External Review's Review of Umngazi Hotel And Spa

TRIPADVISOR - Mohammed Kathrada - 20 Mar 2020 - - - Best South African Family Holiday Destination This was the best South African holiday we've been on! Umngazi is truly a family resort, catering for the needs of family members of all ages. We travelled as a family of four, myself, my wife, and my two sons aged 11 and 2.5 years old and every one of us enjoyed our four nights at the resort. What stuck out the most for us was the care and consideration shown to us when we requested halaal food. As a Muslim family, we are always concerned about our catering needs when we travel. Upon booking a family room (extremely comfortable) with a garden/river view, my wife emailed the resort and liaised via email with the head chef Nico, explaining our request for halaal meals. Head chef Nico, who is experienced in catering for a range of international guests, happily reassured us that there was nothing to worry about as he will ensure our request is met as best as possible. Upon our arrival at the resort and just before we could even enter the reception area, we were met by Nico’s second-in-command, Khotso, who welcomed us heartily and assured us that our catering needs will be met. Since all meals are included in the holiday package, including tea and goodies twice a day, our only complaint was that we overate! The meals were absolutely delicious and on certain days, when the meals were not suited for us, a separate platter was prepared for my family, and a fellow Muslim family at the resort at the same time as us. The best part is the kiddies dining room, which opens a half hour before every adult meal time, ensuring the kids are fed (you can hire nannies to do this too) so that you and your spouse and other family members can eat at leisure. The views of the beach and the river are breath-taking and my older son participated in almost every activity for the day (they have a jam-packed activity list for kids on a daily basis). Both kids enjoyed the pool, the jungle gym area and the pavilion, with my toddler absolutely loving the Creative Corner, allowing us parents to relax while our little one was entertained. The staff at Umngazi are always pleasant and smiling and so are the nannies.There is no TV or WiFi in the room, and cell reception is poor. However, this was actually a good thing as we all could spend quality family time together. We hope to be returning soon and now we can understand why so many people have to wait years to get a booking here! - - - (http://bit.ly/2kKITqy)

My wife was very impressed with the Spa, which had a pre-natal and post-natal massage option on their menu. Seka, her therapist, provided a much-needed and relaxing pregnancy massage and the views from the Spa were incredible.