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Lara recently stayed at Pearly Beach Cottage in the Overberg. She had a great time away having a relaxing weekend by the seaside with her family.
Excitement set in when we realised that we would be spending the weekend in the picturesque town of Pearly Beach. We are great fans of the Overberg and have holidayed in Gansbaai for many years. In fact, my first holiday in the area was when I was sixteen, many (oh so many!) years ago.
We have a huge family with many cousins and all our children get along fabulously. Because of this, we have made a point to holiday together in the area at least once a year - all four generations if possible.
Allan and I have often driven past Pearly Beach, and a few times we have done a little exploring of the small town and have always loved what we saw.
Therefore, when the opportunity came up to visit a holiday house in Pearly Beach Resort, we were naturally thrilled to be going to that part of the world again.
The week was crazy with school and work commitments, but on Thursday night, we all eagerly packed our bags and excitement set in. Because the holiday house is fully equipped, all we had to do was throw in minimal clothes as well as a few games to amuse ourselves.
It took us about 3 and a half hours from Cape Town to Pearly Beach, bearing in mind that with a toddler in tow, we had to have frequent stops, including one for supper due to the fact that we also have a ravenous teenager in our family!
We found the resort really easily and arrived just as the sun was setting. We were welcomed by the friendly guard, who signed us in, handed us the keys and directed us to our home for the weekend.
We arrived to a neat and cosy home - ready to welcome us and we felt right at home! Pearly Beach Cottage has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a compact kitchen and an open plan lounge and dining area leading to an enclosed braai area.
Naturally, the kids gravitated straight towards the television, which incidentally offers the full DSTV package, ready to keep them entertained as by that time, night had fallen and it was quite chilly outside.
We unpacked our food items into the already chilled fridge (very thoughtful, as there is nothing worse than arriving to a venue where you shave to wait for the fridge to get cold!)
Hubby and I set about exploring our little piece of heaven, admiring all the little touches. Pearly Beach Cottage has numerous little treasures, such as the miniature little sailing ship, not to mention the beautiful paintings and inspirational wall canvasses.
The cottage offers ample towels, soaps, air fresheners and the most divine beds and pillows. The couches are soft and perfect to snuggle up on.
We watched a bit of television and then, due to our long drive and crazy week, decided to have an early night.
We woke up bright and early the next morning (see above mention of toddler!), pulled on some clothes and took a short stroll to the beach for an early morning sea shell hunt. Access to the beach is alongside the neighbouring house, via a short wooden walkway. The beach is stunning - clear water, rolling waves and ample place to swim safely. For the fishermen or even the rock lovers, there is ample opportunity to explore!
After some running around on the beach, we arrived back at the house with red cheeks and cold noses where we rustled up a great English breakfast. The kitchen is fully equipped for any requirement. There are plenty of pots and pans, cutlery and a utensil for every need.
Once our tummies were filled, we decided to take a walk around the resort. As a rule, it is neat as a pin and all the roads, walkways and houses are well taken care of. We were lucky to have a house situated directly opposite a play park, which was a great hit with my little one. Aside from the formal park, we also came across a site with a rope and tyre swing attached to a huge shady tree - a great place to picnic in summer!
During our walk we encountered two members of the resort's neighbourhood watch members on their rounds, a great confirmation that safety is the number one concern.
Then, it was back to the house to warm up with some hot chocolate and to play a few board games before heading to nearby Gansbaai for lunch.
We used the opportunity to really explore Gansbaai while looking for a kid friendly place to eat and came across some wonderful places. We chose to eat at Tolbos Bistro, which had a sandpit, a small park and wonderful views of the harbour. After a long and lazy lunch, we explored the town a little more, before we headed back to the cottage for a quiet afternoon.
Hubby and my older son, Kieran, curled up on the comfy sofas to watch a movie while Reilly and I decided to snuggle in the cosy bed for a short nap.
After an hour or so, we dressed warmly for another short beach walk before heading to the resort's local shop and wow, were the kids and I in HEAVEN! Naturally, my hubby immediately realised the severity of the threat to his wallet and tried to usher us out, but we were having none of it.
The store stocks everything, from your daily essentials, toys and games to keep the kids entertained to gorgeous arts and crafts, paintings, pottery and basically anything you could imagine at a craft market.
We decided to purchase a few treasures to take home with us and meandered back to the cottage.
By then it was time to get the fire started, for a traditional, early braai.
We decided to let Kieran be in charge of lighting the fire and we soon had a blazing fire going.
The braai/rear area of the cottage is fully enclosed and thereby totally protected from any cold winds, making it perfect for the cold Autumn evenings. We were perfectly snug while the boys played around with the soccer ball, and we lazed beside the fire.
Around this time, we had the strangest experience with one of the small local wild birds, he casually walked around us and then ambled into the house (he was probably hoping to move in as well).
Once the food was ready we settled around the dining table and tucked in. Our bellies were full and then it was shower and bathtime! Because of the two bathrooms, we could essentially all get this done at the same time, which was easy and a pleasure as the bathrooms are modern and well fitted out.
We once again piled on the couches to watch a movie and eat some of the delicious goodies we had bought in Gansbaai. The little one fell asleep early - a day filled with sea air and fun will do that to you!
The three of us settled around the dining table to play UNO, a game that we all LOVE to win at. After numerous games, and as much as we wanted to stay up and enjoy our last night as long as possible, the Sandman came to visit us at Pearly Beach Cottage and we decided to turn in for the night.
The next morning we managed to sleep until 8am and then lazed in bed for a while. We decided to have breakfast in Gansbaai so all we had to do was pack our clothes, tidy the cottage and we were ready to go.
Reluctantly, with Reilly shouting that he wanted to "go back to his house" (aka the cottage!) we handed in our keys at the security gate and were wished a safe trip home by the guard on duty.
We drove away from Pearly Beach Cottage well rested and with wonderful memories of an amazing family weekend.
Life is so busy and filled with "people" that having a retreat that can only accommodate your own small family is a blessing, allowing you to spend direct time with each other with no other distractions and interruptions.
If you are searching for a holiday house that is family orientated, child-friendly, within a safe environment and almost on the beach, Pearly Beach Cottage unquestionably ticks all the boxes.
Pearly Beach Cottage - we will be back!
