The owners of Tickle Me Pink created this little cabin beside the sea, with all of the right things in mind. It should be cocooned away from the seaside crowds that can be swarming in season. It should be close enough to the tide and the cliff paths, the nature trails and the activities of the town. But it should feel completely isolated as well, as if you’re on your own little Overberg island.
This Hermanus hideaway is a wonderful place to escape to with a bevvy of your besties. It’s perfectly equipped with all of the holiday essentials one needs for a weekend beside the sea. Three bedrooms – one of them being a very comfy bunk room – compartmentalise themselves around the main living, dining and entertaining areas of the home, that open out into a courtyard. The windows hatch themselves away so that there’s a constant flow of the outside creeping in. Allowing for plenty of light, mountain air and the sea breeze to engulf the interior spaces.
Oak timber, terracotta bricks, glass doors and windows, and screed cement ground the hideaway with its earthy materials. Beautiful bathroom tiles and vibrant pops of colour coming from the fabrics and fun artworks elevate the spaces so that they can keep up with all the holiday banter. The upstairs main ensuite has a walk-in closet and lovely views of the landscape, so whoever gets that room will be in for an extra portion of luxury.
Splendid isolation by the sea
Tickle Me Pink is a place for small groups of friends, or a family to congregate in Hermanus, and invest in some much-needed bonding time. To hang out in the plunge pool, that’s deep enough to keep your locks cool as you glance up to the mountain, with your cocktail secure on the side. To play games around the tables and the bar area. To head out for early morning walks down to the beach. A dip in the sea and then return for a dip in the pool. Darting between both bodies of water throughout the hours of the day, like the birds do. It’s a wonderful spot to revive those rituals of long cliffside walks and talks and reconnection. Moments that come from a bit of ocean therapy. Engaging in deep conversations with the waves, the landscape, and one another.
The main part of town is only a brief drive away, if you need to go and stock up on the essentials, or perhaps play a bit of golf or visit the farmer’s market. If you want to walk, it’s a beautiful 4.5kms along the winding cliff paths. The nature trails are only a 3-minute walk away from the house. Before you know it, you’re traversing the footpaths that lead to pools and rivers along some of the most scenic routes in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve. You don’t need a car throughout your stay. You can simply park and head out everywhere you wish to go, on foot.
That’s what makes holidays like these so special. There’s an element of going back to basics yet being lathered in the luxury of the house, simultaneously. With all of it lavish details and contemporary comforts come the subtle nods to reverting back to our primal ways of existence. Get lost in those chats, rise with the birds and dip in the water, feast around the call of the appetite, explore your surroundings with curiosity, and make sure there’s enough time for connection. Kick your shoes off, breathe in the coastal and mountain air, gather around the fireplace and make more lifelong memories with your favourite clan.
Written by Colleen Ogilvie