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Sample Testimonial
Hout Bay Hideaway from TripAdvisor
A tranquil spot. All the rooms are beautifully decorated and presented
with all facilities. Shops and restaurants of Hout Bay are very accessible
and only 30 minutes by car into the centre of Cape Town. Breakfast on
the terrace every morning very relaxing. Sue and martin are the perfect
hosts, there when needed but very discreet. I would recommend this
accommodation without hesitation
It's difficult to put into words just how relaxed you can feel after
just a couple of days spent at the Hideaway. Sue and Martin have managed
to combine the luxurious feel and service of a top class hotel with the
warmth and personal touch of a home from home.
We opted for the Seaview room, a large room with a balcony looking
across to the bay. The bed was huge and so comfortable that a single
night's sleep was enough to wash away the tension of a years work in
London! On waking you find a delicious breakfast (tailored to your
tastes) awaiting you on the balcony, delivered without disturbance. The
room also has a small kitchenette facility cleverly tucked away behind
what appear at first to be cupboard doors, so tea and coffee are
available to you at any time of the day. A bottle of wine from a local
estate (red or white according to your taste) is also provided, an
excellent touch.
The garden provides peaceful seclusion for anyone wishing to spend the
day relaxing, together with a saltwater pool. Although we were the only
guests during our 3 day stay, as there are only 3 rooms it is difficult
to imagine ever feeling cramped by other guests.
Sue and Martin know a great deal about the local area, and can recommend
excellent activities, restaurants and the best routes for driving.
Our only regret from our stay is that we couldn't make it longer! I
would highly recommend the Hideaway to anyone looking for a good base
for exploring Cape Town and the surrounding area, and certainly for
those in need of some rest and relaxation!
Quiet, attractive, pleasant
This is a bigish house up a hill behind the bay that has been
converted to a guest house. It isn't stately or colonial, but it has
been done very well. Everything works, it is clean, and it has been
decorated meticulously with a quite effective mix of colonial-style
fixtures and furniture, although some things feel more indonesion and
even New England than SA! Doesn't matter. It all holds together just
fine. We stayed in the appartment that was downstairs at the back of the
house. Having a living room suited for the travel cot (which the owners
provided).
The owners are English. They were very helpful in everything and knew
the area well. I believe they spend half the year here.
Breakfasts were super-abundant. I think that when they whipped the cover
off the tray was the first time I ever heard my two year old son say
'wow'! Unfortunately we don't eat much breakfast. But the detail may be
appreciated by others.
Hout Bay, by the way, is a great place to stay near Cape Town. The
better known bays up the coast are massively overrated and remarkable
mainly for being remotely comparable to some med resorts (Camps Bay) and
Hong Kong (Clifton). They are closer to Cape Town, of course, if that's
important.
Assured luxury, excellent food and the warmest
of hosts
Even before we arrived our hosts had organised competitively priced
car hire and delivery for us in a hassle free professional manner. A
very warm welcome on arrival at this gem of a house that is truly hidden
away yet close enough to local restaurants and shops to walk if required
and an excellent base for exploration of Cape Town and the wider Cape.
Sue and Martin's interior decoration is to be admired with modern and
period art and furniture blended together in a most delightful way
giving a natural quality feel throughout. Needless to say the rooms are
very well thought out even including a hidden kitchenette housing tea
and ground coffee (nice touch) and milk in the fridge. There's also a
microwave and sink hidden by doors at your will. One can take breakfast
in the room, on the terrace overlooking the pool or in the dining
kitchen, our favoured option where you can quiz your hosts and other
guests on all things SA. The breakfast is as good as you can expect
anywhere the quality and range of choice being exceptional. The team
work of our hosts at breakfast is also a pleasant experience to observe
particularly the subtleties that maintain the very high standards. The
place is spotless, the rooms spacious, the bathroom clean with an
excellent power shower, you want for nothing. We have travelled
extensively throughout the world (60+ countries) and stayed in all types
places from basic to the best available. The best places offer a
combination of luxury, coupled to high standards due to the 'people
factor'. Hout Bay Hideaway have the perfect combination.
Article on
www.internationalliving.com -
Article
Hout Bay Hideaway
Date: 12/01/2003
Dear Reader,
We thought we'd share this with those who like unique
places.
