Home » Latest News » Umngazi Hotel: A Bucket-List South African Destination
Posted on: July 1, 2023, in Latest News
Uniquely situated alongside the tranquil Mngazi River and overlooking the wild Indian Ocean, Umngazi Hotel and Spa provides guests with a rejuvenating space to retreat to after exploring the Wild Coast’s rolling hills, untouched beaches, and river teeming with birds and wildlife endemic to the area. It’s a resort quite unlike any other in the country, a beautiful bucket-list destination that has recently been granted a Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice Award.
This is an accolade that we’re exceptionally proud of. What makes the Traveller’s Choice Award so unique is that it isn’t based on the hotel rating system, but rather on visitors’ ratings and reviews – with only the top 10% of the best-rated hotels getting awarded each year.
While Umngazi Hotel & Spa doesn’t offer 5-star luxury, our visitors have consistently loved their stays and have almost all rated the hotel as a 5 out of 5 on Tripadvisor. With grateful hearts, we’d like to share with you the 5 reasons we’ve been honoured with this amazing award.
“We recently spent three nights at Umngazi on what was sadly a very wet weekend. Whilst we unfortunately never made it on to the beach or up the river on our sunset cruise; I have to say that the stand-out of the weekend, aside from the unbelievable gourmet feast, was the friendliness and efficiency of the staff. It truly was unbelievable to experience such a beautiful family of people. Kudos to management for creating such a wonderful atmosphere.” – Review from Tripadvisor
Without a doubt, the team at Umngazi is what makes our hotel exceptional. Each member is hard-working, courteous, and has a passion for hospitality. We hire from the neighbouring community, providing job opportunities to families that would otherwise have no options to work nearby. The staff are made up of friends and families, which is what really gives the hotel a homely, happy feel.
“What a wonderful place to unwind and relax! The Hotel and Spa employees provide excellent service and treat you as family. If you still want to work in such a special place, there is Wi-Fi. For those couples with children, there is a daily programme keeping them entertained. For the more adventurous, take a hike to the Mangrove forest, bike around the hills, have a personal birding guided tour, relax on the beach. The views are magnificent and unspoilt. The food is delicious with a wide variety for all.” – Review from Tripadvisor
Umngazi is renowned for its many activities, with something to do for every family member. Birding, cycling (own bicycles), walking, running, hiking, cruises on the river, relaxing on the beach, visiting the spa (a few times, of course), walking to the local community and enjoying a cuppa with Alice, chilling by the pool, visiting the bar, or getting involved in the daily kids activities. With so much on offer, you can spend your entire holiday getting active and enjoying outdoor adventures, or completely unwinding in peace.
“Great place to take small kids for a real break. The nannies are available all day to help take care and entertain kids. There is lots for the kids to do. Food was good, spa was great value and the rooms were lovely and clean and comfortable. Service was great and I will definitely be coming back to stay again soon.” – Review from Tripadvisor
What sets Umngazi apart is that we not only cater to adults wanting to get away from it all, but we also focus on providing the kids with the best holiday resort experience they could have. This means that we’ve got a kids’ diningroom, where parents can have an early dinner with their children without feeling like they have to keep shhh-ing them. There are daily kids activities to keep them busy, and, at an extra cost, you can hire a child-minder to assist you with childcare duties during your stay.
“I’m so glad we decided on staying for a whole week, and making use of the Fly and Stay deal. From the moment we were met on the mountain top airstrip with warm croissants and chilled champagne, I knew we were in for a special time. The food is amazing, with a delicious selection of healthy salads, and decadent desserts. Every day the lunch and dinner menu is different. We had a wonderful time, enjoying the early morning bird watch cruise and on another day the sunset cruise, complete with snacks and your choice of drinks, to watch the cattle along the riverbank and the fish eagle come for a feed. The best, most relaxing holiday I’ve had in a long time. Thank you Umngazi!” – Review from Tripadvisor
One of the main features at Umngazi is the food. With 3 all-inclusive meals provided a day, and two delectable tea breaks, families and couples need not worry about bringing a thing. The restaurant offers a beautiful space for gatherings, and if you have a special occasion to celebrate, you can book the Green Door Wine Cellar or the Riverside Gazebo.
“Stunning venue!! Outstanding hospitality and management above and beyond!! Amazing family orientated hotels and the spa is sublime. So much for the children to do, in a very safe environment. We will be back!!” – Review from Tripadvisor
Set high up on the hillside, the spa overlooks the Indian Ocean – offering spectacular views and absolute tranquillity. The spa offers face, body, pre- and post-natal care, as well as blissful bath and grooming treatments. Have a look at our extensive menu here.
There you have it, just a few of the many reasons we’ve received such consistently wonderful reviews from our hotel guests.
We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the thousands of positive reviews about the warm hospitality, comfortable (and stylish) accommodation, beautiful gardens, variety of activities, and wonderful food at Umngazi.
We’re also grateful to Tripadvisor for their wonderful platform that has given us this opportunity.
If you haven’t already reviewed Umngazi Hotel & Spa, please feel free to do so here.
If you’d like to book with us, please go to our booking page. For more information, contact us on +27 (0) 47 564 1115/6/8/9 or email us at requests@umngazi.co.za.
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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