If you get the feeling that Kalu House overlooking Keurbooms Lagoon, may have once been a fort or ancient lodge, that’s just what the owners briefed in to the architects. But for all its solid stone walls, it is a modern home in all respects built with a single purpose: to create a warm, welcoming hub for a rather large family who loved nothing better than to celebrate the fabulous climate in the Plettenberg area no matter what the season. And while brothers and sisters, their children and extended family and friends gave the home its liveliness, the house too had its ‘visitors’. The owners collected superb pieces of furniture (several pieces custom-made for a room) and art from India, China, and Spain.  It has given the home a wonderful depth of character and visual interest.  The dining room table crowned by a splendid old gold and glass chandelier, seats twenty people, a hint that family meals here are more spontaneous celebration than just routine ‘food on the table’ events. It’s a room designed to open up to the exterior and to the old Milkwood trees on the property, their roots established long before the house foundations.

The house also invites ‘relaxed living, lying down’ and pieces of furniture accommodate the limb-sprawling casual lifestyle of a crowd of at least sixteen guests where board games, conversations, coffee and good wine colour the days. From the house, an open pool, spa pool, rooftop terrace and snooker table offer ample space for a large family group to spread out and enjoy their stay. Summer is lovely here but Plettenberg Bay’s temperate climate also makes this a great winter escape; there’s full under floor heating throughout the house and six fireplaces. Think red wine, games, reading, chatting by firelight and in the day long walks in the nature reserve or down to the nearby beach.

What we love

This is a holiday destination perfect for that special large family gathering and celebration. Goose Valley Golf course is a short ‘drive’ away.

The rooftop bar and boma offers spectacular views of the lagoon and mountains

What you need to know

While the house is designed for a relaxing holiday, it is more geared to adult families. The pool is not fenced or covered and there are precious and some fragile pieces in the home that make it challenging for the parents of small children.

If you’d like to take the “self” out of self-catering we can recommend an in-house chef service.

Reviewed by Les Aupiais