While we were searching for a house to buy in Cape Town, we
spent a few weeks touring the Western Cape. Our last week was
spent in Hout Bay, a very pleasant village 20 minutes from the
city center. We're now in contact with real estate agents
there, and when we find the right type of house, Hout Bay will
be our choice.
We stayed in the Hout Bay Hideaway (contact details below),
a charming, 1930's-style European villa with a large garden,
and lots of old rugs, antiques, art…and privacy--something we
don't usually find in B&B's or Guest Houses.
Next year, we are going to rent the whole villa and return
with friends. All suites have a kitchenette filled with wines,
champagne, healthy breakfasts, meals of your choice by
arrangement, and the best kind of staff--they're there when
you need them, but don't bother you.
Our suite had breathtaking sea and mountain views, a large
private deck, a DVD player, classical music, satellite TV, and
a private fireplace.
We've stayed in the most expensive hotels around the world,
but this beats them all.
Jan Fisher
For International Living
Article about Hout Bay
Hout Bay – a Delightful Hideaway on
http://blog.sa-venues.com/provinces/western-cape/hout-bay/
Hout Bay gained its name from early Dutch settlers in the Cape. It
literally means Wood Bay, for the timber they gathered there to
construct the early buildings in the Cape. After a brief period where
the area was used for Manganese mining, the still-existent fishing
industry was founded.
One of the main attractions in Hout Bay to this day, aside from the
white sandy beaches and mountains that encircled the protected bay, is
the harbour. Home to several art and curio stores, restaurants and
maritime antiquity dealers, the harbour is a must visit. Take a stroll
along the piers, buy freshly caught fish straight from the trawlers when
they return from the sea, or enjoy a delicious seafood lunch or dinner
in one of the eateries.
Another activity visitors to the harbour may choose to take advantage
of is one of the boat trips to Seal Island, just off the coast outside
the bay. Often featured on wildlife documentaries, this large seal
colony is home not only to hundreds of Cape Fur Seals, but also to that
fearsome predator of the deep, the Great White Shark, who prowl the
waters around the tiny island waiting for their chance.
The boats that take you out on a trip to the island also tour the
bay, and often guides point out attractions such as the old fort en
route to the island. Another feature of many of these boats is a glass
bottom, where you can have a unique perspective of the sea around the
Bay, and who knows, maybe spot a seal, or one of those sharks. For beach
lovers, besides the main beaches of Hout Bay, there are the options of
the nearby, secluded Llandudno, or for the braver, visit South Africa’s
only nudist beach – Sandy Bay.
The Sunday Craft Market, featuring local arts and crafts, as well as
activities such as pony rides for the kids, is another option for
visitors, as is a trip to Africa’s largest bird park, the World of
Birds, which is home to more than 400 species of birds and other
animals, including monkeys, wallabies and reptiles.
For those who would like to discover more about the history of the
area, there is a museum in Andrews Road, which houses a collection of
local artifacts, and provides an in-depth exploration of the local
history, dating back to the Strandlopers, who populated the area
thousands of years before its “discovery” by the Dutch.
Another great way to explore the area is to take advantage of one of
the many hiking trails that meander through the mountains around the
town. All of these trails offer the opportunity to experience the Cape’s
unique floral kingdom, Fynbos, up close and personal, combined with
magnificent views of the town, surrounding mountains and sea.
When leaving Hout Bay, it is worthwhile to take the Chapman’s Peak
route, which snakes precariously around the mountain. Views from this
road are amazing, and it is possible to stop alongside the road in
designated areas and enjoy a picnic.
If Hout Bay is your choice of destination when travelling to Cape
Town, find a place to stay by visiting the Hout Bay Accommodation
options available. You will find that accommodation ranges from
luxurious guest houses to more modest Bed & Breakfasts and self catering
options.
www.chicretreats.com
http://www.capestay.co.za/houtbayhideaway/ -
Houtbay Accommodation
Luxury Cape Town Accommodation & Boutique Hotels The Last Word offer luxury accommodation, Boutique Hotels in exclusive areas of Cape Town. They promise privacy, tranquillity & easy access to all the main tourist attractions in Cape Town.
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