I’m crowd-sourcing holiday destination ideas for a week’s break in winter this year to somewhere warm on behalf of our family and some friends.
By “warm” I mean somewhere I will be able to get a small tan in July and we can escape the Cape winter for a week. We also need to break up the 3 week school holidays otherwise our kids will spend 3 weeks in holidaycare and that’s not fair toward them at all.
We have never been to a resort-type place before, but have decided that we want to give it a bash, OCD’s that we are. We do not have the R90 000 it would cost for the 5 of us to go to Mauritius nor the R60 000 to go to Zanzibar (not even close!!), so local is lekker. We would also love to take the kids on a plane if at all possible as they have never been, but flights are kaaaak expensive. Every place we have looked at is only slightly more expensive than the flights there and then you still need to hire a car. Without even blinking very hard you can spend R30 000 on a little holiday, so scary. And still above our budget.
We have a few things that we would really like:
- We do not want to look at dirty dishes for a whole week. Not as much as the rinsing of a single glass.
- We do not want to cook a meal for a whole week.
- We do not want to make beds, mop floors or do washing for a whole week. (ok, maybe the odd load of washing, but that’s IT)
- We want to go someplace where there is lots for the kids to do and very little for us to do except live from meal to meal and watch the horizon after breakfast to see when the plane goes over. (which by my careful calculation will be at 10h00 every morning)
- We would love someplace we could swim in the sea or go for a walk with the kids.
- We need a week of sloth and cuddles and lolling about aimlessly with our kids, but with the option of a babysitter if we want to have a morantic* dinner for 2.
We have looked at the likes of the Wild Coast and Umhlanga, but any suggestions are welcome.
Aaannnnd GO!
Thank you in advance…
*Yes, I said morantic on purpose
I have heard amazing things about Umngazi River Bungalows on the Wild Coast and apparently it’s pretty affordable and all-inclusive (haven’t checked out prices myself). Child-minders, meals and lots of activities available and it’s in a stunning location. Drawback is apparently you have to book ages in advance.
Otherwise Pumula Beach Hotel is a similar option. I haven’t been there myself but in Jan we stayed at a self-catering resort next door and I can vouch for the amazing beach – there’s a fantastic child-friendly tidal pool, lifeguards on duty and it’s a blue flag beach. The hotel website look s great – excellent rates and everything you’re looking for, plus not too far from Durban (for flights).
Hope you find something awesome!
I am not sure you will find somewhere that cooks and what not and eating out is what chows your money.
There are some lovely little towns up and down the Natal coast line and they all have houses for rent – sure they could organise a cleaner – the cooking I could cope with but not the cleaning.
Or Kruger – it is a bit of an effort but most of the camps have pools and stuff for the kids. It is my little piece of heaven up that way!
Unmgazi! We going next month for the fourth year x
Have you looked at Mozambique? Just a thought.