Whenever I meet up with other moms, I always get looks of horror over how often we travel with little kids. For many, they could think of nothing worse. The thought of long flights with restless toddlers, even longer road trips complete with sandy car seats and too many half-eaten snacks, suitcases rolled around cobbled streets or bursting at the seams with damp swimming costumes, added to children crying, screaming and moaning because they are out of their routine, can leave many deciding that home really is where the heart is.
But those who think travelling with kids is difficult haven’t been to Umngazi Hotel & Spa. Tucked into a particularly lovely stretch of South Africa’s Wild Coast, it offers a spectacular setting, but it isn’t the scenery alone that won us over. It was the combination of excellent food, simple outdoor adventures, genuinely useful childcare, and a wonderfully unpretentious atmosphere that made family life feel easier and decidedly more lovely than it does at home. The children were happy, we adults got to relax, and everybody felt like they had had a proper holiday.
Here are ten reasons why we’re already plotting our return.
1. You don’t need a passport, a visa or an international flight
Holidays where you have to cross borders, negotiate foreign currencies, or work out how to entertain small children on a long-haul flight can be exhausting. Umngazi is in the Eastern Cape, around 20km south of Port St Johns, where the Mngazi River meets the Indian Ocean. For South Africans, it’s far enough away to feel like a proper escape, without the administrative gymnastics of an overseas holiday.
That’s not to say getting here isn’t a journey. It’s remote (from Durban, it’s roughly six hours by road, or four hours from East London, with a final stretch that requires some patience), but that is part of the appeal. There are no buzzing shopping malls, no elaborate daily itinerary to follow, and no pressure to rush off somewhere else. A stay here is all about being in the moment, far from the clutches of the outside world. And for a few days, that is absolute bliss.
2. The food is delicious and abundant, especially on Saturdays
The rate at Umngazi includes three meals a day, including a buffet breakfast with live egg-cooking station and varied options for lunch and dinner, often with a buffet salad spread accompanied by a plated main.
We, however, arrived at Saturday lunch, just in time to partake in the delicious, abundant spread where our kids were quick to discover the ice-cream station with a sweet-topping table like something out of Willy Wonka. It was not, as it turned out, an every-meal occurrence as we assumed, but Saturday night’s seafood buffet more than made up for it. The Saturday seafood feast is an established feature of Umngazi’s dining programme, with fish, shellfish, salads and freshly prepared accompaniments. I turned it into a personal all-you-can-eat langoustine challenge as these were the softest, sweetest and best langoustines I’ve ever eaten. I kept going back, simply to make sure they were still as good as I remembered. Spoiler alert, they were. Every time.
3. The children have their own dining room, which makes all the difference
Anyone who has tried to keep a hungry five-year-old and a tired toddler seated through a leisurely adult dinner will understand why this deserves its own section. At Umngazi, younger children have their own dining room and earlier mealtimes, leaving adults to enjoy dinner later once the kids are happily satiated or watching a movie together.
They get their own food, the novelty of having their own brightly-coloured space, tables and chairs that are their height and size, and are surrounded by other children, with the sense that they’re participating in something a little grown-up. And here’s the unexpected bonus: they actually eat. Perhaps it’s the company, the independence, or the food, but there was considerably less negotiating.
4. The kids’ programme is one they actually want to participate in
What we have discovered after almost 6 years of travelling the world with little ones is that a children’s activity programme can look wonderful on paper, but there’s always the question of whether your children will actually leave your side long enough to enjoy it or whether other kids will sign up too. At Umngazi, almost every child there took part in something.
The schedule included things the kids were genuinely excited for: treasure hunts, bug hunts, feeding sea snails in the surf and spirited games of capture the flag on the beach. Nothing fancy, but incredibly exciting. The beach was the playground, the surf provided endless opportunities for discovery, and simple games occupied the children far longer than any gadget or toy they brought along.
5. Sandboarding and fishing prove that the simplest things are often the best
There’s an unbridled type of fun that comes from picking up a sandboard, heading across the river to the dunes and spending an unreasonable amount of time trying to slide down a sandy slope. Children and adults all enjoyed having a go, falling over, laughing, and trying again.
Fishing off the pier offered a similarly uncomplicated pleasure. Our daughter spent hours perfecting her casting skills, but for those who do want to actually catch something, the hotel offers local gillies who will show you the best fishing spots, take you out there, do all the hard graft, and even clean and cook your catch for you at the end of the day.
6. A fantastic array of walks and hikes are available for all fitness levels
The guided walks at Umngazi are one of the things I’d also recommend making time for. There are several walks available each day, ranging from gentle 2km birding outings, cultural village visits, and more substantial 9 or 12km hikes. They’re offered at an additional cost, but are led by fantastic local guides, so you’ll learn plenty about the area along the way. I really enjoyed my walk, which included a guided exploration of the mangroves, a canoe trip and a walk back along the beach.
7. The river deserves almost as much attention as the beach
The beach may be the obvious attraction of a Wild Coast holiday, but Umngazi’s setting on the Mngazi River is one of the reasons it is so special. It gives the resort a second natural playground, with a calmer, more kid-friendly atmosphere.
One of the loveliest ways to experience it is on a river cruise with plentiful snacks and the resident African fish eagles providing the entertainment and the soundtrack. Kayaks and stand-up paddleboards offer another way to get onto the water, and these are available to hire for a small charge from the boatmen at the bar deck.
8. The cocktails make lounging by the pool even more appealing
Most of our family holidays involve a good deal of time at the pool, and at Umngazi you have absolutely no reason to move. This is where the cocktails come in. We found the drinks considerably cheaper than we’re accustomed to paying in Cape Town, which makes a leisurely afternoon by the pool all the more enjoyable, with an extensive multi-page cocktail menu and a cosy bar right next to the pool area. Plus, complimentary mid-morning and afternoon tea is served daily on the jetty, with coffee, tea and a sweet and savoury snack on offer.
9. There are spaces for every age, and childcare that doesn’t require a second mortgage
One of Umngazi’s biggest strengths is that it has thought about what children of different ages actually enjoy. A toddler who wants to potter around with toys has very different needs from a primary-school child who wants to run about with friends, while older children need something beyond a jungle gym.
The younger ones have a creative corner with books, crafts and toddler-friendly play, while the large jungle gym and trampoline provided ample opportunity to burn off energy. Near the tennis courts, an older-kid-friendly space offers activities such as table tennis and bean bags for movie nights. For parents with young children, the availability of nannies is another significant benefit. We found the rates remarkably affordable, giving one the option of some adult time to enjoy the spa (which boasts an absolutely beautiful hilltop location), take a walk, or simply enjoy some uninterrupted adult conversation.
10. The atmosphere feels like a holiday, not a parenting exercise in a different location
This is the hardest thing to quantify and probably the biggest reason we loved Umngazi. The atmosphere is relaxed and genuinely sociable. Families chat around the pool, staff are friendly, and children seem to gravitate towards one another naturally. There is no need to manufacture friendships. Give a group of children a beach, a pool and a little freedom, and they’ll generally work something out.
Our own children even created their own kids’ table at meals and invented games to play together. We collected phone numbers and arranged playdates for newfound friends, and I was even told by one little boy that I better be there when he returns next year. And luckily for him, and me, we’re already talking about going back. Although next time, I shall be making a few returns to that ice-cream station at the Saturday lunch buffet.
