It is the same story every year. I live for my birthday. Okay, not entirely, but I just love celebrating my birthday.
Last year I said I wanted to go somewhere and stay in a bed & breakfast or cottage or self catering unit, air bnb, anything in that line. The location was not super important, but I wanted to go to the Overberg area.
After much consideration and different types of accommodation we fell in love with a little house in Betty’s Bay. So, off we went.
Friends of ours, us as well of course, was in the mood for , as we say in Afrikaans, gatskuur. My sister and her husband joined us at the house, unfortunately they had to work full day and for some or other reason they did not make it onto any photographs. Hmmmkay.
Our first stop was at The Grille Shack on the R44 towards Gordon’s Bay. We stumbled upon this place a few years back and we suggested this one for lunch. Always a good idea. This venue is just a complete vibe on its own.
We had a delicious lunch, spent some time on the Happy Sak’s all around outside-those bean bags are so comfy. Most certainly on my list of things I want. We even took a 10min shut eye. They have little shops on the property (gifts and wine) and the restaurant forms part of the lodge. Have a look here.
We made our way to our accommodation for the weekend along the beautiful coast. The agent hosting us was Be in Betty’s Bay. Ellen, Lucille and the rest of her team was so welcoming and we felt very comfortable. The instructions given was clear and everyone was so friendly.
I knew I were going to love the place when we arrived. The house is open and with so much natural light. We all fell in love instantly with the day bed and the great big window overlooking the mountains. That was the prime spot in the house.
It was neat, quiet and the rooms were very comfy. The house is set up for a great cater-for-yourself stay and very central to reach all the important places.
Book your stay here.
The highlight of the stay was the house, seriously, but the penguins were equally entertaining and we even went for a little hike along the beach. I had to accumulate some steps. We even met a stranger that showed us a short pathway back to our accommodation instead of taking the long way.
On Saturday morning we took a short walk to visit the Stoney Point Penguin Colony. These guys are so freakin cute. We also saw some dassies with their little ones! It is worth visiting and paying the small fee to enter the sanctuary. Your best time to visit is between August and November. The weather can be very unpredictable. We got wind from all sides. Gates open at 08:00 and closes strictly 16:30. Your entry fee is around R28 the last time we visited. They only accept cash.
Read a bit here about the colony and what the entry fee is used for.
Let me just explain the last two shots. I got down on the ground so that I could get a better angle to take the picture of the penguin and Etienne took a photo of me and my friend took a photo of Etienne taking a photo of me. Anything for the shot!
There is also a café on the beach serving light meals and drinks. We did not visit this time.
We did a lot of lounging around in the house and chatting and just generally relaxing.
Sunday was Birthday-Day! We stayed awake till way past midnight and my people sang for me and I even had a cupcake with a candle to blow out. You can check my highlights/reels on Instagram to watch the videos.
We stopped at The Hickory Shack for lunch. It was delicious but sadly I was not super impressed. We were referred because they allegedly have the best pulled pork, but we have had better. The chips however was delicious. That being said, we still had a lovely lunch and drinks and would visit again and try something else of the menu.
I always have cake on my birthday but this day I was just so stuffed after lunch. My friend and I both said we just do not have the space. So we made our way home.
My friends surprised me by taking me to Tygervalley to have coffee and cake at my favourite coffee shop-Seattle Coffee Company. It was delicious and I felt so spoiled and what an end to my birthday weekend.
I am so grateful to have been spoiled so much on my birthday and I would love to go back. I can highly recommend this short, fun trip if you are just looking for a quick getaway.
E xx
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