Located just behind the famous old Oyster Box Hotel, our 11th floor flat in The Oysters complex has breath-taking views over that hotel, the iconic lighthouse, and the long, wide stretch of golden sand that stretches all the way south to Durban.
Indian Ocean waves dash against the fisherman-dotted rocks for which the seaside town of Umhlanga Rocks is named. And the Beverley Hills Hotel is right next to the Oyster Box – it’s a five-minute stroll from our front door to theirs.
That came in very handy a couple of nights ago when our friend Belinda Scott invited Roy and me to An Evening with Graham Beck at the Beverly Hills – a fabulous four-course dinner paired with no fewer than five different Graham Beck MCC (Méthode Cap Classique) bubbles.
After warming up with the NV Rosé in the Elements Bar, we moved into the neighbouring dining room. Winemaker Pierre de Klerk talked us through the wines as they flowed, and encouraged us to drink up, as there was plenty of the stuff available.
Executive chef Sandi Richmond‘s menu was all lovely, but for me the butter-poached crayfish* on risotto was the winner, and the same went for the NV Brut that accompanied it.
The company at our table was at least as good as the food – “seriously nice people”, as my neighbour Dennis Ngxongo put it. Most of us, apparently not content with four hours of swilling bubbly, dropped in at the neighbouring Oyster Box’s infamous Chukka Bar for whiskies and cigars until they, too, had to kick us out.
I can’t remember when I last had a hangover like this one. One of the best cures is a bunny chow (click here for more on that), unless you’re in the vicinity of the Press Club in Umhlanga Rocks Centre. There they serve something rather similar called the Spicy Must – bean and potato curry on toast topped with two fried eggs and fresh dhania (coriander leaves). I would have photographed it if I hadn’t been so desperate to dive straight in.
* Side Note on Crayfish
Lovely as that crayfish tail was at the Oyster Box, it wasn’t a patch on the magnificent creatures that my friend Sally, always a brilliant cook, grilled for us the other night. Thanks, Sal!
Historical Note
Apart from from my luxury-hotel-loving sister Dale (below), who makes a point of spending a few nights at The Oyster Box whenever she comes to Durban, this hotel has had many famous guests over the years. Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco held their wedding reception here in 2011, and various members of the British royal family pop in from time to time.
The Oyster Box’s history goes back all the way to 1863 and the building of a cottage called Oyster Lodge. In 1952 it became a tea-garden, and then a restaurant, and finally opened as The Oyster Box Hotel in 1954.
The Oyster Box has always been the official custodian of the Umhlanga lighthouse. In 2006, the hotel was bought by Red Carnation Hotels, which largely rebuilt it while retaining distinguishing elements like its lovely Palm Court, and the expanse of black-and-white floor-tiles in the reception area.
A favourite spot for sundowners is the Oyster Box’s Lighthouse Bar and its terrace overlooking the iconic tower.
KwaZulu-Natal province’s first ever five-star hotel, The Beverly Hills, also jokingly known as the Heavily Bills, was built in 1964. It was the first baby of hotel magnate Sol Kerzner, who went on to establish the Southern Suns group and an international empire in the hospitality industry. For some genuine memories of the hotel in its early days, click here.
When to Go
Preferably not in October, which I reckon is the worst, windiest, stormiest month of the year in Durban. Nor September, nor August, when it can be colder and wetter than you’d expect from a summer rainfall area. Though it’s a gorgeous day today – look at the blue sky in those photos above! – I’m told that the weather has been wholly unpredictable and generally dire for the past few months.
Here’s what it looked like one day last week:
And here’s our beach the day after the terrible 10 October storm that swept along the KwaZulu-Natal coast; it left hundreds homeless and made international headlines.
Loads of rubbish from the hinterland rivers was washed out to sea; it took a couple of days for the ocean to regurgitate the muck onto the beaches. Full marks to the clean-up teams who restored Umhlanga Rocks beach to pristine beauty.
Unless you love to swelter in humidity, January to March is not the best period to visit Durban and Umhlanga. Your best bet is from April to July – plenty of sunshine, not too hot and not too humid.
And you’ll never go hungry. At the last counter, the “village” of Umhlanga had no fewer than 108 restaurants – from Italian, Greek and Portuguese to sushi, seafood and Indian, plus a slew of steakhouses and a bevy of bars. Cheers to that!
Ab Fab! Xx