A short drive from home, the beach, the sun, comfortable homely environment, air-conditioned rooms, a comfortable bed, yummy food, close to fun activities and the perfect setting for family fun… this sums up our week long stay at The Estuary Hotel & Spa in Port Edward last month.

Brett, Maddie and I were invited by the hotel to come through for a week to start the year off on a good note – a much needed unwind and relaxation! After a cracker of a 2019 – this was exactly what we needed to start the new year and quite honestly… we cannot wait to go back to experience this gem of a South Coast destination!

To say the destination is a piece of heaven – is quite literally an understatement! The location of the hotel – at the foot of an estuary with reeds that swallows nest in every evening at 7pm, a view of the ocean and the proximity to some really great local attractions – is what makes The Estuary Hotel & Spa one of my favourite family destinations!

After spending seven days fully experiencing all that the hotel had to offer I am excited to share some of our experience with you through both imagery we shot during our stay as well as a few words. So I hope you enjoy reading this…

LOCATION: 
Set in a 1941 Cape Dutch–style building overlooking the Mtamvuna River estuary, this relaxed hotel is 4 km from Silver Beach on the shores of the Indian Ocean in Port Edward. It’s a short hour and a half to two hour drive from Durban/ Umhlanga and is situated right off the highway. An easy, straight and comfortable drive!

ACCOMODATION: 
The Estuary Hotel & Spa comprises of 44 luxurious and comfortable rooms, all with spacious en-suite bathrooms with shower and bath inter-leading to family rooms. With the option of choosing between a lagoon, waterfront or sea facing room they are fitted with all the features you could possibly need for a comfortable stay including; complimentary Wi-Fi, a private balcony with a table and chairs, individually controlled air-conditioning (MASSIVE WIN), an electronic safe, a mini-bar fridge, tea/coffee making facilities as well as DSTV.

RESTAURANT: 
Included in the rates is breakfast each morning which is a delicious offering of both hot and cold breakfast. The cold selection includes; muffins, scones, yoghurts, cereals and cold meats. The hot selection includes; an egg making station, bacon, beans, sausages etc. There is also a tea and coffee station as well as a juice selection on offer.

The Fish Eagle Restaurant is the hotel’s in-house restaurant which is used to serve breakfast every morning as well as lunches and dinners in the evenings. The restaurant is one of the top five dining venues on the South Coast and their head chef is renowned for his ability to produce fabulous cuisine. The menu emphasise the goodness of fresh, natural foods, carefully prepared and beautifully presented. Local produce and seasonal ingredients feature strongly.

We enjoyed a few dinners at The Fish Eagle Restaurant during our stay and enjoyed all that we sampled from the menu. The best part is you are able to enjoy dinner al fresco on the lawns overlooking the estuary – a proper treat when the swallows come in to nest around 7pm.

Maddie had a blast running around the lawns, playing ball and even helping the incredibly friendly waitresses on the evenings we enjoyed dinner at the restaurant.

ACTIVITIES

There is really so much to do at The Estuary Hotel and Spa… we are so fortunate that we spent a week there to try and do as much as we could but we still felt like we ran out of time.

From sunbathing on Port Edward’s protected Silver Beach from where local fisherman launch their boats in the morning – the hotel offers a complimentary shuttle from the hotel lobby to the beach every hour.

Other sporting facilities in the local area include angling, deep sea fishing, jet skiing on the Umtamvuna River, Scuba Diving, tennis, horse riding, mountain biking, and bowls.

Nature lovers can hike the Umtamvuna Nature Reserve or go bird watching; there are over 386 species recorded on KwaZulu-Natal’s South Coast. In close proximity is the Wild Coast Sun (less than 10kms) which we visited a few times over the week we spent at the hotel – for dinners, bowling and the arcade games as well as to visit Wild Waves – a MUST visit.

Other local spots we visited were Beaver Creek Coffee which we a little underwhelming but worth the visit none-the-less.

A spot we always visit when up the South Coast include MacBanana which is around 10-15kms from The Estuary Hotel & Spa. Their little zoo is always a hit and their cafe make the yummiest fresh banana milkshakes and pancakes!

A little drive away from the Estuary Hotel & Spa is the Waffle House which is another must visit for delicious waffles…

Although we did a bit of exploring in the area most of our time was spent in the pool at The Estuary Hotel & Spa. Their comfortable loungers and view of the sea, beach and estuary from the pool is heavenly!

We even enjoyed lunches served to us at the pool – simple but delicious toasted sarmies!

FAMILY
Another stand out for us is their Kids Club. We aren’t usually ones to use these types of facilities as we enjoy spending time together as a family as much as possible in our free time but it was nice to know that this type of service was available to us to use if we needed – which we did when Brett and I went to the spa. Maddie was well looked after by the full time (pretty much there the entire day) nanny who did art with Maddie and played puzzles and games with her. The room is incredibly well stocked with tables and chairs, toys, puzzles and a TV playing cartoons. Maddie asked to go to The Kids Club often during our stay and we always had piece of mind knowing she was safe, happy and taken care of.

SPA 
Brett and I were fortunate enough to enjoy some much needed us time at the Spa at The Estuary Hotel & Spa. We were treated to an hour full body massage each which was truly incredible – I also had a pedi and Gelish done on my toes. The Spa is within walking distance from our rooms and The Kids Club and is a quaint comfortable set up set in lush greenery.

Overall we had an incredible experience at The Estuary Hotel & Spa. A week of sunshine, relaxation, good food, the beach and adventures as a family. The service was impeccable, the hotel is comfortable and homely – perfect for a simple cozy family vacation! We are already planning our next trip back up!

RATES: 
A nights stay varies from R1500 to R1800 depending on dates. However they often run incredible specials. For the duration of February they are running a R795 per room special valid from Sunday to Thursday. View their specials by clicking here!

CONTACT: 
Visit their website: www.estuaryhotel.co.za/
www.facebook.com/TheEstuaryHotelandSpa/
www.instagram.com/estuaryhotelandspa/

WIN! 
In desperate need of a family holiday and keen to give The Estuary Hotel & Spa a visit? I want to spoil one of my lucky followers with a two nights stay in a sea facing family room including daily breakfasts, a R500 spa treatment voucher and a R200 Fish Eagle Restaurant voucher. Maximum of two children up to the age of 10 with an early check in and late check out. All valued at just over R3500. The prize booking is subject to availability and must be booked with in six months of winning.

To enter visit my Facebook page or Instagram page.

Until next time, 

www.beingmaddiesmom.com | @being_maddies_mom
mondevill@gmail.com