East Coast Life: B is for Ballito

Ballito is a small holiday town about 40 min North of Durban. To be honest being a good Southern Natal girl I had never heard of the place growing up. At the age of 15 I moved with my family to Northern Natal. It was a bit of a shock to discover that life existed beyond the rolling hills of the Natal Midlands. On a coastal holiday with friends a few years later I discovered Ballito. Ever since then I have been finding every possible excuse to be there. I really do mean every excuse. I spent a month there four years ago awaiting the birth of my son and in a few weeks I will be back waiting for our daughter to make her arrival.

Yes the place has it's problems. A taxi rank in the centre of town that was recently the scene of a violent shooting incident and yes I have been fast asleep when some $%$^%$&% criminals broke in and stole my laptop.

I still love the place. Crime for the most part is a lot less violent then in the rest of this country. It still has the air of a sleepy holiday town while being close to the action of Umhlanga and Durban. There are a number of great places to stay and eat. Best part of all though has to be the wooden boardwalk running next to the ocean. I love going for walks and feeling the sea breeze while looking at the amazing views.

As a family holiday spot it really takes some beating. You can hire a two bedroom flat for around R500 per night to a luxury house at around R2800 per night. So it really is cheap. I know some camping spots that cost more then R500 per night..I am giving you the evil eye Cape Vidal. The flats all have kitchens and most have braais for self-catering if you would like a really budget friendly holiday.

In general the weather is sunny and much warmer then it is for all of us living up country.The beaches are beautiful. The main beach has a life guard and you can always find a sheltered rock pool for little ones to play in.

So to the nitty gritty.

Places to stay:

I have booked with Ocean and Earth for the last three years. Kim is very helpful and friendly. The places are of a high standard and they cater to every budget. Our favourite spot is anywhere at Ballito Manor. Amazing seaviews, high security, undercover parking, direct beach access, a lovely pool and across the road from Ballito's best restaurant. A three bedroom flat is around R1200 per night out of season. They really are very luxurious and most importantly every room is air conditioned. I can also recommend Pebble Beach( lovely flat but difficult beach access).

You can also book through Ballito Accomodation although I do find their prices a bit higher and Cyberview. Cyberview only take week long bookings and the flats are on the cheaper scale. We were staying in one of their flats when we got broken into. The Grange has terrible security and Cyberview were not at all helpful through the whole fiasco. If you want to take your chances though I will not judge you.

There are also a number of hotels and B&B's in Ballito but they do tend to be further back from the beach and not nearly such great value for money.

Places to eat

My favourite spot is Mozambik. This is the orginal Mozambik. The food is fantastic. The venue has a great laid back beach vibe and it really is very child friendly without annoying adults there for a drink. My son loves the kids prawns and will happily demolish the plate every time we go there. If you are brave you can try the man size beer. At 1.5lts it really is a huge amount of beer. I have two of the glasses in my cupboard after a big donation to their malaria campaign and way too many drinks. The owner is super friendly and they will go out of their way to make sure you have a great night. If you are lucky you may see the great Kingsley Holgate. This is his favourite local drinking spot. The large dhow on the roof parking is from one of his great adventures.

Other spots to try:

Waterberry Tea Garden- great kids play area and lovely forest walk. The best milkshakes in SA. Don't go here on diet everything they do is full cream and very yummy.

Al Pescatore - nice spot for an adults night out. The bar downstairs can get noisy but the ocean views are amazing. Very yummy and diverse menu.

At the Lifestyle center you will find the standard offering of John Dory's, Mugg and Bean, Spur, Primi Plantation and Wimpy.

So you really don't have to cook if you want a relaxing weekend away.

Activities

BEACH!!!! Well that is pretty much what you are there for...

If you get bored of the beach or if it rains.

You can try Flag Animal Farm which is a great little petting zoo/farm just outside Salt Rock so about 10 min from Ballito.

Gateway shopping complex is about 25min drive South towards Durban.

There are also a number of golf courses in the area.

Here are a few pics to get you excited.