A peek at the Salt Rock Hotel followed by lunch was the perfect end to a laidback fun-filled weekend with family and friends at Sheffield Beach recently.
None in our car were in any hurry to get back home and end the wonderful weekend, so jumped at the opportunity of lunch with my brother and his family at the picturesque Salt Rock Hotel, known as ‘the pearl of the Dolphin Coast, Kwa-Zulu Natal’.
Image from Google Earth
I will give you a little background on this seaside village and its iconic hotel,
Most of the land along the North Coast, known as the Dolphin Coast of Kwazulu Natal, were sugarcane farms and made for a beautiful drive when our kids were small. Much of the sugarcane has now been replaced with luxury eco-estates, commercial, and industrial developments, as well as the King Shaka International Airport.
When the kids were small, we often went on weekend outings to the small coastal village of Salt Rock, with its gracious palm-lined roads, sandy beaches, and attractive, safe, rock pool; an approximate 45-minute drive from home.
The village of Salt Rock has an interesting history that dates back to the 1800s when King Shaka of the Zulu tribe, reigned. Legend has it that Zulu maidens used to collect salt off the rocks at low tide, hence the name Salt Rock.
There is another charming coastal village a mere two kilometers south, called Shaka’s Rock, obviously named after none other than, King Shaka!
The Salt Rock Hotel was designed by Basil Hulett, grandson of a sugarcane farming pioneer, and opened its doors in 1933. He owned the section of the beach in front of the hotel and also built the tidal pool in front of the hotel grounds.
The hotel is now part of the Salt Rock Hotel Beach Resort and has a Caravan Park, Timeshare, Country Club, Shopping Centre, and the Salt Rock Garage.
The charming decor of the hotel reminded me of an era long lost.
We decided to sit in the lush tropical garden where we had a view of the caravan park which is perfectly situated in front of the tidal pool. This used to be packed with campers in the past, but it’s become too costly to own a caravan, so it was almost deserted.
An outdoor jungle gym and indoor games room add to the attraction for young families.
There’s an elevated sun terrace for whale and dolphin watching. We were fortunate to see dolphins on our first morning up that way.
There is something for everyone at this hotel: the Bamboo Bar and a Beach bar, Coco’s buffet and carvery restaurant.
Most of us chose the Chicken and Prawn Curry, one of their specialties; it was fragrant, spicy, and delicious, and the portions were way too big, as with all South African restaurants, so we all took a 'doggie bag' home "for Ron", as my one friend always says - late'ron ;)
It was a great way to end a very special weekend, and be able to take a 'taste of the Dolphin Coast' back home, along with my stash of volcanic rocks from Sheffield Beach.
These three 'hearts' are my favourites from that stash!
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