North Coast stunner

The Ridge spent an evening at the stunning Canelands Beach Club and Spa in Salt Rock. It’s all about the spectacular location and delicious food.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow! Is that enough wows already? My partner and I were invited to spend an evening at Canelands Beach Club and Spa, in the coastal gem of Salt Rock (still a little hidden away, not yet the boom town that Ballito is) . . . and what a venue it is.

Discount the clever double storey design with open plan, homely but modern kitchens, dining area, and living spaces; it’s the view and outlook that first grabs your attention . . . and continues to steal the show. The wonderful thing about sitting on the porch at Canelands is that you’re just above sea level as the Indian Ocean powers its way to the coastline.

A new-found friend, with whom we shared a chilled sundowner, commented that it was on a par with the likes of Clifton in Cape Town, but for me, this is better, as you’re not looking down a hundred metres, but almost feel a part of the ocean.

A modern, double storey building with a wonderful feeling of space, Canelands Beach Club and Spa is a Salt Rock gem

Here guests are invited to ring the bell when they spot dolphins . . . our friends informed us that the previous day they’d had cause to give the bell a good pull, as sardines, gannets and dolphins put on one heck of a KZN coastal show.

After settling in and freshening up, we headed to the dining room, where we were seated close to the kitchen. Diners can watch as the chef industriously prepares their meals.

For starters we tucked into delicious chicken satays, with a wicked barbecued finish and hints of Asia, and a salad with tomatoes, Danish feta and brinjals, plus the usual garden greens. Yum. The chicken satay was brilliant.

For mains I went the healthy route and opted for linefish (Kingklip) while my partner went for prawns.
The linefish was cooked to perfection, was tender, without being flaky, while the prawns were absolutely delicious, a rich, tasty sauce and generous helping of prawns on a bed of basmati rice.

More Ridge food and recipe articles here

Fancy yourself an Olympic swimmer? Canelands has a spectacular 25m swimming pool with a swimming lane nogal! Best ocean views around

We rounded off the evening with a nightcap on the porch, while the moon rose higher over the sea. A perfect end to a most pleasant evening.

Negatives and any complaints? . . . hard to find any really. If I was being really picky I’d say that the shower leaked a little into the room, but that didn’t bother us much. This was happily offset with a cup of coffee and a gorgeous Salt Rock sunrise.

Canelands’ restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, daily. Folks in Ballito, Umhlali, Salt Rock and further north should realise they have a little gem, right on their doorstep. And close to the new airport too. Quality food, fresh ingredients and friendly service. And what about that view! Cheers. – Garth Johnstone

Editor’s note: Canelands recently opened the Canelands Spa, under the management of renowned Spa and beauty clinic expert Jennifer Eales.

Jennifer has developed an unmatched reputation for quality of service, training and facilities, and has a long association with the Dermalogica skincare range. You can even enjoy a healing massage in the open air, under a pretty gazebo set up on the beach.

Find Canelands Beachclub and Spa on the web