It was a whirlwind romance with the sea that made us buy a “huisie by die see” and that irritating check out by 10am thing at the hotel. Now here we are, 5 years later…
We feel like locals. We’ve seen Ballito and Salt Rock expand, new shopping centres built, found our favourite eateries and places to spend time away from the beach – and somehow we’ve managed to get to know a few neighbours.
…and I love to tell people about the amazing places around Salt Rock/Sheffield Beach that we frequent when we are home.
Sasol Garage for a Bunny Chow
I don’t have a tolerance for Durban curry, but once per visit we will stop at the Sasol garage and get our Bunnies. I love the chicken and hubby has the lamb. The best place to eat them is on the beach (no jokes).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BY0fExlgqhQ/?tagged=sasolgaragebunny
Burnedale Farm
A little slice of farm heaven. You can have your nails done, do shopping and have a bite at Burnedale. All independent stores, all local – and I have to give a special shout-out to Find The Stoke (surf shop). Be sure to check out the pottery shop and One of a Kind.
Bonus, there are a few farm animals to look at and a play area for the kids.
Litchi Orchard
Spoiler, the food here is amazing! Get your ice cream from Scoop, lunch at Delish Sisters and coffee next door… You can also do a bit of shopping here.
They have night markets with live entertainment at the Litchi Orchard – just check their Facebook page.
In December you can get your freshly picked litchis right here.
Sage Centre
One of my favourite places… You will easily think you got lost in an upmarket Jozi suburb, because the shops at Sage Centre is just amazing. Get gifts, baked goods, décor and your Tsonga fix!
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bcr-b5fgO6F/?taken-by=sagecentre
Before the big revamp Sage was an OK place to go to, but now it really is a jewel on the North Coast.
Flag Animal Farm
This is a must-visit if you have kids. The animal farm is really neat and kids love it. Lexa wasn’t yet ready for the (barrage of) animals, but when we go down (soon again) she will be treated to a day at Flag Animal Farm.
Chow down
Tiffany’s Shopping Centre is our local place and here you will find a number of small eateries. My favourite is Jack Salmon. For a quick takeaway Zebro’s fish and chips is always a winner.
For some odd reason my husband loves eisbein and one of the best places to get this and a traditional German meal is at Siggi’s. They have been there for as long as I can remember and I’ve been going that side for a really long time.
Just outside Salt Rock and Ballito you will find The Great Railroad Brewing Company (8 minutes from Tiffany’s). They produce 8 types of beer and you can also get them from a number of stores in the area (and further afield).
If you venture into Ballito with the holiday crowds, go to the Ballito Lifestyle Centre. The centre had a major revamp recently and the restaurants here are to die for – don’t even get me started on The Market!
The beaches…
Salt Rock main beach is one of my favourites, but it isn’t really toddler-friendly. We are now visiting Granny’s Pool – and yes, there are always plenty of kids – this rock pool is by Siggi’s German Restaurant, you cannot miss the parking.
Sheffield Beach is OK, but not the best swimming beach if you like to really get in there – plus, no lifeguard.
We have driven up to Tinley Manor once to check out the beaches, but I can definitely say that Salt Rock is the best beach with very few rocks.
So that is it, next time you go to the Dolphin Coast check out these lovely places and let me know what you think.
