11 years and attracts over 600 000 visitors to the beach over the event duration. In 2016 we hope to exceed all records. The Umhlanga Summer Festival will be staged from the 10th to the 23rd of December 2016. The Umhlanga Summer Festival is a multifaceted beach carnival…

Starts at 6:30am at the Sibaya Casino entrance car park 6k, 12k and 18k Finish and prize giving at the Sibaya Casino entrance car park after each race. Please note that a breakfast is included in the price and there will be a lucky draw after the final prize giving. Pre register on the ROAG…