There’s something very special about early mornings here. The kind of mornings where it feels like it’s just you and the view. You and the birds, the dolphin, the whales, the waves, and the Tsitsikamma Mountains. The sky blushes with pink and gold as the first rays rise over Plettenberg Bay. The clan starts to gather on the deck, coffee in hand, slow morning banter kickstarting the day. Yes, these are the special holiday moments when the world hasn’t quite woken up yet. And it’s just us and the ocean.
Morning Cloud is delightfully open and airy with its expansive living, cooking and dining areas that merge with one another on one floor. Views engulfing all of the spaces of the six-bedroomed bungalow, staggered over two levels. It’s the kind of place that can easily absorb a crowd, yet feel perfectly intimate when it’s just the two of you. Those busy, multigenerational family Garden Route holidays. When the house hums from the game playing, the chatter, the snoozing, the swimming, the braaing, the pizza-making, and the feasting. Yet somehow doesn’t ever feel overcrowded. There are plenty of little pockets to tuck yourself away, reading a book in the upstairs TV room or watching the waves from the corner of the main ensuite – that has its own TV lounge and study.
In the evenings, the house takes on a different mood. The lovely neutral tones and textures of the interiors embellished by the setting sun’s palette. The furnishings being a lovely eclectic mix of the owners’ cherished heirlooms and sentimental collections over the years. Carving out a character that encourages each guest to be at their best! Everyone gathered around the pool bar that’s alive with conversation. Some are hanging out on the lawn. Others in their own suites or perhaps heading back from the beach that’s a mere 7-minute walk away. The main hub of the old part of Plett just a merry hop and skip down the road. Making those barefoot strolls your only means of transport. Just the way we love it.
Toast to tradition
Yes, there’s something rather special about this place. A rhythm to it that matches the tide. It’s a home where families can create those lifelong memories. Lingering over meals, long walks along the beach, and endless swimming in the surf. Golf, Padel, hiking and mountain biking. Plenty of café visits and croissant devouring. Casual seafood meals at the local eateries and those footloose, free-loving strolls home.
Falling asleep with the sound of the waves calling everyone to rest. And no matter how long the stay or how many people fill up the rooms, it always feels like the perfect place for a memorable family holiday by the sea.
Reviewed by Colleen Ogilvie