Coastal getaways: 5 incredible lodges to visit
Wash away the stress of 2022 with a seaside escape
It’s been quite the year, right? By November, we’re all firmly focused on the finish line that pops up somewhere around mid-December, hopefully with a holiday in waiting. And where better to wash away the stress of 2022 than a seaside escape? Somewhere away from the bustle of a city. Where the white noise comes from ocean waves, not the office air-con, and you have space to breathe in, breathe out, and repeat.
Somewhere like Pure Sea Lodge, perhaps?
Perched on the shores of the Western Cape’s Walker Bay, within the Romansbaai Beach & Fynbos Estate outside Gansbaai, Pure Sea Lodge is the end-point of owners Bjorn and Annick’s own search for wellness. When the cold waters of the Cape proved the solution to chronic illness, the Belgian couple moved to South Africa to create a space for others to soak up the serenity of this seaside locale.
Sandcastle’s four spacious suites sleep up to 8 guests, all of whom get to enjoy the facilities of this enormous 1600-square-meter villa. That includes a pair of solar-heated swimming pools, quiet lounges, and a sheltered alfresco dining area where you can tuck into piping-hot pizza from the wood-burning oven.
Not that you’ll be doing the cooking of course. Sandcastle is an all-inclusive stay, with a private chef on hand to cater to your every appetite. And there’s plenty of opportunity to work one up, with two kilometres of gloriously empty beach stretched out below the villa. Grab a surfboard, lace up your running shoes, or take a kayak out onto the Ngculura River. This empty stretch of coastline is yours to explore.
Here your days are packed with adventure, whether it’s a cruise on Lake St. Lucia in search of resident hippos and migrant birdlife, or a full-day safari through the Western and Eastern shores of the Park, ending with a beach picnic and a dip in the Indian Ocean. Back at the lodge, freshen up in the lakeside rooms and suites, before dinner in the boma as the bush comes alive at night.
Deadlines and to-do lists? They’re all but forgotten, as you let a dose of vitamin sea take care of the stress of 2022.