Holiday in Ballito + Vegan Food

Beautiful beaches - sandy, but with rocky pools, waves breaking on the shoreline and a water temperature that is comfortably warm. Ballito is a beautiful destination on the East Coast of South Africa.

Whether you are in Ballito for a few days or looking for vegan food options, these are my recommendations.

Ballito Beach, South Africa

HOLIDAY AT THE SEA

Ballito has always been a family holiday destination for us. We were very privileged to use my grandparents apartment almost every year growing up. Only a short walk to the beach and a sea view from the veranda. It was perfectly located.

The apartment was decorated in a combination of dark blues and pastel pinks, peach, creams and tints of browns and beige. Thick, white picture frames (pasted directly onto the walls) housed colourful, kitsch prints of parrots and dolphins. The cupboards smelled a bit like the ocean and felt somewhat clammy inside. Even though nothing about this place was decorated to my taste, I loved everything about it.

• The cool feel of the white tiled floor under my bare feet.

• The cool fabric of the big colourful couches after a day in the sun.

• Rinsing off the sand after a day on the beach.

• Rinsing the showers to clear away the sand I had just rinsed off.

• The feel and squeaky noises of my inflatable swim ring.

• The smell of sunblock and after-sun gel.

• The sting from sunburn.

• The smell of ripe pineapples and mangos on the kitchen counter, which we bought from roadside fruit stalls on our way there.

• Eating cocoa pops for breakfast and drinking the chocolate milk flavoured from the cereal.

• Eating store-bought custard with banana slices.

• Sneaking spoonsful of custard when no-one was watching.

• Big bowls of fruit salads.

• Enjoying dinner whilst watching movies we rented earlier that day from the video store just down the road.

• Lunch time picnic next to the road on our way to Ballito and perhaps a soft serve ice cream on the way back home.....

These are all memories I associate with our family holidays in Ballito.

I remember that one shop close to the beach that had everything you wanted and needed for the beach- swimwear, beach wear, flip flops, surfboards, sunblock and even bags of sea shells. Sometimes they would include a dried star fish.

We would spend hours collecting sea shells on the beach and playing in the rock pools, where we would search for sea anemones, attempt catching tiny fish with our new, tiny fishing nets and if you where lucky even spot a star fish.

Over the years Ballito has changed so much: Enclosed home estates everywhere, shopping malls and tons of new shops, pubs and restaurants popping up everywhere. Some changes unfortunately not that good, but thankfully others for the positive.

TO DO

WALK THE BOARDWALK

Start your day with a sunrise walk on the wooden boardwalk. This raised wooden boardwalk is about 2.5 km long along the beach front. It is very popular with walkers and runners, especially in the morning. The views are absolutely amazing and if you are lucky you might spot a few dolphins or occasionally a few whales.

SWIM OR SURF

Go for a swim at Willard beach (main beach). Is it a lifeguarded beach and popular with families. You can rent umbrellas and beach chairs at the beach. Don't forget your sunblock!

There are various good spots for surfing, but Salt Rock main beach is recommended.

THE LITCHI ORCHARD

(Yes, this is they way the South Africans write lychees)

Based closed to Salt Rock, this is a working litchi farm with a nursey and hosts farmers markets offering a range of good food, local produce, jewellery, clothing, home and lifestyle items. This runs on the second and fourth Saturday of every month. By the way, the farm as about 300 Litchi trees! December is litchi time, so I would highly recommend visiting the Litchi Orchard in December to buy fresh, juicy litchis!

LIFESTYLE CENTRE

The Lifestyle Centre is a beautiful place to spend some time. I love the creative architecture and open-air spaces. It has a lovely food hall with a variety of cuisines, restaurants, fresh produce, bakery and shops. It is a great place to go to if you are not sure what food you are in the mood for.

