The Jewel of the Wild Coast – Crawfords Beach Lodge Review

All through this busy school year we have been eagerly awaiting the moment when we can once again step outside, explore our beautiful country and indulge in some (long overdue) family adventures!

Holidays are arguably the highlight of anyone’s year, and taking the kids away with you is an experience that’ll stay with you (and them!) for years to come. And while travelling with kids is never easy, it’s always worth it. But, finding somewhere that we can all enjoy as a family is a very difficult, and also finding somewhere that isn’t the same as before.

We have been realising that when you have family in beautiful places, you also often forget that while you get some long overdue family time, you just end up in someone else’s house and continue with a similar routine to home.  This is where I found myself these last August holidays.  We have family who stay in the Eastern Cape and while catching crabs, sand castle building and ten pin bowling is fun… there really is only so much you can do year after year.

I asked fellow moms their opinions on things to do in the Eastern Cape and this Jewel of the Wild Coast made an appearance.  How in 13 years of travelling to the Eastern Cape had I never heard of this little slice of heaven? How in my entire life have we never travelled as a family to this hidden gem?

Read on and discover the magic of beach days, wild days, bush days, family-fun and pure relaxation. Holidays are made of this.

Crawfords Beach Lodge is a 45 minute drive from East London and an hour from the airport.  It is very easy to get there.  When you drive into Chintsa East you are transported into a small beach village that really looks like it doesn’t have much to offer besides a shop and a restaurant. The entrance to Crawfords Beach lodge looks residential. Once you are through those gates and walking to Reception you still get the picture that there isn’t going to be much to do.

And then, like a fairy tale, you walk up these big wooden steps into a gorgeous lounge and restaurant that open onto a pool area and deck. The views that you encounter will set you back. Immediately we grabbed a table closest to the view and ordered drinks. It is just that inviting. It is like finding a rare gem in the middle of nowhere.

Every staff member was welcoming and friendly. Perhaps because it is a family run resort, all the staff seem like family. They knew the kids by name and went out of their way to accommodate us and especially the kids. One thing to note is that they gave them activity packs.  These were especially helpful when dad and I were planning our days or wanted a quiet moment to read.

And the dogs. The other family members. They were so gentle and calm especially Chester who stole both my boys hearts. Everything about Crawfords just reeks family. We love it! It made us feel so comfortable.

Are you dreaming of sandy toes and sun-soaked days at the beach? In all my travels I must admit that this stretch of beach took me by surprise. A beach is a beach right? Wrong… This stretch of beach was immaculate at any time of the day. The sand, like all South African beaches, was soft and perfect for kids to run, play and build sandcastles. Being August, we were expecting it to be very windy and cold but, maybe because this long stretch of beach is protected by the beautiful sand dunes, we never really felt uncomfortable.

We ALL swam.  And if you know my family, my husband never swims if it is miserable or cold.  The water was a little cold but the waves were so calm and gentle.  There was no time that we felt uncomfortable. Do bare in mind there are no life gaurds so always keep a watchful eye.

There were two things in particular that my boys loved.  Crawford Beach Lodge say that if you do your part and fill up a packet of rubbish off the beach you get to get a free cooldrink or ice cream.  I’m not sure if it was more exciting saving the sea life or getting something for free but boy did they search for rubbish to get that Ice Cream. What a brilliant initiative for kids!

The second thing they loved was a tree trunk lodged into the sand just shallow enough for them to perch on like a bird and play cat and mouse. That kept us all entertained for a long time while we were waiting for the most magical pink and purple sunset. It was absolutely spectacular.

We were thoroughly spoilt in this department.  We woke up to spectacular sea views and luxurious surroundings in a room that offers you everything you expect from a beach resort. Wild coast accommodation doesn’t come any better than their beautifully appointed Dolphin Rooms. We were in a ground floor room allowing the kids to come and go easily and play on the grass in front of the room and we could still see them from the room. The little deck outside the room also allowed you to view the marine life which we thought we wouldn’t see and were very pleased to have been proven wrong.  Dolphin and Whale watching from your room is an absolute treat.

The rooms come with satellite TV, en suite bathrooms and air conditioning.  They are perfectly equipped with a little fridge and coffee/tea station and to the kids delight the room had enough space to allow a double bunk in it for them.

Other rooms include Dolphin family suites for larger families allowing 2 or 3 bedrooms, Kingfisher rooms in the back row still allowing sea views and the muscle cracker rooms.  Of course there is also the Honeymoon Suite.  All the rooms at Crawfords Beach Lodge, with or without a sea view, come with their own sense of charm and depending on your style of holiday you will find a room that suits you.

Gosh. Picky eater kids are a nightmare at any resort.  Well not at Crawfords.  Again they cater for families.  There were delightful homecooked meals, salads and desserts.

We were spoilt with the choice of full english breakfasts, cereals and cold breakfasts or if you so wished (which we did) pancakes WITH Nutella.

Lunches and dinners also offered a huge selection for everyone. Every meal was beautifully presented and everyone got something they enjoyed. A big shout out to the chefs at Crawfords who made the most delicious food. One firm favourite were these little crumbed prawns served with sweet chilli sauce that were even finished by my 4 and 7 year olds, who will still tell you that they don’t eat prawns.

