Umhlanga Beach, South Africa
For eScapes’ 1000th produced episode, we take you to Umhlanga Beach, one of the most popular beaches on the South African coast. Here, a beautiful beach lends itself to fishing, swimming, and surfing, while nearby hotels, restaurants, and attractions offer even more reasons to visit. Whale- and dolphin-watching excursions often launch from Uhmlanga while freighters pass in the distance.
The beach’s lighthouse, featured in this video, was built in 1954 and has become an icon of the beach and harbor. Administered by a nearby hotel, the lighthouse has never had a traditional lighthouse keeper.
The word “Umhlanga” means “Place of Reeds” in the Zulu language. The sound of the “hl” is similar to the Welsh “ll” syllable– both difficult for non-natives to pronounce correctly. A common English pronunciation, though not technically accurate, is “Umshlanga,” demonstrated in this video by your host, Jessica Holiday.
To celebrate the 1000th episode accomplishment, this scene is presented below in its entirety and features three songs from Acoustic Alchemy, Incognito, and Bobby Lyle.
Links
Umhlanga Tourism Information Center
Lighthouses of South Africa: Umhlanga Rocks
South Africa Official Tourism Site