Our Family Holiday In Durban

durban beach

If you follow me on social media or if you’ve read my earlier post, you’d know we’ve spent some time vacationing in Durban this Summer.

The build-up to our trip was just as exciting as the trip itself as it was the very first time that the kids got to travel on an aeroplane. Their suitcases were packed and unpacked (by them) so many times before we even left our home, they just could not wait to get on the plane! So by the time we reached the airport, they didn’t need any help wheeling their bags across the airport, as they had so much practice during the weeks prior!

We decided on Durban as their first “fly-to” destination for a few reasons – the flight was only 2 hours, Kurt and I know certain parts of Durban fairly well and of course – warm beach water!

Flight to Durban

For the first few days of our trip we stayed in a guest house in Umhlanga, just a few minutes walk from the beach. It had gorgeous views and the kids absolutely loved the open space to play.

durban holiday

Durban holiday

We even made friends with other guests next door – the family had a boy Aidan’s age, so naturally, the two of them wanted to be together all of the time and Alyssa just loved bossing them around!

Umhlanga beach

We spent most of our time at the beach and even though it was pretty overcast for most of our time there, it was still so humid. The warmth of the Durban sea water is just so appealing to me ha ha. In Cape Town, I can barely put my feet in water without getting a cramp in my ankle!

Ushaka marine world

We spent a day at Ushaka Marine World which was something I hope the kids will remember for a long time. Growing up (don’t laugh) I was a tiny bit obsessed with Dolphins  and even wanted to be a marine biologist. But, I never even saw a dolphin up close until this trip! It was such a great feeling and of course, I had to get up close and have a picture taken after the Dolphin show. Alyssa loved it too, and we ended up going to see the show twice on that day.

durban holiday

Aidan was a bit shy for Dophie lol.

The atmosphere at Ushaka was still very festive (even though it was almost mid-Jan) with a giant-sized Santa greeting us! The kids just lapped it up of course.

We literally made a full day of it and the kids even took a lovely snooze on the grass to recharge before we explored the rest of the park.

Ushaka marine world

For the last bit of our trip, we stayed at a hotel. I thought the kids wouldn’t be too keen on it as they would feel all cooped up and not able to explore, but to our surprise, the family suite we stayed in was quite huge and they just loved a little bit of luxury.

The hotel was also nearby to  Gateway Theatre of Shopping and how could we not pop in for a little bit of shopping, some Starbucks (yes, please come to Cape Town) and of course  Mr.Funtables arcade for the kids?

But, seeing that our hotel room had a bath in it, the only thing I was after was a Lush bath bomb! The struggle with water restrictions in Cape Town is just so very real at the moment and there is no such luxury as taking a bath.

So while in Durban…. I had my first bath in a really long time! With an Intergalactic Lush bath bomb…. and champagne…. it was heaven.

Our time in Durban is probably going to be a topic of conversation for the kids for a long time to come. Although Kurt and I probably need another holiday after this one (a holiday with kids is not a holiday for Mom and Dad) I’m so grateful to have these special memories!

Until our next vacay…

xxx

Hayley

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7 Comments

  1. Tracy Dawson January 22, 2018

    Thanks for making me miss my hometown even more haha!

    Reply
    • Hayley January 22, 2018

      Ah we love it! I hope you get to visit often at least 😉

      Reply
  2. Camilla || Jane Wonder Blog January 24, 2018

    Oh my word, I think you stayed in the hotel that I did a review on, posted today?!

    ♡ Cammy • Jane Wonder – Fashion and Beauty Blog •

    Reply
    • Hayley January 24, 2018

      Oh yes it is 😉 We loved it, the rooms are super spacious!!! Love your blog BTW ❤️

      Reply
  3. […] less formal than… well … formal. I was relieved, as we’d just returned from our Durban Holiday and certainly didn’t have time to put together a formal […]

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  4. […] when we went to Durban earlier in the year. We planned each day’s activities right from the start and we managed to […]

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  5. […] kicked off on a fun note for us. We travelled to Durban for a week-long family vacay. It was the first time that the kids ever went on a flight which made […]

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