THE POTTERY

Get your creative juices flowing at The Pottery located at the Lifestyle Centre, Enjoy a delicious smoothie or a glass of wine whilst painting an unfired piece of pottery from their selection. You can choose what you want to paint from a wide variety of pottery such as plates, cups, vases, bowl, etc. A few days later you can collect your painted masterpiece once it has been glazed and fired-up in the kiln. I have already been four times and every time has been great. The serves is good and the whole place has a wonderful, relaxing vibe. (pictured below).

NOTE: It can take up to a week before you can collect your painted pottery items, so just keep that in mind if you are only there for a few days!

VEGAN EATS

PANGELIS

This hidden gem is based in Salt Rock. Think Poke bowls, Supper rolls, Wonton soups, Bao buns, Sushi tacos, sushi.... All freshly made to order. Everything I have tried here has been fantastic! The service is fabulous and you can watch as your food is being made. They create the most beautiful sushi donuts and their sushi tacos are a MUST try! They have large variety of vegan options, plus you can create your own poke bowls.

Do not leave Ballito without trying Pangelis

LUPA OSTERIA

An Italian restaurant based at the Lifestyle Centre.

Great vibe, really lovely staff and a firewood pizza oven. They make amazing breadsticks.

Unfortunately they don't have many vegan options, but I they made me a vegan pizza and it was good,

I have previously had their plant-based burger, which I really enjoyed.

Every time I have been for dinner at Lupa, they had live music playing too, which creates a great atmosphere.

ROOTS CAFE & DELI

This is another great place based in the Market at the Lifestyle Centre.

They are are vegetarian and plantbased cafe. Most of the items on their menu are vegan or can be made vegan friendly. What I love about this place is the variety of interesting, healthy meals and the fact that they have an all day breakfasts menu. Everything I have tried and tasted from Roots was full of flavour and totally satisfying. I love this place.

Items on their menu include smoothie bowls, superfood lattes, chickpea omelettes, a variety of breakfasts with tofu scramble... you get the idea.

45 ON EAT STREET

Situated right next to Lupa, this restaurant has a variety of different dishes. They make have a great selection of veggie sushi which I had as a Birthday dinner - Delicious! The interior is fun and has alfresco dining

FOR THE THRISTY

ALCHEMY

Perfect place to enjoy a cocktail, local beer or a class of wine with a few tapas. They have a unique focus on local wines and craft spirits. They also have a restaurant, but I have not eaten there yet.

HOPS

This bar is situated on the beach. It has spectacular views of the ocean and great for dolphin watching whilst sipping on a glass of cold wine or frosty beer. I have not tried anything of their menu yet.

WOOLWORTHS CAFE

There are two Woolworths Cafes in Ballito. Both make a mean decaf oat milk latte. Iced latte on a hot day for me please! The food menu at the Woolies Cafe in the Mall has great vegan food options.

SALT ROCK COFFEE COMPANY

Excellent coffee, but slightly on the more pricey side. This is a good place if you are looking to work from a coffee shop. They have free WIFI and power points around. They open early from 6h30 in the morning.

SKYLINE

Located at the Sage centre in Salt Rock, Skyline make a great iced oat latte. Friendly staff and great service. And I love the interior! Definitely worth a visit.

FRESH PRODUCE AND BAKERIES

Eating out is always a must when on holiday, but I also love cooking with local produce. Here are a few recommendations for produce.

THE MARKET

The Market at the Lifestyle Centre has a wonderful selection of local fresh produce and pantry items. They have a great variety of vegan foods such as vegan cheeses, vegan burger patties, canned jackfruit, etc.

WOOLWORTHS

Woolies is still one of my favourite places to buy fresh produce. They might be a bit pricier than other supermarkets but I find their quality is better.

YOLI'S

Definitely worth a visit if you are looking for a variety of fresh bread. They are also based in the Lifestyle Centre.

BREADOLOGIE

This is a wood-fired bakery based in Salt Rock, specialising in Sourdough breads. A little hidden gem, tucked away from the busyness and surrounded by nature.

I hope you will enjoy these recommendations. Let me know if you have been to Ballito, tried any good vegan food and your favourite things to do in Ballito in the comments below.

Many happy travels and guten appetit,