We’re going to pause our December holiday posts for just a moment, because this new place we recently visited is worth sharing!
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March 2023
To celebrate Berto’s recovery from his recent health scare, we decided to look for a place where we could just relax. Our ‘modus operandi’ is usually to get our camping gear and go off the grid when we want to rest or celebrate … but not this time. Morgan Bay Hotel has been on our radar for months now and we thought it was perfect for us at this very moment!
Where is Morgan Bay?
Morgan Bay is on the Wild Coast, just 80km (49 miles) from East London and a peaceful seaside holiday village. There is just one shop (which we didn’t visit), some beautiful houses, a caravan park and the lovely Morgan Bay Hotel … oh, and an amazing beach!
We booked the Sea View Deluxe Suite and it was absolutely beyond our expectations! Our spacious suite was tastefully decorated with a private patio from which we had a wonderful view of the Indian Ocean.
Our Deluxe Suite at Morgan Bay Hotel
Swimming pool area
In our next post we will show and tell you more about the Morgan Bay Hotel – it is truly luxurious and hard to believe that this hotel was already established in 1946.
When we got there, we were checked in promptly. After taking our luggage to the suite, we grabbed the camera and walked a short distance along the ocean.
The sandy beach is in the distance
Views towards the Double Mouth Nature Reserve – cattle on the hill
We quickly realised that Morgan Bay is a very small village … and we loved it! We walked slowly back to the hotel and decided to save the beach walk for the next morning.
We saw lovely houses on our way back to the hotel
Side view of Morgan Bay Hotel
Breakfast was included in our stay at the hotel, but we had to make a reservation for dinner. After making dinner reservations for Saturday night, we found our way to the hotel’s other restaurant, The Deck, which is just next door. This is a great a la carte family restaurant with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating areas offering beautiful views of the sea.
We ordered a bottle of our favourite red wine, Beyerskloof Pinotage and with that a garlic and mozzarella focaccia as an appetiser. Berto decided on a T-Bone steak and chips for his main course, while my choice fell on the Patagonia calamari tubes with salad.
Wine and focaccia
Our main meals
We would have loved to enjoy some of their wonderful desserts, but instead decided to take the rest of our wine to our suite. We sat on the patio enjoying our glasses of red wine while listening to the waves crashing on the rocks, it was magical.
Glorious sunrise
I have mentioned many times before on this blog that the sunsets on the West Coast are the most beautiful I have ever seen. Well, I can honestly say, I have not seen a more spectacular sunrise than this one on the southeast coast of South Africa.
The next morning, we woke up to an orange glow in our room and rushed outside … for the next half hour we were amazed at what nature had in store for us!
Sunrise
Sunrise
The colours slowly changed from orange to gold – it was mesmerizing!
Sunrise
Sunrise
Golden sunrise
After this spectacle we walked down to the beach. It got a little foggy as we walked further, which made it even more beautiful.
On the beach
View back towards the hotel
Berto walking towards the upcoming sun
A group of people standing in a circle on the beach
When we reached the end of the beach, the mist lifted and we had breathtaking views of the ocean.
Beach at Morgan Bay
A stone pile at the end of our walk
When we turned back, the hotel was still shrouded in mist
While I was showering after we got back from our morning walk, Berto took the camera and walked around the hotel grounds to take more photos – what can you say … it’s really beautiful!
Trees at the far end of the hotel before walking onto the beach
Views of Morgan Bay Hotel
Enchanting garden of the hotel
Patio of the hotel
Sparkling swimming pool
And that’s where we’ll stop this post for now – it’s getting a little long, but one can get carried away so easily with the beauty of this place!
We will see you soon in our next post when we take you around the hotel and show you another lovely place where we enjoyed a delicious lunch.
Wet and Dusty Roads 
Ahh, looks magical!!
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We were in awe of this beautiful little place! That sunrise … like you said, magical!
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That is so nice. I’m glad that Berto is better now.
Friends of mine are on the Camino for the first time. They are having the time of their lives . . . . even if it is early in the year.
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Thanks Carl. We went on a short hike in a beautiful forest this weekend and Berto did very well, so we are very happy with his recovery! Oh, I’m jealous of your friends on their Camino!! And I’m sure they are enjoying every moment! Sent them our Buen Camino love 👣.
