Holiday starts in our own back yard

When choosing a holiday, we sometimes don’t really look at alternatives but rather go with the default option. In my case, it was always the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) south coast, anywhere from Amanzimtoti all the way up to the Wild Coast. It was the preferred choice when it came to our family holidays.

Having been in Durban, I never really explored the north coast so a recent holiday was my first time there. We stayed in a town called Zinkwazi, which is between KwaDukuza and the Tugela mouth, and the accommodation called Ocean Reef is nestled between the sugarcane plantations and the Indian Ocean.

The accommodation is a combination of a hotel and self-catering units, which caters for holiday makers as well as conferencing guests and those that just want to visit their well-run restaurant.

The Bamboo Lounge restaurant offers some great dining experiences with a young chef that truly takes his craft to heart. He made it his duty to check in with all diners and made sure the food was to their liking. We had some of the best mussels we’ve ever tasted, but they also offer something for every palette, from fillet to pastas and a vast list of wines.

I must give them major kudos as all the Covid protocols where adhered to and all the staff wore masks as well. The tables were sanitised before sitting down. General manager Vanitha Moodley was a perfect host and was accommodating to every guest’s need, from juggling the conference goers to the families that booked in.

The infinity pool greats you as you enter the dining area where you could sit and enjoy a sundowner while trying to catch a glimpse of the ever-active schools of dolphin moving along the coastline. You wouldn’t say that you were about nine minutes out of Durban given the tranquil surrounds and majestic Indian ocean. The view makes for a really relaxing feeling while you enjoy you meal and get some rest and relaxation.

The self-catering chalet, which was more like a villa, was situated on the second floor with two bedrooms and air-conditioning in all living spaces. A
huge balcony overlooked the sea. It had everything you would need if you stayed for a week and included a gas braai on the balcony. The rooms were very neat and each came with an en-suite bathroom and daily cleaning service. There was a kids play area and direct access to the beach for quite morning or evenings walks.

The promotion of these hidden jewels is part of KZN Tourism’s initiative to get locals exploring their own “back yard” and unlocking experiences that makes for memorable holidays. It opened a different perspective for us as a family to explore the hidden gems instead of doing the same old default options on offer.

Day trips are on offer to sites like the Harold Johnson Nature Reserve, Princes Grant Golf Estate for the avid golfers, Sugar Rush Park or the Ballito Ski Park.

Activities and fun in the sun for the whole family

Ballito Ski Park

Another first for the family was the Ballito Ski Park. It is a family run business that offers paintballing, jet skiing, bass fishing, wakeboarding, water skiing, wake skating, wake surfing, knee boarding, slalom skiing, fly boarding, tube and jet ski rides, inflatable fatboy and airsoft. It also offers private venues for team building and birthday parties, with all the food catered by their amazing restaurant, situated on the top of the viewing deck.

The food is simple but freshly prepared for all guests. The restaurant serves amazing pizzas, delicious burgers and wraps. They also serve a local craft beer which is worth the try, as well as locally made gin which seemed very popular.

The clean toilet facilities include hot water showers for after water activities.

All Covid-19 rules were strictly followed by the kitchen staff and those operating the rides, but I would suggest carrying your own sanitisers and a waterproof mask when visiting the venue.

The staff at the ski park is what makes the place such a pleasurable visit. They are friendly, polite and accommodating to all special requests and went out of their way to make our visit a memorable one.

We chose to do the inflatable fatboy for the day as well as the water skiing with an inflatable. We could not get the kids out of the water and safety of all guests was their number one priority when handling the kids and adults on the rides.

Ballito Ski Park is an awesome venue tucked away on a private sugar cane farm with amazing views that you could take in with cocktails from their well-stocked bar. You could choose to sit at the sundowner viewing deck or the picnic and grass area or even their Lumo beach area – a man-made beach with umbrellas to protest you from the sun.

Whether there on holiday or just to get away for a fun-filled day, it is one of the must-do activities on the KwaZXulu-Natal north coast. It is situated about 4km outside Ballito.

Other attractions

Other must-do attractions worth mentioning are the Sugar Rush Park, which is a combination of kids activities with great restaurants and a snake park, The Litchi Orchard for those litchi addicts and the Flag Animal Farm, which is a full-on experience for the kids, including live shows.

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