Where We Be
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| Umhlanga's Whalebone Pier was voted by CNN as "The World's Most Beautiful" |
| Umhlanga Beach, South Africa |
Umhlanga is an upscale seaside resort area
just north of Durban. It's an interesting mix of
urban buildings in a coastal setting. The beach
is bordered by a lovely promenade stretching
for 3 km (~2 mi), and strolling this promenade is
our favorite activity during our three days here.
We walk it daily -- north towards a nature park
and south towards a distinctive red lighthouse.
Whalebone Pier, an icon of the Durban area, is
located just outside our chic Capital Pearls
apartment. The pier offers expansive views in
both directions. From here we can see people
swimming, surfing, fishing, and generally living
the good life. With so much of our trip devoted
to wildlife safaris, it feels good to enjoy some
beach time for a change.
Umhlanga (oom-shlun-ga) is chock-full of fine
restaurant options, so you'll never go hungry
here. The Capital Pearls block alone has Thai,
Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Mediterranean,
seafood, vegan -- oh, and a Starbucks and
McDonald's for good measure. But with prices
so good here in South Africa (~15 rand to the
dollar), you can afford to eat better without
breaking the bank. Meals for two with drinks
rarely exceed $25 for us even in luxe Umhlanga.
just north of Durban. It's an interesting mix of
urban buildings in a coastal setting. The beach
is bordered by a lovely promenade stretching
for 3 km (~2 mi), and strolling this promenade is
our favorite activity during our three days here.
We walk it daily -- north towards a nature park
and south towards a distinctive red lighthouse.
Whalebone Pier, an icon of the Durban area, is
located just outside our chic Capital Pearls
apartment. The pier offers expansive views in
both directions. From here we can see people
swimming, surfing, fishing, and generally living
the good life. With so much of our trip devoted
to wildlife safaris, it feels good to enjoy some
beach time for a change.
Umhlanga (oom-shlun-ga) is chock-full of fine
restaurant options, so you'll never go hungry
here. The Capital Pearls block alone has Thai,
Indian, Japanese, Mexican, Mediterranean,
seafood, vegan -- oh, and a Starbucks and
McDonald's for good measure. But with prices
so good here in South Africa (~15 rand to the
dollar), you can afford to eat better without
breaking the bank. Meals for two with drinks
rarely exceed $25 for us even in luxe Umhlanga.
| Choices, choices ... do we walk the Promenade or go barefoot in the surf? (or how about a little of both?) |
| Our chic apartment on the tenth floor of the Capital Pearls (unit #1023) offers a taste of luxury after roughing it on safari (well, okay, hardly roughing it) |
| Our stay here includes use of the lovely pool -- and the beach and Promenade are just steps (plus elevator rides) away |
| Curved fiberglass lighting masts evoke a whalebone theme |
| The pier was originally created to re-route stormwater but has since become one of the most photographed sites on the Durban coastline |
| Whale's tail seats add a nice touch of whimsy to the pier area |
| From the pier you can look south towards the red-and-white Umhlanga Lighthouse |
| The southern Promenade ends near the lighthouse -- but the beach continues |
| The Promenade meanders further to the north, offering plenty of good beach views |
| Here we're looking back from the northern Promenade at the Whalebone Pier and lighthouse. You can see swimmers in the water even in winter (the Indian Ocean is surprisingly warm). |
| The northern Promenade ends in a boardwalk leading to the Forest Cafe inside the Lagoon Nature Reserve |
| The Capital Pearls development -- a residential, hotel, and retail complex all in one -- rises up just behind the Whalebone Pier |
| The street level of the Capital Pearls offers numerous gourmet dining options |
| Other establishments offer less formal but no less tasty fare -- like this blueberry dream smoothie and Buddha bowl at the Vegan Chef |
| Umhlanga is essentially a northern suburb of Durban |
| Whalebone Pier is at the center of the map, with the Lagoon Nature Reserve to the north and the lighthouse to the south |
| We also thoroughly enjoy Doppio Zero's Asian Mushroom entree with black rice (~$8 US) |