Pumula Retreat
Pumula Retreat is a forest & beach wellness venue situated on the subtropical East Coast of South Africa, 120km south of Durban, in the Umzumbe area.
The large property boasts breath-taking sea views, has direct access to the forest, and is only 1km away from the beach. The attraction of the location is the quiet environment, the privacy and the spectacular natural surroundings. The South Coast boasts sunny weather all year around and the warm Indian Ocean allowing outdoor activities to be carry out such as surfing, scuba diving, horse riding, hiking, etc.
Pumula Retreat offers a dedicated space for teachers to run retreats with their students in a peaceful environment, enabling fellow practitioners to gather and work on their personal development. The wellness centre allows the teachers to run their retreats and be ensured that the quality of food, teaching space and accommodation meet their expectations, which allow teachers to focus on their teaching only. Our forest glassed yoga studio surrounded by the trees provides a unique yogic experience with nature.
Pumula Retreat offers Yoga Safari tours of the beautiful Province of KwaZulu Natal northern most province of the East coast, coastal city of Durban. Known as the Zulu Kingdom KZN is a spectacular multi-cultural destination flanked by the warm Indian Ocean on one side and the soaring Drakensberg peaks on the other. Starting with an airport pick-up in Durban, our yoga and adventure tour explores KZN’s most stunning natural and cultural areas, including Nambiti Game Reserve, majestic Drakensberg peaks, Lake Eland, Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve and the finest beaches on the South Coast. Guests experience these peaceful places through yoga, meditation, 4 wildlife safaris and guided walks through some of South Africa’s most remarkable wilderness areas. Healthy meals, snacks and comfortable beds await guests at each location, ensuring ultimate comfort and relaxation.
Küche
At Pumula Retreat, Ahimsa (non violence) is one of our core value, yoga philosophy views all life as one, and the taking of animal life contravenes that principle. The law of karma which may be summarized as “for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction”, is inexorable, unrelenting and immutable. The pain that you inflict upon others will rebound upon you, and the happiness you radiate to another will come back to you, adding to your own happiness.
We are FOOD LOVERS so each retreat includes healthy and delicious international plant based cuisine made from scratch and prepared with love allowing the prana to pass to the food and nourish our guests. We offer a variety of food options to make sure no one is left hungry.
Our garden is packed with avocados almost year-round, bananas, lemon and lime trees and we strive to source local and organic produce as much as possible.
Freizeitangebote
Body treatments available on site: holistic massage, reflexology, shiatsu, Kahuna massage, sound healing.
Beach activities:
Surfing/SUP
Whether you are a professional surfer or a beginner, there are lots of excellent surf spots on our beautiful South Coast.
Pumula Surf School and Surf Camp is situated 2kms away from Pumula Retreat and offers a wide range of surf classes for all levels as well as Stand Up Paddle Board lessons.
Scuba Diving
Aliwal Shoal is situated 40km north of Pumula and 5km out to sea from Umkomaas and offers various unforgettable diving experiences. Aliwal Shoal is rated as one of the top dive sites of the world according to Jacques Cousteau. The reef is inhabited by many kinds of hard and soft corals and a variety of tropical and subtropical fish species. Dive with turtle, ragged tooth sharks, manta rays, dolphins and many other beautiful creatures from the underworld for an unforgettable experience. Aliwal Shoal was named after the near-sinking of the 3 Masted vessel "Aliwal". There are two wrecks near the reef that are popular recreational dive sites. Dive courses are also available at a very affordable price.
Protea Banks is situated 25km south of Pumula and 7.5km out to sea from Shelly Beach. The reef lies at a depth of between 27 and 40 meters. It is about 6km long and 800 wide. Essentially a fossilised sandbank which comes up from 60m, the reef is known for the huge concentration and variety of shark species. Most common are hammerhead, Zambezi (bull), ragged tooth, tiger and dusky sharks.
Whales and dolphins watching
From May to December, humpback and smaller number of southern right whales migrate along our coastline from their feeding grounds in the nutrient-rich waters of Antarctic to their breeding grounds off the coast of Mozambique making their return journey between September and December. Over the years, their activity has been growing and during season you’ll be able to spot them from the house. Boat tours can be organized from Shelley beach if you want to have a closer look at these majestic giants of the sea.
Common and Bottle nose dolphins are often spotted on the coast especially playing in the surf.
Deep sea-fishing
The South Coast provides excellent fishing opportunities; game species include yellow fin tuna, dorado, barracuda… The reefs are inhabited by rockcod, bream, englishman, slinger, stumpnose, scotsman, musselcracker, red steenbras, pink salmon, geelbek (salmon) and the majority of the other red fish species. The protea bream is a lovely fish to eat and is only found on Protea Reef.