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If the hotel and food weren’t enough, we would go there for the spectacular sunrises and gorgeous beach! What a wonderful place Morgan Bay must be in person!
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I think Morgan Bay has the whole package … luxury hotel, lovely beach and scenic sunrise! We were so surprised with this place – and it definitely won’t be long before we go back there 😉.
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Just exactly what you needed after these scary weeks. The sunrise shots are spectacular!
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Absolutely Jo – it was a much needed weekend away. Oh, the sunrise on Saturday morning was out of this world … we were really treated to an array of colours!
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Lovely to see the beach in all its weather incarnations.
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Yes, one is amazed at how beautiful nature is during all facets of the weather … and clouds in the sky do make beautiful pictures at both sunrise and sunset.
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It is a wonderful location though I never made it to the Wild Coast though have travelled through what used to be known as the Transkei on my way to Durban. I remember wanting to visit Coffee Bay and Port St John though a lot of the coastal region was very hard to reach then.
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Oh yes, Coffee Bay is on our list to see! But I suppose it’s not just a weekend trip, but rather a few days … hopefully we’ll still get there! The Wild Coast is still unspoilt in many places, making it a great place to explore.
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So kan n mens mos behoorlik die slegte tye agter los en jou verheug in dit wat God nog vir jou in stoor het! Ek hoop Berto is al stukke beter?
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Dit is waar Dries! Dit was lekker om vir ‘n verandering nie tent pale hoef in te kap nie, maar net ons tas langs ‘n baie gemaklike bed neer te sit 😉. Met daardie pragtige sonopkoms Saterdagoggend, kon ‘n mens amper die teenwoordigheid van die Here voel … dit was asemrowend mooi. Dit gaan baie beter met Berto, dankie. Ons het Saterdag ‘n kort staproete in ‘n pragtige woud hier naby gaan doen en Berto kon dit met gemak voltooi sonder enige slegte simptome (en hy het amper vir my weggestap 😄, wat beslis ‘n teken is dat hy baie beter is)!
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Dit is wonderlike nuus!
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Wow, it’s so lush and that sunrise is gorgeous!
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The south east coast of SA is very green and forested (it’s a summer rainfall area and we’ve had a lot of rain in the last few months which has added to how lush it is). The sunrise was definitely special – we probably took 100 photos, but still you feel you don’t get the full (beautiful) picture with photos!
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Heaven on a stick!
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It’s just like you said there Mel! You can even throw in the word “paradise” here too … it’s an incredibly beautiful part of SA!
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Beautiful ocean views, sunrises and sunsets, and gardens! I love how the houses are tucked into the hillside. The food looks delicious too. I’m looking forward to reading more about your time there.
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There are so many houses here in the area that are built high up on the hills. We haven’t seen this before until we got here (it’s lovely, isn’t it). Morgan Bay definitely has it all – we loved everything about it and can’t wait to go back. We will soon tell you more about the surroundings and the hotel.
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The Morgan Bay Hotel looks absolutely delightful Corna and just what the doctor ordered after Berto’s recent health scare. The hotel looks to be in a magnificent position being so close to the ocean. Your dinner looks mouthwatering too and that sunrise, wow! Unless I’m somewhere like Finland in winter where it doesn’t come light till late, I don’t really see many sunrises but this is definitely worth getting up for!
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As you said Marion – just what the doctor ordered 😉. Morgan Bay Hotel was an absolute delight! Their hospitality, delicious food and rooms are 5-star quality. And it was definitely worth getting up early (5:30am) for that beautiful sunrise … seeing the colours change in a matter of half an hour was really special.
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I’ve often commented on your camping posts that you clearly had fun and were staying in a beautiful spot but that camping isn’t for me! Now, this is more like it 😍 A lovely hotel (and room) in a beautiful location with a good restaurant, walks on your doorstep and a comfortable bed (and en suite) at the end of the day. That’s my idea of travelling!
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😄 I knew you would love this post Sarah! And I have to admit … for a change, it was nice not having to pitch a tent. It was a lovely getaway weekend and we really felt spoiled!
