Rooms

There are four guestrooms and three suites in the main house. The two Pool View rooms are located amid the gardens with direct access to the pool. Similarly furnished and also on the ground floor, the two Ocean View Rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and a balcony.

On the floor above, the Courtyard Suite overlooks the gardens and inner courtyard, while the spacious Ocean Suite is open-plan with its own seating area and balcony. The Sala Suite has been crafted with romance in mind – more secluded and boasting a four-poster bed.

All ensuite bathrooms come with double vanities and rainfall showers, with toiletries by [], and bathtubs, except in the Pool View rooms.

Set apart from the main house, the Sala Beach Villa is for groups and families with older children. Featuring three bedrooms, all with kingsize beds, a veranda apiece and their own ensuites with shower and bathtub, it has an open-plan living/dining/kitchen area and a private plunge pool.

The décor throughout is cool and modern – calming neutrals, light woods and natural linens with understated touches of local African culture – but relaxed and welcoming with a barefoot beach house feel.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• In-room treatments available
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

There is a well-reviewed restaurant onsite that offers breakfast, evening meals and lunch/snacks throughout the day – all with spectacular views across the ocean. The menu changes daily according to the seasons but usually features a catch of the day, and there are always vegetarian options to choose from.

Ballito, the nearest town, has a multitude of restaurants offering dishes to sate most palates and budgets. Seafood naturally features strongly – calamari, squid, prawns, hake, kingklip and line fish are most popular – but there are also Italian eateries, pizza joints, Argentinian steak houses, and Greek and Portuguese tavernas (many of which also offer seaview dining.)

When the kitchens close, they frequently turn into bars/nightclubs, each offering their own signature cocktails. Again, the vibe here is more laidback beach hangout than urban hotspot but there’s usually a DJ to be found, and it’s only a short cab ride back to your room.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Dinner by arrangement
• Lunch by arrangement
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Swimmers, surfers, body boarders, snorkellers, anglers and sunbathers will be spoiled for choice. As well as Thompson’s Beach on your doorstep (with its private tidal pool) there’s also Willard Beach, Salt Rock Beach and Catfish Beach
  
• Wellness is a big feature at Sala Beach – all the rooms have yoga mats and small weights. There are also three treatment rooms at the onsite spa, offering a range of wellness and beauty treatments including Swedish and hot stone massages, enzyme facials, reflexology, body polishing, waxing and tinting, and sound therapy
  
• For retail therapy, head to Ballito Junction, which hosts over 200 stores, a food court and delis. The cobbled Ballito Lifestyle Centre boasts a more ‘street’ shopping scene
  
• Durban is only 40 mins away and offers a plethora of galleries, retail outlets, food and craft markets
  
• Ballito is the perfect stop before or after a safari in Zululand but also offers its own natural wonders. Crocodile Creek (home to 10,000 crocs as well as snakes, monkeys and mongoose) is popular, as are guided tours of the Hawaan Forest just outside Durban – home to bush pigs, duiker and pythons. The Flag Animal Farm is a rescue centre that houses 14,000 orphaned animals but also has a play centre, reptile room and train rides

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Fishing
• Golf
• Scuba diving
• Shopping / markets
• Snorkelling
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Well being
• Whale watching
• Wine tasting
• Yoga

Kids

The minimum age accepted is 12 and there are no twin beds or extra beds available. There's a retreat vibe here rather than a family one.

Best for:

Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

Families with teenagers will need to book two rooms. Alternatively families can stay in the Villa.

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Sala Beach House is set beside Thompson's Bay near Ballito on the Dolphin Coast, located on the north eastern coast of South Africa.

By Air:
Fly to Durban. Sala Beach House is just 24km north of Durban airport.

By Car:
Car rentals are readily available and recommended – there’s very little public transport in Ballito, and Sala Beach House is just over 4km outside it. However, taxis and shuttle services are easy to come by.

Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.