We have an eternal summer here.

One of the drawing cards of South Africa, for leisure and business travellers alike, is what seems like eternal African sunshine.

We do get the four seasons of the year. However, with Global Warming and the unique climate found in this part of the world, you’d be forgiven for thinking South Africa is in an infinite sunshine state.

With weather this good, seaside escapes are one of the decadent ways to enjoy the warm climate. And the now extended tether between work and home also means remote working/hybrid-working locations to book into are far more equipped, and flexible with short stays and long-stay bookings too. Why not seize the (post-pandemic) day?!

I’d encourage any traveller to take the beautifully paved road to the oceanfront town of Yzerfontein, to experience the private houses under the boutique property collection Beach House Collection, that become home to any visitor.

Bypass popular beach haunts dotted along the Western and Eastern Cape, as well as KwaZulu-Natal, for a more tranquil and fully-equipped pick.

The Culture & Design

Yzerfontein honestly feels culturally akin to the charming fishing towns of storybooks and sleepy romcom hits. There’s no high-flying lifestyle here, but there is small-town community, scattered small eateries, and pockets of luxury & privacy simultaneously.

There are also hamlets stretching out for miles along this coast.

Where you end up in this beachside town largely depends on your ‘vibe’ as it were, as the bookable Yzerfontein choices include cosy nooks for bird-watching enthusiasts, palatial minimalist villas, family stays, and even surfer hangouts.

The double-storey Pearl Bay Villa, for example, boasts a classic Hamptons-style architectural design and atmosphere, created against a backdrop complete with distinguishable modern and traditionalist houses (as well as an estate or two) stretching down the coast in carefully-paced spacing.

It’s also no culture shock for city-dwellers to face all the nature that extends so far beyond the eye can see. It’s a welcome (and picturesque) setting to revel in beach weather, fire up the available outdoor barbeque, and deeply gulp in the briny sea air from any window, walkway, or patio that makes up spacious Pearl Bay‘s design.

The town is not as lively in entertainment, as a place like the real Hamptons would be, but that is because you can truly be entertained (to start) by the exquisite vistas stretching out to iconic landmarks like the historic Robben Island and Table mountain – visible in the distance, from the shore.

And if you’re truly hankering for a unique experience, contact Beach House Collection‘s talented head chef honcho Denise Cowburn-Levy, to book yourself into her lauded cooking classes sometime, or organize a bespoke food experience with her other entrepreneurial love, Ginger & Lime.

And if you have work, or more digital entertainment in mind, the Beach House Collection didn’t skim on equipping their lovely properties with hi-tech speakers, new flat-screen smart televisions, Satellite DSTV, dependable free Wi-Fi, and plug sockets and adaptors galore.

Decor & Dining

Dimensions and comfort, are very carefully considered in Yzerfontein, and at Pearl Bay Villa. It’s clear from: the neighbourhood houses’ height restrictions so as to not obstruct views, to the Beach House Collection preparing for the varying ranges of traveller groups that could descend and what their needs would be, to off-street parking aplenty, and considerations like what floor plan and furnishing placement would optimize space and views.

Pearl Bay Villa is considered in its beauty – wooden deck and stark white-washed exterior making way for warm and light interiors in coastal colourways (think greys, creams, beige, and whites). Seating, security, sea views, sleep space, and more, are just some of the things perfected at this beachside house.

The owner favoured lighter woods and wicker inside, for everything from light fixtures to floors, chairs to kitchen storage, as well as in their decorations. Considering how well-maintained they also are, the decor and design gives the house a far more welcoming and cosy feel.

You’ll find no hipster Edison bulbs here, but perhaps a dash of familiar boho.

From the minute guests walk in, the house becomes a home – complete with charming nicknacks, a smorgasbord of seating, and plenty of cupboard space ready for you to unpack in within nearly every single room in the entire property.

You’re also invited to rest easy.

Bedrooms here welcome couples, families, friends, and solo travellers in equal measure, thanks to the spaciousness of the property’s design. Three bedrooms exist in the main house, and two (2) are king-sized, and one (1) downstairs can convert into a 2 single-bed one, with a guest bathroom next door). Genuine comfort & convenience essentials in the bedrooms include:

• Electric blankets
• Plush pillows and clean covers
• Double-sheeted beds
• Portable light sources (torches)
• Tissues
• Plug points with Adaptors already there and waiting
• And windows for views and ventilation.

Not to mention there is a safety component given due consideration, with any cords where people may walk, being taped down firmly.

