4-Star Beachfront Guesthouse – affordable accommodation right on the beach

This luxurious, upmarket 4-star guesthouse has a spectacular sea front view. It is an enchanting base from which to explore one of the world’s most magnificent eco-destinations and an hour’s drive from Cape Town International Airport.

The guest house is situated in Sandbaai - only five minutes from Hermanus, renowned for the best shore-based whale watching experience anywhere on the globe.

It is one of the few guesthouses in the area which is situated right on the beachfront and is a stone’s throw from a quaint assortment of village restaurants, craft markets, boutiques, bars, art galleries, charming little shops, and unspoiled beaches. It is adjacent to the unique beach pathway, providing exquisite sea and mountain scenery.

There are four double rooms, each individually decorated and luxuriously fitted, meeting international standards:

• En-suite bathrooms with twin basins
• Under-floor heating
• Heated towel rails
• Satellite TV
• Hair dryer; Highest quality linens; Electronic Safe
• On-site parking

The guest lounge has uninterrupted sea vistas, internet access and a fire place. Spectacular sun sets and magnificent views of breaking waves and surrounding mountains can also be viewed from the spacious terrace.

A new addition is the family room with a private entrance, separate from the main building:

• One double bed
• Single beds/cot on request
• En-suite bathroom with shower
• Satellite TV; Coffee and tea facilities; Hair dryer; Safe
• On-site parking

Room 1 - Superior: Breathtaking panoramic sea views from four windows, including balcony. Twin or king-size bed with stunning en-suite bathroom.

Room 2 - Luxury: Spectacular sea and mountain views. Queen-size bed, balcony and spacious shower.

Room 3 - Luxury: Sea view from open-plan bath in bedroom. Queen-size bed. Twin basins and spacious shower in en-suite bathroom.

Room 4 - Standard: Mountain view. Stylishly decorated with queen-size bed, decked in 400-thread count percale linen. Twin basins and spacious shower in en-suite bathroom.

Family Room 5 - Standard: Private entrance, separate from main building. One double bed, single beds/cot on request (up to 2). North-facing windows. DSTV. En-suite bathroom with shower.

A scrumptious English breakfast is served, either adjacent to the open-plan kitchen or on the mountain terrace, weather permitting. The extensive menu changes daily. There are several superb restaurants to cater for every taste within a radius of 5 kilometres.

On request, a picnic can be provided to enjoy on the beach in front of the guest house. On-site wellness therapies can be arranged on request. There is a local hospital situated less than 5 minutes away.

Rates per person per night incl breakfast (except for Family Room) 2008/2009

All listed rates are approximates and will be adhered to where possible, but are subject to change. Please e-mail us for accurate rates!

Please note:

• All rates quoted (except for the Family Room) are per person per night sharing, and include a comprehensive breakfast. A 50% supplement is applicable for a single person.
• The Family Room rate applies to the room as a unit, irrespective of the number of occupants (max 4), and includes the comprehensive breakfast.

Whale Watching
The Southern Right Whales, once one of the most ruthlessly hunted of all species of whales, have been saved from extinction. From June to December every year, hundreds return to mate and calve in the shallow water of Walker Bay, recognised by the World Wildlife Fund as the world's most spectacular vantage point for whale-watching.

These animals, 8 to 10 times the size of a bull elephant, are slow swimmers, reaching only 9 km/h at top speed. However, they are surprisingly agile and tend to show off in spectacular ways - often as close as 50 metres from the shore.

Great White Shark Diving
The great white shark is the world’s largest known predatory fish, reaching lengths of about 6 metres (20 ft) and weighing 2,250 kilograms (5,000 lb).

Due to a number of geographical reasons, Dyer Island – 12km off-shore from the coastal village, Gansbaai, 20 minutes’ drive from Hermanus – has become known as one of only two unique areas in the world where the chances to view the great white shark, rises exceptionally high.

Here we find one of the densest known populations, where much research on the shark is conducted and some of the world’s best documentaries on these fascinating creatures have been filmed. The island supports a colony of 40,000 Cape Fur Seals - the reason the Great Whites stay here. Other wildlife species such as Cape Gannets, Cape Cormorants, Jackass penguins, whales and dolphins are also likely to be sighted.

Great White Shark cage diving is strictly regulated by the authorities and conducted in an ethical way in accordance with international standards.click here to book a shark diving tour!

Golf courses
Over the years the Hermanus Golf Club has become one of the most popular golf courses in South Africa, reputed to be one of the finest and most beautiful 24 holes of golf. The course is set in magnificent scenery with views of the sea and a backdrop of the mountains - close enough to the coast to be termed a links course, but with a very definite parklands feel to it. Wildlife and natural Cape flora are attractive features and the many trees provide the beauty for ideal golfing terrain.

A 15min drive away is the acclaimed Arabella Golf Estate, voted the number two golf course in South Africa and the top golf course in the Western Cape. It is also featured in Golf Digest’s USA’s Top 60 courses outside of America in 2007. The Arabella Golf Club has been the annual home to the Nelson Mandela Invitational charity golf tournament from 2003, hosting the likes of Jack Nicklaus, Samuel L Jackson, Ronan Keating, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Tim Clark, Lee Westwood and Sam Torrance.

Mountain Hikes and bird watching
In a climate moderated by the sea, the coastal mountains of the Cape have one of the richest floras in the world. There is no other place on earth where so many different species can be seen growing in such close proximity.

‘Fynbos’ (literally “fine leaf”) is the term given to this collection of plants that covers an area of less than 90 000 square kilometres (the size of Portugal) and hosts 8 600 plant species. Roughly 70% are endemic to the area - that is, they are found nowhere else in the world. To put this in perspective, the British Isles, three and a half times larger, have only 1 500 plants and less than 20 of those are endemic.

So special is the Cape Floral Kingdom that it has been designated as one of the earth's six plant kingdoms and is in quite a league of its own. It contains 526 of the world's 740 erica species, 96 out of the world's 160 gladiolus species, 69 proteas out of 112, and over 600 heaths, with just 26 in the rest of the world. Many of these are threatened with extinction.

Hermanus has its own nature reserve at Fernkloof, with a 60 km network of graded trails which can be explored on foot, on horseback, mountain-bike or in a 4x4. These provide the opportunity for people of all fitness levels to go out and enjoy some exercise and fresh air.

The fynbos environment has a complement of animals. Grey rhebok, Cape grysbok, klipspringer, baboon, mongoose and dassie are present in small numbers. Although not as rich in bird-life as other areas in South Africa, 92 bird species have been recorded. Species most likely to be seen include the Cape Sugar Bird, Sunbirds and the Rock Thrush. Raptors include the Jackal Buzzard and Black Eagle.