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Welcome
to Umhlanga Rocks
Visitors
from around the world flock to the holiday resort village of Umhlanga to
relax and have fun on one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world.
Situated on the east coast of South Africa just north of the vibrant Port
City of Durban on the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, Umhlanga has the
best South African accommodation, with superb holiday apartments, luxury
hotels,
lodges and B&B’s etc, it also has up-market Office Parks and first
world
Shopping Centres. The golden sandy beaches stretch northwards for
more than 200 kilometres, all the way to the spectacular Greater St Lucia
Wetland Park, A World Heritage Site. Inland from Umhlanga, endless fields
of sugarcane give way to the tumbling area of the 1000 Hills, the massive
Inanda Dam and mystical hidden valleys of Zululand.
Umhlanga offers excellent
up-market accommodation, the best
South African tour operators, a wealth of entertainment, shops,
restaurants and nature trails, all in a secure environment. The
spectacular
Gateway shopping centre and Sibaya Casino are some of the key
attractions
that Umhlanga Rocks has to offer. Ocean enthusiasts and outdoor
adventurers will be in their element - surfing, deep-sea fishing,
whale watching and dolphin viewing, scuba diving, kite boarding and
microlight flips are just some of the many activities available on
this wonderful stretch of coastline. For the serious golfers there are
many superb golf courses all within a 15 minute drive of Umhlanga.
Umhlanga is also a paradise for the
romantically inclined and many people either tie the knot here or
spend their honeymoon here.
Umhlanga is
perfectly positioned for any leg of your south African adventure. It’s
just a 30 minute drive on the N2 north from Durban International Airport
and situated on the northern beaches, just 16 km from the centre of
Durban. From Umhlanga it’s also just an easy three hour drive north along
the superb N2 toll road to the World Heritage site of St Lucia, or the
many and varied Zulu Kingdom Game Reserves, or still further north onto
Swaziland and Mozambique. Alternatively you can go south on the N2 to
Port Shepstone and the holiday resort of Margate and then onto the Wild
Coast, or continue all of the way to the Cape Garden Route and ultimately
on to Cape Town. For those who want to explore the mountains, head inland
on the N3 to the world heritage site of Ukhahlamba Drakensberg Mountain
Park and then onwards to Johannesburg, Mpumalanga and the fabulous Kruger
National Park. Many South African Tour Operators are based in Umhlanga
and are ready to guide you on your holiday of a lifetime
Whether you choose
Umhlanga to start your holiday, or to relax at the end your South African
adventure, Umhlanga is the place where your holiday can begin or
end.
Climate
The Durban / Umhlanga coastline enjoys a warm sub-tropical climate. Summer
(Nov - Feb) temperatures are hot, from 24 - 33 degrees Celsius, with high
levels of humidity and Winter temperatures (June – August ) of between 12
and 22 degrees Celsius.
Sea temperatures vary from 25 degrees in Summer to 18 degrees in Winter,
which allows for comfortable year round swimming, without the need for a
wet-suite to keep warm. The average rainfall for the year is in the order
of 900mm, with the main precipitation taking place during Spring and early
Summer and the least rainfall during the dryer Autumn and Winter months.
A history of
hospitality
Originally home to
San hunter-gatherers, the area south of the Tugela River (incorporating
present day Umhlanga) was later occupied by Nguni-speaking people who were
unified under King Shaka in the early 1800s into the proud Zulu nation.
The area came under British control soon after, becoming part of the large
estate belonging to the great sugar magnate, Sir Marshall Campbell, who
sailed to South Africa from Glasgow in 1850. Indian indentured labourers
were brought in to work on the sugar estates in 1860, bringing with them a
vibrant and colourful culture, which gives the area its unique
multi-cultural flavour.
In 1869, Umhlanga’s
first beach cottage, the Oyster Lodge was built on a rocky site
overlooking the sea and in the true spirit of Umhlanga hospitality, tea
and scones were served to passers-by. The reflective roof of the cottage
was also used as a beacon by passing ships captains to navigate safely
around Umhlanga’s rocky headland. However in 1954 Umhlanga's distinctive
red and white lighthouse was built to warn mariners away from the dangers
of the rocks. The first hotel The Umhlanga Rocks Hotel was built in the
1920’s and The Oysterbox Hotel was built on the site adjacent to the
lighthouse in 1947. Other hotels soon followed and the village of
“Umhlanga Rocks” soon became the most sought after area for local’s to go
on holiday. The rest as they say is history.
The name “Umhlanga”
means "place of reeds" in the Zulu language. |