The fourth king bedroom available is more of a suite, with its own separate building and entryway at the boathouse. Its called the ‘honeymoon suite’ and faces the ocean, is easily secured, includes a coffee station, fridge, and it has a rather luxurious corner bathtub to recline in.

Noteworthy Joys of The Experience

I enjoy using the idiomatic expression “The devil is in the Details” because there is truly no better way to note how little touches and considerations make a world of difference, in hospitality.

In your sleep quarters: The towels shaped like swans, as well as some laid out in triangles, elevate an accommodation necessity into its own piece of travel joy.

In the kitchen: The secreted away pantry area, dustbins and big rubbish bags, extra glasses, stores of spices, express Nespresso coffee machine, and the exceptionally fully-equipped kitchen (complete with luxury SMEG stove and industrial fridge), become not only a welcome convenience but the draw for any cooking-lover, traveller with lots to store, or even the chef-wannabes.

The cosy dining room and open log fireplace alongside the open-plan kitchen also makes for a tempting opportunity to host a dinner and nightcaps, with actual conversation, and no devices.

In the lounge: The Smart TV and accompanying Bluetooth-enabled speakers allow any visitor to access and enjoy their favourite streaming Apps. With the sound being able to reach the rim-flow pool and beyond, the tech can start a party, and just as well strum your way to rest & relaxation.

In the night: The curtains and blinds work together in bedrooms to blackout light like the bright Moon very clearly visible thanks to a lack of light pollution in this part of the world.

And kudos should also be given to the owners’ choice of ensuring softly muting soundproofing in the house, as the waves crashing at night becomes more of a whisper of a lullaby rather than a racket against guests’ sleep.

Into the wilds: The property sits at a perfect point to enjoy being at the beach, without its wildlife or sand granules ruling your life. The location also means less crowded beaches than you’re otherwise familiar with. Guests are encouraged through various cleared pathways, to walk the neighbourhood. It’s interesting and healthy.

Hygiene & Safety

A private house means no one else traipsing about what is your property for the duration of the stay. Since rigorous cleaning and maintenance checks are done before guest arrival, you’ll enter the house to hygienic spaces – from the kitchen to the bedrooms.

Additionally, there is hand wash and water access indoors and outdoors, the necessary tools to clean yourself and various surfaces, and the hospitality guarantee that you’ll be sleeping in crisp, clean bedrooms.

Its also rather easy to feel safe at Pearl Bay Villa – even as a female solo traveller – with their:

• State-of-the-art Alarm system & Response Unit
• Accessible Fire Extinguisher
• Relatively quiet town,
• Long stretch of beachfront with houses few and far between
• Manager just one call or WhatsApp message away

Once you’ve sated the temptation to open all the doors and windows, and jam out to great music (like the main character in a movie that you’ve always wanted to be) then easily secure everything in under 5 minutes with easy steps you’re walked through at check-in.

What’s left, is the opportunity to sink into a bubble bath (or shower) in the shared upstairs full bathroom (with a separate toilet, mind you) overlooking some truly outstanding scenery, and cleanse yourself while planning dinner.

Verdict?

Despite being exactly the kind of coastal location developers salivate over, I am glad hoteliers haven’t overrun Yzerfontein (yet). It means there is still a chance for travellers at every level, to experience a bit of its seaside wonder.

With Pearl Bay Villa, in particular, it’s where you can go when you really want that movie-magic seaside experience. This is Nancy Meyers’s famed casual elegance aesthetic, as seen in star-studded Hollywood films like ‘The Holiday’, ‘The Parent Trap’, and ‘Something’s Gotta Give’.

For the duration of your stay, you’ll be living those bright and happy montages complete with you in sunglasses soaking up the sun, a beach tote full of towels and treats, and one of the most magnificent infinity pools you’ll ever have access to.

Every corner of this Beach House Collection escape invites guests to commune – with themselves, with those they’re travelling with, with nature, and with luxury.

It’s a truly decadent & fully-serviced travel pick, for how accessible it is at its price point.

Tempted to book in?

By my recommendation:

PEARL BAY VILLA, BY BEACH HOUSE COLLECTION

---

How To Get There

Ext 126 and 128 Lutie Katz Road, Yzerfontein, Western Cape, South Africa

Getting to the town is actually a pretty straightforward affair when driving out from Cape Town, and the scenic drive can include its own side adventures to roadside markets (get raw honey, fresh fruit, and self-catering essentials), flower fields and even sand-surfing.

As a fervent Urbanite and frugal Millennial, I don’t drive.

However, the trip is feasible for drivers and non-driving travellers alike – Just call or Whatsapp my transport recommendation – a man named Innocent – for a pretty decent quote even for budget travellers.