ROCK OF AGES
LOCATION
On the beach in the North Coast town of Salt Rock, a 30-minute drive from Durbs. Its closeness to King Shaka International, coupled with cheap flights from Joeys, puts the village back on the holiday map. Not that it ever really went away.
STYLE
This is a strictly ’70s beachfront resort hotel, the kind that once lined this country’s fine coast until “renovators” got their hands on them and either tore them down or pimped them out as timeshare complexes.
The hotel’s curvaceous facade is meant to remind you of a wave, as if the scent of sea spray and the thunder of the surf leave you in any doubt as to where you are. The rooms are airy and light — a nice way of saying this is no pretentious boutique hotel but a classic child of the ’70s without the brown velour décor, Charles Bronson moustaches or Ford Granadas.
HOW’S THE GRUB?
The Sunday lunch draws those who know about it from all over the province. Sitting on the terrace with a prawn curry and a tankard of icy beer is one of the truly lasting delights in a world gone mad in the quest for the new best thing. In fact, the lunch alone is worth the trip.
ACTIVITIES
I spent a lot of time building sandcastles here as a kid but, even allowing for fierce nostalgia, the beach, with its coarse brown sand and tidal pool, may be one of the best beaches in the whole land. Dawn and dusk will see plenty of fishermen casting into the surf so I guess the fishing ain’t bad. Durban with its many diversions is just down the road but having got here and slipped off your shoes, why go anywhere else?
BEST TIME TO GO
North Coast winters are the best — Goldilocks would call the temperature just right — and if you avoid the July school holidays, you’ll be unbothered by the crush.
FACILITIES
There’s a swimming pool, squash courts, a British-style pub with a pool table, the de rigueur conference centre, and a ballroom — a popular place to get hitched.
RATES
From R1,010 per person sharing in a standard room (low season).
CONTACT
saltrockbeach.co.za