Horse Riding
The South Coast offers a range of activities and trails for horse riding. There are riding trails that take you onto unspoilt beaches, lush coastal forests with panoramic sea views, or through the scenic cliffs and game, eg. kudu, impala hartebees etc. at Oribi Gorge Game Reserve.
Oribi Gorge
One of KwaZulu-Natal's most spectacular natural settings, the scenic Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve lies some 40 km inland from Pumula. Ideal for a day-excursion, Oribi offers many delightful walks and self-guided trails to scenic spots in the reserve.
The scenery along the gorge formed by the Umzimkulwana River is a photographer's and nature lover's paradise. There are numerous idyllic picnic spots on the banks of the river.
Wild 5 Adventures is situated near the Oribi Gorge Hotel, it offers a range of extreme (and milder) adventures in a setting of phenomenal beauty. These include a 110m abseil, foefie-slide, 85m suspension bridge, white water rafting on the Umzimkhulu river, paintball, teambuilding and guided trails.
If you are a thrill seeker looking for the adrenaline-rush of a lifetime, the Wild Gorge Swing in Oribi Gorge will offer you guaranteed over-the-edge excitement! Rated as the world’s highest gorge swing, this activity means stepping (or diving) off the edge of the Lehr’s waterfall and plummeting into the 55 storey deep gorge. The free-fall is awesome and will have you accelerating up to the astounding speed of 120km/hours in 2.5 seconds.
Lake Eland Game Reserve
Lake Eland Game Reserve is a 5000 acre game reserve overlooking the Oribi Gorge. You can enjoy game viewing and spot zebra, giraffe, eland, wilderbeast, bushbusck. There are lots of picnic and braais areas where you can stop by. Lake Eland also offers the Zip Line Tour which includes 14 slides over 4.7km that give you breathtaking view over the gorge. One of the main highlight of Lake Eland Game Reserve is to walk across the 80m suspension bridge, you’ll be inspired by the magnificence and grandeur of the Oribi gorge.
Thanda
Thanda is a community-based organisation that is located 40 min from Pumula Retreat in a rural community. Thanda provides innovative solutions for sustainable development. They aim to create safer, stronger communities by providing educational and skills-building opportunities to individuals. Their mission is to empower people to create positive change – change in individuals, change in their communities and eventually changes that impact the world. Today, Thanda offers four core programmes: 1) Early Childhood Development; 2) After-school Programming; 3) Organic Farming; and 4) Creative Learning Training.
Serviceleistungen
We provide cotton bed linen and comfortable beddings (extra blankets available), bath towels, pool towels and organic soap.
Our yoga studio has all the props necessary: mats, cushions, straps, blankets, bolsters, eye-pillows and sound system.
Pumula Retreat boasts plenty of living space which all benefit from lots of sunlight thanks to the large windows. The bedrooms are spacious with ample cupboard space and have magnificent valley and sea views. The large and luminous lounge offers space for one to relax, unwind, read books or play one of the music instruments. You are sure to love the classic, and sometimes retro, decor of our sturdy house. The upstairs area has a covered balcony overlooking the valley, sea views and a large back terrace to enjoy the afternoon sun. Relax by the pool in one of the sun lounger or snooze in the hammocks under the trees.
Our accommodation is able to welcome up to 18 guests, (10 guests in the main house, 6 guests in the cottage and 2 in the jungle apartment). Most of the beds have the option to be converted into king size beds or single beds. All our rooms have a kettle with tea, filtered water, ceiling fans, organic soap and fresh towels.
Main house: 5 ensuite bedrooms and 1 small room with private bathroom accross the corridor
Cottage: 1 ensuite, 2 rooms sharing one bathroom
Flat: Ensuite apartment
Glass Forest Yoga studio is 84 m square big with all the props (mats, cushions, blankets, bolsters, straps and eye pillows) with sound system
Hier wirst du sein
From R102 7 kms after Hibberdene, turn rigth onto Pumula Second Avenue
Umgebung
In Isizulu, (the provincial language) Pumula means “place of rest” and you’ll definitely experience this feeling as soon as you enter the property. Stroll around our 5 acres of well wooded garden and find peace among the trees. The garden blooms different colourful flowers every season. Relax by the pool side and bask in the sun unwinding in one of the loungers or in the hammocks or couches. If you visit during the winter months, watch the whales breach and play with one another as they pass by up the coast.