If you were hungry out of mealtimes there is an a la carte menu which also looked incredible. The amazing staff even whipped up pancakes out of the normal hours to satisfy my 4 year old who was about to lose his marbles after a long and tiring day.  Thank you for saving me from an awful “suicide hour”.

Why would you need a swimming pool with that gorgeous ocean in front of you. But of course a swimming pool offers a different kind of refreshment in a resort and it also allows you to not have to trek through the sand.

There are two beautiful pools in the resort.  One heated pool outside of the restaurant which allowed the kids to swim and have fun while we had cocktails and had fun!

There is a larger cold pool in the middle of the resort. I can only imagine how busy it would get on a hot summers day.

Besides the swimming pools there is so much to do at Crawfords Beach Resort either through the resort or through local providers nearby.  Crawfords arrange everything for you from start to finish.  They even offer to have staff members trained in childcare and safety to watch over your children and keep them busy with all sorts of activities.  These include:

• Surfing
• Learn to surf
• Body boarding
• Sand boarding
• Stand up paddling on the river
• Rock pool hikes
• Beach walks
• Fishing
• Playroom games and movies
• Table tennis
• Pool
• Tennis
• Jumping castle
• Trampoline
• Jungle gym
• Ocean Xtreme (Wild rubber duck rides)
• Horse rides on the beach
• Golf at Olivewood
• Game drives at game park up the road
• Giraffe encounter at a riverside resort up the road

With all of these amazing activities on offer and only 3 days to do them, how were we going to choose. I am positive all of these activities are perfect for the whole family.  Here are the few we managed to do and I highly recommend them.

Sand Boarding – A free activity offered by the resort.  Blessing, the activities director suggested this and it was a HUGE hit.  We had so much fun.  I went with every intention of just watching and ended up enjoying it myself. The dunes at Crawfords Beach lodge were perfect for this and they even had stairs making our way back up as easy as going down.

Pool and Table Tennis – In the C Club there is a pool table and table tennis table.  This kept us and the kids happy for a long time.  There really is nothing quite like reliving your childhood and playing games with the kids.

Jungle gym and Jumping Castle – There is a small jungle gym on the way to the Sea Horse Room that has swings and a slide, a trampoline and a jumping castle.  This play area is situated right next to one of many viewing areas of the ocean allowing parents the opportunity to have a cocktail or coffee with a view while the kids play.

Ocean Extreme – Moments like these turn to memories! I was very scared before I won’t lie and I really thought Alexander (almost 5) would be too. But it was an experience we will NEVER forget. Out to the deep sea over waves in a rubber boat to look for whales and dolphins and then do some wild wave surfing. I have never surfed and I now know what the inside of a wave looks like. Incredible. I absolutely wish I could have had my camera with me!! Highly recommend @oceanxtreme. Murray just got us, and read the kids so well. It’s still all they talk about and Sebastian whose greatest fear is a shark now thinks he is invincible. And as for Marcus and I, we were stunned at how enjoyable the whole morning was. This is an external provider.  Crawfords Beach resort did arrange all the logostics for us.

Giraffe Encounter – Have you heard of Abby the friendly giraffe? We went to visit him on the last day at Crawfords Resort.  They arranged it all for us and offer transfers to those who don’t have their own transport.  It was the most unreal animal experience we’ve had.

Abby is a giraffe living at Areena Riverside Resort Private Game Reserve. He is a male giraffe although he has a girlie name – ABBY. His name ABBY, actually stands for Abnormally Big Baby. When he arrived at Areena he was just a baby being fed on a bottle. He became an orphan after his mother was killed by poachers at a local reserve. Abby loves meeting new people and has an affinity to blonde ladies, who he favours. I can at attest to that… he followed me everywhere and licked my head constantly. We were were so surprised by how soft and cuddly this giant was!

Senses Spa invites you to enter a world of grace and relaxation, with an enticing range of wellness treatments available to hotel guests and day visitors. Treat yourself to one of their various packages and end off your amazing experience enjoying a glass of bubbly in the indoor Jacuzzi.

If you are looking for a destination where you can truly relax, de-stress and find serenity and harmony for body, mind and soul, Senses Spa is the place to be.

Personally we didn’t visit the Spa on this trip but I did manage to get a look at the prices and, coming from a JHB girl, the prices are incredible and very affordable in comparison.  When we stay next time this will definitely be on my list.

Crawfords Beach Lodge offers Weddings and Conferencing facilities too.  These details will all be located on the website.  If everyday life is as amazing as we experienced I can only imagine that Weddings and Conferences will be top notch and in the perfect setting.

Absolutely! This unforgettable holiday promises family-friendly fun and tons of adventure in the great outdoors. It has ALL the ingredients for a perfect family holiday.

Website

www.crawfordsbeachlodge.co.za

Location

42 Steenbras Drive,
Chintsa East, 5275,
South Africa

Phone

Tel: +27 43 738 5000
Fax: +27 43 738 5001
Cell: +27 63 4222 673

Email

info@crawfordsbeachlodge.co.za