Handpicked for you...

Handpicked for you …

Bathed in light, halfway to the clouds on the Robberg peninsula, Lalapanzi is a coastal cocoon of calm. Just as the name suggests, you can kick back and relax every fibre of your being here. It’s Plett, but this is no soulless beach house. Rather conjure images of colonial comfort and casual chic, doused in dreamy romance and this is Lalapanzi.  

Cosseted from the coastal wind and bordering a greenbelt, guinea fowl scurry about outside, while their more stoic, beaded look alikes adorn a mantelpiece inside. Fire, stone and water are in bountiful supply at Lalapanzi. There are vast interior and exterior fireplaces and a brazier on the deck – along with the dancing flames of banks of candles throughout the house. Steadfast stone walls on the veranda are evocative, while the swimming pool and outdoor baths are as soothing as the sound of the sea nearby. Actually, it’s so close you’ll walk to Robberg 5 beach in 3.5 minutes tops.

The house is an original Cape Dutch farmhouse-style building that has been hugely renovated by international designer Serena Crawford. Reed-clad ceilings and vintage Vuitton travel chests, slow whirling fans on the vast veranda, paraffin lamps and wood-burning fires and stoves give the house a distinctly ‘Out of Africa’ atmosphere. It’s both cosy and grand and easily seats 16 for supper at two intimate tables. There are also plenty of sink-into sofas for hours of cosy chats and relaxation. 

Built on two levels, there’s a sense of space with places to escape to solitude, if you wish. Upstairs is a library and TV room to retreat to on balmy hot days, or perhaps a soak in the enchanting outdoor bath, long cool drink and a good book to hand, will suit your holiday mood. The outside pool deck is another such spot, with inviting seating and loungers to chill on in the sun; or toast marshmallows on the brazier and stargaze by night. It will feel just like you’re on safari.

There are five bedrooms, enabling options for eight guests. Predominantly decorated in cool white and soft blues, the bedrooms have sumptuous beds dressed in fine white linen; there are two outdoor baths, and the main en-suite bedroom has a walk-in wardrobe. Double basins and separate loos are throughout. One thing that’s hard to miss at Lalapanzi is that comfort is carefully curated to a pure art here.

The coup de gras, however, is the staff; beautiful and beautifully trained. Ephraim, the driver and cook, will collect your shopping first thing in the morning then cook and garden for the rest of the day, while Catherine the housekeeper will also assist with cooking. So if you choose, you need never to go into Plett proper. And knowing that Lalapanzi also has its own private water and power supply, you are actually completely self-contained. Your own world within the world. 

What we love!

• The well-trained driver and cook Ephraim and  housekeeper Catherine in residence
• Always hearing the sea close by
• The deep and cosy veranda that’s about 15 m long with soft sofa seating and a large fireplace for year-round living.
• Pure romance in candlelight and stone
• The two outdoor bathing options
• Down pillows and cushions throughout
• Glass star lights sprinkled through the house
• Built-in fireside seats in the living room
• Plentiful birdlife in the indigenous garden

Need to know:

• The pool is not covered or fenced, so is not suited to young children who can’t swim.
• There is high speed wifi throughout the house
• The kitchen is well equipped for entertaining, with plenty of fridge storage space 
• There are two kitchens and two gas braais
• Lalapanzi means ‘lie down and rest’ in Xhosa