We are having a Beach Holiday. We are in a cozy flat with it's own little pool. Five minutes' walk from our door is the Indian ocean and long sandy beaches.
The last time I did a Beach Holiday was in combination with the wedding of our friends A and A in Cyprus. I was young, single, and still I found it horribly dull. I am not the type to sit at the beach and do nothing, burning away in the sun, stocking up mutated skin cells for future cancer issues. I usually do not like the people you find who do Beach Holidays or the accomodations and entertainment you find available for these type of people.
Now here we are - and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Umhlanga is different. The complex we're staying at has locals who live here year round. O and W met a family who has been coming here every summer holiday since they were kids, along with another family. They own the unit and let it out when they are not using it themselves. These two families now have kids of their own and their kids have grown up together, holidaying together. This is definitely a laid back, family place. You see all generations here. There is not the urgent seen and be seen vibe you often find at Beach Holidays. It is 100% locals or vaalies (South African inlanders), which is a very different feel from the beaches in Mexico, Carribbean, or Europe that get overrun with foreigners who are only there for the scenery and demand everything else be like their home country.
Combine this environment with a Munchkin. Going to the beach with a Munchkin is a revelation, because everything to your child is new and in a word, awesome. Sand to play with, ocean to walk in, pool to swim in afterwards. She has been loving it. Not so big a fan of swimming in the sea - not really possible here, who knew the Indian ocean was so mean and tough? Even walking in the strong current as water washes up onto the shore is a little scary. Then we head back before nap time and have a swim to reassure here that water is a good thing. We've had excellent seafood, we went to the biggest Aquarium in Africa (Ushaka) which is also in a water park and themed as a sunken ship. It was fun! We saw them feed sting rays. Munchkin loved all the little fish and fell asleep in the car immediately afterwards. We took the opportunity to take a drive around Durban, which has lots of art deco coastal buildings, reminding us a lot of San Fransisco and Chicago's Lakeshore Drive in pastel. They are renovating a lot of areas, and it's a mix of up and coming. We went to see birds at a small bird park, and it was also a huge hit with the Munchkin crowd. They had an exhibit where you could walk amongst local birds, one breed of which was particularly aggressive, swooping down and landing on people's heads. We were totally freaked out, only reading later that it is possible to feed the birds and that is why they were coming at us.
So I would definitely do a Beach Holiday again, provided I can combine it with culture in some form and see it through my little Munchkin's eyes.
The last time I did a Beach Holiday was in combination with the wedding of our friends A and A in Cyprus. I was young, single, and still I found it horribly dull. I am not the type to sit at the beach and do nothing, burning away in the sun, stocking up mutated skin cells for future cancer issues. I usually do not like the people you find who do Beach Holidays or the accomodations and entertainment you find available for these type of people.
Now here we are - and I am thoroughly enjoying it. Umhlanga is different. The complex we're staying at has locals who live here year round. O and W met a family who has been coming here every summer holiday since they were kids, along with another family. They own the unit and let it out when they are not using it themselves. These two families now have kids of their own and their kids have grown up together, holidaying together. This is definitely a laid back, family place. You see all generations here. There is not the urgent seen and be seen vibe you often find at Beach Holidays. It is 100% locals or vaalies (South African inlanders), which is a very different feel from the beaches in Mexico, Carribbean, or Europe that get overrun with foreigners who are only there for the scenery and demand everything else be like their home country.
Combine this environment with a Munchkin. Going to the beach with a Munchkin is a revelation, because everything to your child is new and in a word, awesome. Sand to play with, ocean to walk in, pool to swim in afterwards. She has been loving it. Not so big a fan of swimming in the sea - not really possible here, who knew the Indian ocean was so mean and tough? Even walking in the strong current as water washes up onto the shore is a little scary. Then we head back before nap time and have a swim to reassure here that water is a good thing. We've had excellent seafood, we went to the biggest Aquarium in Africa (Ushaka) which is also in a water park and themed as a sunken ship. It was fun! We saw them feed sting rays. Munchkin loved all the little fish and fell asleep in the car immediately afterwards. We took the opportunity to take a drive around Durban, which has lots of art deco coastal buildings, reminding us a lot of San Fransisco and Chicago's Lakeshore Drive in pastel. They are renovating a lot of areas, and it's a mix of up and coming. We went to see birds at a small bird park, and it was also a huge hit with the Munchkin crowd. They had an exhibit where you could walk amongst local birds, one breed of which was particularly aggressive, swooping down and landing on people's heads. We were totally freaked out, only reading later that it is possible to feed the birds and that is why they were coming at us.
So I would definitely do a Beach Holiday again, provided I can combine it with culture in some form and see it through my little Munchkin's eyes.
3 comments:
Ohhhh, I do love a beach vacation! Maybe it's because I'm still a big kid and find all those things fascinating that Munchkin does!! Plus I enjoy a good nap.....and seafood.
Having had the 'vacation through Munchkin eyes' experience, I must say I'm a bit jealous.
dad we have plans for you on that front!
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