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I love the different light and mist scenes on the beach. And what a gorgeous beach it is. Your sunrise shots are gorgeous! Maggie
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Thanks Maggie 🙂 Oh, what a beach! Soft sand, breaking waves and breathtaking sunrise … it’s close to the perfect 10!
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Wow, if ever anyone needed a perfect place to stay to get over an unexpected health issue, this is surely it! Looks and sounds absolutely idyllic.
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The perfect place, that’s for sure! I don’t know what it must be like to be treated like royalty, but I’m pretty sure it must be something like what we experienced at Morgan Bay Hotel 😉.
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This looks like an absolutely brilliant choice for celebrating Berto’s recovery. The hotel looks amazing, I am keenly anticipating the ‘more’ that you have promised. Its surrounds (particularly the ocean views) look great, and aw man, the food…. Some sumptuous sunrise shots Corna, I’m not surprised you got up for that. Even sleepy old me would probably do that to experience those colours and capture such rich images. I think my favourite is of the foggy beach with the circle of figures.
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We were pleasantly surprised with everything about Morgan Bay … the clean town, lovely beach and of course their amazing hotel. You know we can’t let a weekend go by without eating well (wait until you see our next post 😉). Your favourite photo is also Berto’s favourite – I think he snapped that shot at the perfect time. Thanks for stopping by Leighton … we’ll be showing more from this lovely weekend getaway soon!
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It’s always nice to trade in the tent and camping gear for something more luxurious once in a while. Your accommodations look lovely, especially with those views! And what a stunning sunrise. Your pictures are gorgeous.
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Thank you very much Linda. You’re right, it was nice not to have to deal with tent pegs for once … and trading the stretcher for that bed was heavenly 😄. But that said, we still love camping! The sunrise was spectacular – to see the colours change like that was truly special.
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It looks absolutely magical – those beach shots at sunrise with the mist are beautiful. The perfect place to go for some TLC after such an awful time. Hope Berto is continuing well with his recovery 🙂
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We had an incredibly nice weekend – just what was needed! The hotel is perfectly located … almost on the beach with breathtaking views. And thanks Hannah, Berto is doing very well. We went for a walk in a forest last weekend and he almost walked away from me 😉 – I’d say that’s a very positive sign!
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That made me laugh, and I’m so pleased he’s doing well 🙂
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Gorgeous 😍
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Thanks 🌸 … I agree, Morgan Bay is indeed a beautiful place!
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Looks absolutely stunning! Is that one of the wine areas of the world?
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No, unfortunately no wine farms in this region … just pristine beaches and spectacular sunrises 🙂. The wine regions are on the other side of the country (south and west coast).
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Ah, gotcha. Looked pretty enough to be wine country though
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My thoughts exactly 😄.
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It’s so nice to hear you are back to going places because Berto is well enough! What a beautiful place to stay, anything by the water has my interest!
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Yes, we are very thankful that Berto is doing so much better … he already walks away from me again when we go for a walk! Morgan Bay is so pristine and scenic – it was definitely the best place to go and relax.
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The foggy beach looks surreal. I simply imagined myself walking along the wonderful beach, with every picture you shared. Lovely!!!😍
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I’m so glad you enjoyed our beach photos! It was amazing that even though it was foggy, it was also very warm. Thanks for stopping by!
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Dis so pragtig daar Corna! ‘n Vriendin van my bly daar en sy se sy wil nerens anders wees nie!
Bly om te sien Berto is soveel beter!
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Jou vriendin is bevoorreg – dit is werklik ‘n pragtige plek! Dit is waarskynlik een van die mooiste ongerepte plekke wat ek nog aan hierdie kant van die kus gesien het … dit het amper so ‘n Elandsbaai gevoel (alhoewel dit glad nie dieselfde is nie 😄). Ja, dit gaan baie goed met Berto dankie. Hy het vinniger herstel as wat die dokter voorspel het en ons is baie dankbaar daarvoor.
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Sy is bevoorreg! So bly oor Berto.
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Absolutely magical, thanks for the introduction to Morgan’s bay and wow the sunrises are magnificent. Great to hear that Berto is doing better and that the two of you could enjoy this beautiful place.
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That sunrise at Morgan Bay was out of this world! Being able to sit there on our patio and watch the colours change was really special. And thank you very much, yes we are grateful that Berto is recovering so well.
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