I’ll be honest: The Boat House is so incredibly blissful that I had to be shoehorned out the front door so we could indulge in the myriad other pleasures offered by Plettenberg Bay. (It was the promise of sundown cocktails on the deck at Emily Moon that proved to be the magic charm.) The Boat House is a great contemporary interpretation of the farmhouse vernacular. It is chic, slick, totally unpretentious and incomparably comfortable.

You can see at first glance that it’s going to be sheer heaven for teens and kids. What with a snooker table, swimming pool, TV/entertainment area and the Piesang River to paddle in (brilliant – keeps energetic types busy for hours while you sleep in or indulge in an afternoon snooze), this place is a real find. And then there are all those things that make it too wonderful for words for you, too.

It is an utterly peaceful green oasis with masses of space for everyone. The central open-plan living and dining space opens up and expands via sliding doors to provide a seamless flow between indoors and out. There are loads of different spots where you can play and relax in this fabulously sociable home, so even with a full house you are never on top of one another. We ended up taking every single meal outside at the long table on the gorgeous covered verandah overlooking the pool. Twirling ceiling fans kept us cool despite the summer heat, and dressing for dinner meant throwing on a kikoi over our wet swimsuits!

Adding real charm and warmth to the airy interior is the sheer simplicity of the decor, where tactile linen slipcovers and natural textures – wood, linen, woven mats – give interest and oodles of personality to the white colour palette. Much of the furniture is from Amatuli and Weylandts – both real favourites of mine. The home has not one Morso fireplace, but three! Two indoors and one on the covered verandah for year-round outdoor entertaining.  And then there is the kitchen: you’ll have to see this sublime, custom-designed space for yourself, but take it from me that it’s a cook’s dream, packed with Smeg appliances. Easy beach living and low-key luxury begin right here at The Boat House.

What we love!

The river frontage, which gives you a totally different, bucolic Plett experience
The way the bedroom wings are cleverly designed for maximum privacy and peace on each side of the central living space.
The master suite bathtub surrounded on three sides with glass – it has a hedge planted around it for privacy and fantastic mountain views
The massive walk-in fridge: is there anything more luxurious than being able to stock up in one fell swoop on enough groceries to feed a small army, thereafter avoiding the drudgery of grocery shopping altogether?

Need to know…

Its heavenly riverfront location does make it unsafe for smaller kids so only babes-in-arms or kids over five who are confident swimmers allowed.

Whilst the house has not been specifically designed with ramps for wheelchairs it is all on one level and has had successful stays from wheelchair-bound guests in the past.

Sleeps 12

Reviewed by Sally Rutherford