Revered for its rugged coastline, forests and idyllic beaches, Keurboomstrand in Plettenberg Bay is a calming coastal holiday town along the Garden Route. BLOU is your invitation to tap into the bliss of all things blue. From your seat, to the sea to the sky.

Keurbooms has a way of interlacing an elegant holiday tapestry of rivers, forests, bleached sands, and sea, that shifts from indigo to turquoise, and electric blue. All carried on a salty, botanical breeze that should be bottled as nature’s nod to Chanel. It’s quiet and calming, yet invigorating with the ocean’s orchestra. There are few places along the Garden Route that evoke such inspiration, when it comes to the landscape and the language it speaks. Plettenberg Bay has so much to give on those special family and friend getaways, but Keurbooms comes without the fanfare. It surreptitiously stirs the soul, applauding you for your stellar choice of destination.

Set discreetly within this coastal theatre, BLOU has been born from the Babylonstoren family. In keeping with Karen Roos’ inimitable approach to hospitality and design, this beautiful hideaway is yet another seductive story about the powers of art, nature, simplicity, complexity and colour.

A cluster of eight self-catering cottages, that favour the renowned signature of understatement over fuss, have been seamlessly stitched together, for the owners’ own tapestry of Keurboomstrand. An homage to their family’s decades-worth of holidays in the area. Three cottages face the ocean directly, their decks poised within easy gaze of the tide, each arranged with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The remaining five gather around a courtyard – two designed as one-bedroom, one-bath retreats, and three with an additional children’s loft.

The architecture boldly declares unpretentious seaside living. Thick, whitewashed walls and clean lines that keep interiors cool and uncluttered. The furnishings are deliberate and intentional, that signature stamp evident in every space, nothing superfluous intrudes. Steel, timber, glass. Local and international design pieces. Vintage photographs and just enough textural touches.

What’s the ocean without a spa?

At the heart of the property, a sheltered spa area offers you and the clan a quieter counterpoint. A swimming pool, shaded beneath indigenous trees, catches the African sunlight. There’s a sauna and steam room and a lovely garden that’s been thoughtfully designed (of course) with secluded corners for reading or idling. Configured by the owners’ sensitivity to both privacy and environmental restraint.

Beyond BLOU, Keurbooms obliges the curious. Depending on how many you’ve brought along with you – the cottages can be rented independently or exclusively altogether – this area is perfect for the active members of the clan. Those that love to get lost in nature, ticking off everything on the activity list, and lifting the trophy at the end of the trip. Some might like to wander the beach or extended coastline on foot, or drift along the Keurbooms River Reserve by ferry or kayak. There’s fishing, cycling, diving, or even the occasional airborne escapade. Marine boat tours, swimming with seals, an impressive number of animal sanctuaries (wild cats, monkeys, birds, snakes), windsurfing, tree-top adventures, sky diving, golf and polo.

With the perfect cottage awaiting your return, or if you’ve opted to spend the hours beside the pool or on the deck, BLOU is that sublime seaside oasis for adventurers and hermits alike. It’s a place that understands the art of restraint, allowing the landscape to speak first, and ensuring everything else follows in suitably good taste.

Written by Colleen Ogilvie