Durban - With its position overlooking a protected beach and stunning views over sea, sand and rocks, Pumula Beach Hotel at Umzumbe on the South Coast is the perfect spot for a family holiday. Pumula translates as “place of rest” and this charming, personal hotel aims, with high levels of service, excellent cuisine and comfortable accommodation, to make your time there as restful as possible.
Welcome news for moms and dads is that there is so much for the kids (of all ages) to enjoy at Pumula Beach Hotel, you will never have them complaining about being bored.
While you rest in your utopia, the kids will play in theirs.
There is also a babysitting service and a daily entertainment schedule for children during peak periods.
Outdoors there is a nine-hole putt-putt course, jungle gym, trampolines, slides and swings, tree house, marble court (when last did you see one of those?), toddlers’ paddling pool and beach sand volleyball court. Indoors there are games rooms – one for pre-teens – with table tennis, board games, Sony Playstations, a library of DVDs, big-screen TV and a climbing gym.
There is a separate children’s dining area, a kids’ menu at dinner time, a tiny tots kitchen for new moms with fridge and microwave, and highchairs and cots are available.
The inviting Blue Flag beach has a tidal pool and beautiful rock pools, and is great for swimming, surfing, kiteboarding, jet skiing – or if you simply want to take a long walk on the sand. And if surf and sand are not quite your thing, the hotel’s generous salt-water pool is heated.
If you are looking for more, there are 10 golf courses nearby, scuba diving, whale and dolphin viewing, a number of nature reserves, and Oribi Gorge for nature and adrenalin-filled activities such as the gorge swing and zip-line.
More sedate activities for adults include a game of pool in the hotel’s Joe’s Tavern, where sport is on several screens. The ladies bar offers more peaceful surroundings for a quiet cocktail or fine wine. The Bobby Locke Lounge is a reading room, games room and meeting place, and is the perfect place to escape the heat. It also has free wi-fi connection.
Pumula Beach Hotel has a health centre above and away from the busier areas of the hotel with three tranquil treatment rooms. They offer a wide range of treatments and massages. The gym is fully kitted with weights and cardio equipment to burn off a few extra calories so you can indulge a little more in the evenings.
Most guests choose to take their dinner and breakfast in the luxurious, airy restaurant. The open-sky terrace with its view of the ocean is a popular lunchtime spot. Either way, the hotel prides itself on its cuisine and efficient, friendly service.
Pumula Beach Hotel is about a one-hour drive from Durban and, with five venues, is ideal for relaxing, stress-free conferences and team-building events.
Accommodation choices are: 40 double rooms with either twin beds or a double bed, TV, an en suite bathroom, air-conditioning, a fan and tea and coffee facilities; 20 family rooms with a double bed and two single beds, an en suite bathroom, TV, air conditioning and tea and coffee facilities. Nine of the rooms are interleading, allowing them to accommodate larger families.
l Pumula Beach Hotel is proudly represented by African Insignia Hotels. Call 039 6846717, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.pumulabeachhotel.com - Sunday Tribune