We always strive to offer attentive and efficient service to each of our guests, so they leave feeling appreciated, relaxed and content with their Umngazi experience. If you are planning your first trip with us, we can’t wait to welcome you! We have put together a list of essential information and what you can expect…
Umngazi Hotel & Spa is a beautiful destination where we encourage you to actively engage your sense of adventure! Outside exploring or inside relaxing, it doesn’t matter. This is the place of experiences that will leave a lasting impression on all who visit our breathtaking part of the Wild Coast. With the cooler months approaching,…
We offer two very unique and intimate private dining venues for special occasions and celebrations at Umngazi Hotel & Spa. We have the Green Door Wine Cellar and the Riverside Gazebo which are perfect for a small group of friends and family, or a private dinner with your partner or loved one. The Green Door…
A visit to Umngazi Hotel & Spa on the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape is a wonderfully unique escape, where you are encouraged to kick your shoes off (literally), let your hair down and completely relax while being pampered and indulged. If you are looking for a destination where you can truly switch off…
Are you visiting Umngazi Hotel and Spa for the first time? Our first-time guests have a lot of questions regarding our dining options, so we have decided to put a list together of everything you need to know to make sure you are ready for your stay with us! 1) Is the water safe to…
Who inspires you the most? My mother is the person who inspires me the most. What do you consider your greatest achievement to be? My greatest achievement is uplifting and providing for my family and bringing joy to their lives. What do you love most about Umngazi? The think I love most about Umngazi is…
We cannot rest on our laurels, and while we have made progress on many environmental initiatives over the years at Umngazi, we have to continue to develop our work in this area. One area that we are currently focusing on is reducing our reliance on one-use plastic hence the introduction of the “No Straw Campaign!”…
What is Earth Day? “Close to 48 years ago, on 22 April 1970, millions of people took to the streets to protest the negative impacts of 150 years of industrial development. In the US and around the world, smog was becoming deadly and evidence was growing that pollution led to developmental delays in children. Biodiversity…
William Shakespeare’s most famous romanceRomeo and Juliet has captured hearts for decades – so much so that Juliet still receives love letters on Valentine’s Day! Every year, the city of Verona in Italy (where the play was set) receives around 1,000 letters addressed to Juliet. Not bad for someone who’s been dead for hundreds of years….
The secret to better holiday reading: don’t take too many books! Holidays are a welcome chance to lose ourselves between the covers of a book, especially for those of us who struggle to find time to read amid the assorted tyrannies of daily life. So the book that ends up in your suitcase had better…
The biggest Christmas cracker pull was done by 1,478 people at an event organised by Honda Japan at Tochigi Proving Ground, Tochigi, Japan, on 18 October 2009. Now that would be a lot of bangs! “Silent Night” is the most recorded Christmas song in history, with over 733 different versions copyrighted since 1978. Nearly 60…
The vernal equinox is the first day of the year when we have twelve hours of daylight and twelve hours of night. If you stand at the equator on the first day of spring, you will see the sun pass directly over head. This only happens twice a year; first day of spring and…
From June through to August the Eastern Cape’s aloes are in full display. These beautiful plants burst forth in a brilliance of colour during the long dry months of winter enhancing the complexion of the surrounding landscape. The aloes found at Umngazi are commonly known as Aloe Ferox (Bitter Aloe). Not only do these plants…
As Claude Monet once said; “The richness I achieve comes from Nature, the source of my inspiration.” After meeting a very interesting chap named Tyrone; I was intrigued by his passion and knowledge on snakes and reptiles and thought it would be an interesting tale to share… Tyrone Ping has always been intrigued by…
Did You Know? Christmas crackers are a traditional Christmas favorite in the UK. They were first made in about 1845-1850 by a London sweet maker called Tom Smith. He had seen the French ‘bon bon’ sweets (almonds wrapped in pretty paper). He came back to London and tried selling sweets like that in England which…
Did You Know? The Xhosa months of the year are poetically named after stars and seasonal plants of Southern Africa. The Xhosa year traditionally began in June and ended in May, when Canopus, the brightest star visible in the Southern Hemisphere, signalled the time for harvesting. In urban areas today, anglicised versions of the months…
Did You Know? This South African snail belongs to a widespread family known as cannibal snails (Rhytididae), so named for their habit of feeding on other snails. These snails do not have jaws, but instead feed using a rasping tongue-like structure (radula) bearing long, curved teeth, a specialisation for their carnivorous diet. The Pondoland cannibal…
Did You Know? Every year southern right whales migrate from their icy feeding grounds off Antarctica to warmer climates, reaching South Africa in June. The coastal waters teem with the giant animals, mating, calving and rearing their young – and giving whale-watchers spectacular displays of raw power and elegant water acrobatics. The southern right gets…
Did You Know? Shweshwe fabric originally comes from India. The German settlers brought this vibrant cotton fabric to South Africa in 1858. The Xhosa adapted the fabric to give it the uniquely African feel that it still has today. The Xhosa women, imitating the swishing sound of their skirts as they walked, named it Shweshwe….
Did You Know? Bottlenose dolphins range in length from 8 to 12 feet and can weigh as much as 1400 pounds. The males are larger than the females. The size of a dolphin varies with habitat. Those dolphins in warmer, shallower waters tend to have a smaller body than their cousins in cooler waters. They…
Facts About East Coast Mussels Did You know? Although some mussels can live for up to 50 years, the brown mussel that we find along the east coast of SA only lives about 2 years. Pearls are cultivated in freshwater mussels. You can tell the difference between wild and cultured mussels by looking for the…
Did You Know? Mangroves play an important role in nutrient cycling, nutrient export, sediment trapping and coastal protection, and act as breeding and nursery grounds for marine and estuarine organisms. The best honey is considered to be that produced by bees feeding in mangroves, particularly the river mangrove. Hence, the Ackerman Pick n Pay Foundation…
Email: requests@umngazi.co.za Tel No: 047-564 1115/6/8/9
Wild Coast, Eastern Cape, South Africa
GPS COORDINATES: S 31 36.680 E 29 25.938