Greetings,
Next April my husband and I are planning to spend an 8-day post-safari R&R on a swimmable beach somewhere around Salt Rock or Ballito and would like to experience two different beach settings for four days each. We are already eying the Salt Rock Hotel and/or Canelands and would welcome suggestions as to another beach lodge.
Thanks much!

Ballito beaches are currently on 25km away from Durban, The town is growing so fast that it soon it will be the part of the Durban The beaches are really very nice especially for the surfers. My friend visited there a year ago and he had a lot of fun there with his family. They decided to stay at Fairmount Zimbali Lodge. Hotel has a class but not in a pretentious way, it is nice, welcoming and friendly, peaceful and quiet.

Thanks DCarla...I also was investigating swimming beaches a bit farther North in Umhlanga Rocks, Umdloti, and La Lucia.

Places ranged from high end (The Oyster Box, Beverley Hills Hotel in U. Rocks), Zeranka Lodge (La Lucia), and Fairlight Beach House (Umdloti).

Since this will be our send-off four days before heading home, we could consider spending a bit more $$ on a place if we knew it was directly on a good swimming beach and had good restaurants within walking distance.

Hi OregonMaiden

The Oyster Box is a beautiful hotel but not so sure that I would say the beach is a beautiful swimming beach! Would certainly choose OBH over the Beverley Hills Hotel. I guess it depends on what sort of beaches you are used to. Was at the OBH last November and will be there next month, and I very much doubt I will be swimming, leave that for when I get home!

Kind regards

Kaye

Kaye: Is that because the water is rough? Cold?

Are there any beaches with callm water for swimming on that section of coastline?

We stayed in Umhlanga Rocks last Christmas, the water is warm and a little rough but apparently you should only swim between the beacons due to sharks. On Umhlanga Rocks beach you can see people in the water in one area only. We swam in Ballito beach, tried to at Thompsons Bay but it was too rough, so swam in the tidal pool.

I thought "complimentary" = free!!

Hi Ekscrunchy

The beach did not look at all appealing and the water didn't either! There was rubbish everywhere even though every morning, crews came in to clean up. Shame as it is a lovely spot and the hotel is certainly a favourite of mine, just lovely with the ocean right out my window!
Looking forward to your days in Tswalu!
I am heading off to South Africa this morning to work for 3 weeks then relax for a week, but have booked Tswalu in July after working in Zim for a month, very excited about that trip!
Kind regards
Kaye

Continuing thanks for input...looks like we need to be prepared to settle for a nice pool.

And the winners are...Canelands in Salt Rock for four nights and The Oyster Box for our last four nights before heading home to the non-ocean swimming Pacific Northwest ;-)
Cheers all,
Diane