Sodwana Bay to Ballito (Dolphin Coast)

Welcome to our road trip of December 2021. We are travelling by car across South Africa (from the west coast → north coast → KZN south coast → back to the west coast). The distance we will cover, will be around 5,000km (3,106 miles).

Our main purpose for this trip, besides seeing places we have not seen before, is for Berto to scuba dive in Sodwana Bay and then to be a little more adventurous … diving with sharks in the ocean in Umkomaas on the south coast of KwaZulu-Natal. We hope to share lots of pictures to show you our beautiful country.

Accommodation – Day 11:

Ballito Backpackers

It is time to say goodbye to Sodwana Bay. We had such an awesome time here – the facilities were great, the staff friendly and the diving superb (as always).

It is a mere 300km (186 miles) to our next destination, namely Ballito. We took an easy drive on the N2, following the road to the small serene resort town of Ballito. Dolphins are common on this stretch of the North Coast shoreline, hence the nickname Dolphin Coast … but if you do remember, Berto already saw these beautiful sea mammals on his last dive in Sodwana Bay.

Ballito:

We arrived around 14:00 in Ballito – a perfect time to book into our accommodation and then searching for a restaurant to chill away during the hot afternoon.

We will only spend one night in Ballito and therefore, our choice of accommodation fell on Backpackers Ballito. Since we are not young backpackers anymore, we opted for a double bedroom (and not one of the many dormitories)!

One of the many relaxing areas in Backpackers Ballito
Our room at Backpackers Ballito

With a comfortable bed, on-suite bathroom and small kitchen, it was the perfect place to spend one evening. We found a secure parking spot for our car and only brought a few things to our room … then we heard music just around the corner and found a wonderful restaurant to relax for a while.

Mozambik Ballito Restaurant:

What a great restaurant – just the spot for a hot summers’ afternoon! We could relax with our feet in cold water – almost like a big swimming pool with tables – while the waiters were quick with the beers!

Our table in the shallow “swimming pool”
Berto was not disappointed with his big beer!

After we had a few ice-cold beers and something light to eat – very delicious prego rolls – we decided it was time to take a walk along the beach.

THE place to be on a hot summers’ day
A lovely boardwalk makes for easy walking next to the beach
The beachfront-properties and resorts are very popular under tourists
The perfect December holiday for many South Africans
Although it was already early evening, people were still enjoying the water of the Indian Ocean

Hole in the Wall:

The “Hole in the Wall” is located at Thomson’s Bay – a true hidden gem of the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast. There is a great tidal pool and then the amazing view of the “Hole in the Wall” – it is also one of Ballito’s best beaches.

A view of the tidal pool

The “Hole in the Wall” is not visible from the entrance at the beach and we took off in the opposite direction to see this phenomenon. It was only after we walked through thick sand and over sharp rocks, that we look back and saw the “Hole in the Wall” on the other side … oh well, at least we had a nice walk on the beach (and a good workout)!

The “Hole in the Wall” is visible on the other side of the beach – we walked in the wrong direction!

At least, we had beautiful views of the beach and the ocean and took a few pictures before we retraced our steps to get to the “Hole in the Wall”.

Beautiful views over the ocean and the rocky beach
We saw these interesting rocks on the beach

We were hot and sweating after the walk through thick beach sand, but the lovely view of the “Hole in the Wall” (and the cool wind through the cracks) were a welcome site!

The Hole in the Wall
Posing at the Hole in the Wall

Next to the Hole in the Wall, is the tidal pool. We saw a couple of people enjoying the pool – either swimming or snorkeling in the water.

A wave breaks over the rocks at the tidal pool
Swimmers enjoying the tidal pool

Our visit to Ballito was short and sweet. It is a beautiful coastal town, but just a tiny bit too busy for us!

Tomorrow we will go to Umkomaas, where we will stay for a week. Great adventures await us there (more for Berto than for me) and we can’t wait to share them with you!

To read more about Umkomaas, click here.