After being severely battered and bruised by the recent spate of flooding, the beautiful beach town of Umdloti has come out on the other side, stronger and ready to again welcome visitors. We spent 24 glorious hours exploring this little North Coast gem.
Boasting some of the top restaurants on the North Coast, most of which are located directly in front of the ocean, exquisite holiday homes to rent and loads of beach fun to be had, Umdloti is the ideal destination for a quick ‘staycation’, just 10 minutes up the road!
Whether you’re looking for a spot to have a date night or a family brunch, or are hoping to book a quick getaway (girls’ weekend or a sneaky couple’s escape?), the village of Umdloti has so many options available – all of which are truly top-notch.
Our whirlwind visit to Umdloti started with lunch on the deck of the stunning Mundo Vida contemporary seafood restaurant, where our host and owner Joni Wilkinson welcomed us with a glass of white wine while we browsed the menu.
Although predominantly a seafood restaurant (delicious langoustines, prawns and sushi!), there is also a wide variety of non-seafood and vegetarian options available.
After deliberating, we finally settled on sushi starters (so flavourful and beautifully presented), followed by King Prawns served with basmati rice and the most delicious Almond Crusted Norwegian Salmon. Everything was cooked to perfection and served with very friendly smiles from the staff!
We didn’t have space for dessert, but were tempted by the Chocolate and Nut Slice and the Vanilla & Caramel Swirl Ice Cream (drizzled with chocolate liqueur!) … so perhaps next time!
After the decadent lunch, we made our way up to Bellamont Road, where we were treated to some pampering by the team at Hayahay Beauty Spa.
For a pampering spoil, we highly reccommend a visit to Hayahay Beauty Spa in Bellamont Road
Tucked away alongside a little forest-like garden, the spa is owned by Cecilia Davies (who is originally from the Philippines) and offers a range of treatments in a tranquil, quiet setting.
We were welcomed with a bottle of bubbly (imperative for any spa spoil, we think), and then shown to the treatment room where we enjoyed an express facial and relaxing back and neck massage. We left floating on air and ready to check into our accommodation for the night.
On arrival at Copper Beach (a self-catering cottage located literally on the beach), we were greeted and shown around by our host, Myrna, who lives in the main house on the property with her husband Hugh.
Stylishly finished with three luxury en-suite bedrooms (each with its own veranda), Copper Beach comfortably sleeps six people and features an open-plan kitchen, dining and living room area. It has its own beach access and is close to all of the restaurants and shops.
Our dinner spot for the night was the well-known SandBar. Definitely one of Umdloti’s best kept secrets (should be on your ‘to do’ list if you haven’t been yet). SandBar has a wide range of seafood main courses and some of the best-sounding burgers we’ve heard of (ahem, Crispy Southern Chicken Burger…). They also do fantastic pastas, chicken, curries, meat dishes and salads.
We decided to eat ‘tapas style’ and enjoyed a variety of smaller dishes, ranging from the Pot Sticker Dumplings to Camembert Spring Rolls and a Greek Mezze Platter, and everything was absolutely delicious! The cocktail menu is as exciting as the food, and this is the perfect spot to enjoy a Sexy Umdloti Beach or Endless Summer Mojito while watching the sun go down. We will be back (for a burger, probably!).
After a really comfortable night’s sleep (and an early-morning wake up to watch the sunrise on the beach with a cup of coffee), we headed off for breakfast at Caffe Java. Owner Tanya greeted us and told us a little about this well-known café and restaurant which serves a wide range of breakfasts (all day), as well as a comprehensive lunch menu. Perfectly positioned (on the beach, again) Caffe Java is ideal for a quick snack, business coffee or big, family brunch.
We tried the Corny Breakfast (mini jalapeno & corn loaf with crispy bacon, egg, corn salsa, basic pesto and crème fraiche) and the Naughty Yoghurt & Muesli bowl (with Greek yoghurt, chocolate muesli, cookie, berry coulis and blueberries), both of which were outstanding. Of course, after seeing the cakes on display, we had to sneak some takeaways for the family!
Our very last stop (full disclosure: we returned a few days later because tummies were completely overloaded), was to the remarkable and renowned Bel Punto restaurant.
You can’t help but feel like you’ve stepped into the Mediterranean when you arrive at this stylish spot overlooking the ocean. Owned by Italian restaurateurs Emanuel and Vanessa Cantatore (who are always around for a chat), Bel Punto serves up arguably the best Italian food with the most impeccable service on the KZN North Coast.
Everything – from antipastos and light snacks to hearty pastas or exquisite seafood, meat and poultry – is carefully and thoughtfully prepared using age-old family recipes.
We enjoyed (devoured) a beautiful langoustine special starter each, followed by their famous (and we could taste why) Gamberi alla Padella (butterflied queen prawns served in the most delicious garlic, white wine, tomato, cream and chili sauce). This is a bucket list stop for anyone who appreciates truly good food!
There is still so much to see and so many more wonderful places to visit in Umdloti (from pizza places to top coffee shops and more), that it’s simply impossible to write about them all! Do yourself a favour though, and jump into the car and head up (or down) the road to the little town of Umdloti and do some exploring of your own … you will not be disappointed!
Details: Mundo Vida: Umdloti Centre, 1 South Beach Road, Umdloti, [email protected], 082 822 4389;
Hayahay Beauty Spa: 77 Bellamont Road, Umdloti, 076 821 9859, [email protected], IG: @hayahaybeaty;
Sandbar Restaurant & Cocktail: 30 N Beach Rd, Umdloti, www.sandbarkzn.co.za,
031 568 2140, [email protected], @sandbarkzn; Caffe Java: 2 Umdloti Centre, South Beach Road, Umdloti, 031 568 2664, @java.umdlotibeach;
Copper Beach Cottage: 77 North Beach Road, Umdloti, [email protected], @copperbeachumdloti, 082 824 2291
Bel Punto: Umdloti Centre, 1 South Beach Road, Umdloti, 031 568 2407, [email protected], @bel_punto
