Plettenberg Bay

posted : 2010-06-22 at 03:24:47

At the very last minute before the Easter long weekend, we decided to take a chance and see if we could find accommodation in Plettenberg Bay for a well earned break. 

After much Googling, calling and disappointment, we were finally directed by the owner of one establishment to contact a friend of hers who had just recently converted the top half of her home into a self-catering unit. We grabbed the opportunity and confirmed our booking with Marlene, owner of “Top of the World” in Crow’s Nest Street, Plett. 

Two days and a leisurely drive later, we were warmly greeted on arrival by Marlene and her husband, Robin. Both having been involved in teaching over the years, they were only too glad to meet our two boys, aged 5 and 7. Having never before booked any accommodation blindly, we were all eager to see our home for the next few days. Wow! We weren’t disappointed! Our two bedroom, open-plan kitchen, lounge and living room apartment was well equipped, neat and comfortable, with front and back balconies and an undercover patio, complete with Weber. But the view over the valley and out towards Robberg was the most spectacular feature of all! The boys quickly chose which of the two single beds in their room was whose and proceeded to find channel 305 on the DSTV equipped TV while we unpacked and contacted friends who were enjoying their Beacon Island time share week. 

The Beacon Island Lifestyle Resort has to be one of the best all-round destinations I have ever experienced! We found our friends on the 2nd last day of their holiday, looking completely relaxed, enjoying mid morning drinks in the shade overlooking the pool. Our boys immediately paired with theirs and darted off to enjoy a myriad of supervised games and activities, leaving us to chat and order a generous lunch. After lunch we all enjoyed a stroll along Plett’s pristine beach, with the boys playing cricket and having a dip in a very refreshing ocean. Having been invited back for dinner, we headed to Crow’s Nest for a quick shower and change. Back at the resort, we met up for drinks in the Playa Sea Lounge, enjoying the spectacular view of the ocean breaking over the rocks below. A superb dinner was later enjoyed at the Indigo Bay Seafood and Grillhouse, again with panoramic views, warmth and charm. What’s great about the Beacon Island is that you literally feel as if you are on a cruise. It’s family-friendly and relaxed with hospitable staff and great service – a really safe bet! 

Saturday dawned quite early. While sipping coffee and enjoying the view over Robberg, we decided on our activities for the day. First stop was the Plett Puzzle Park, just out of town towards PE (the place with all the “?” marks on the trees along the N2). Here we split into two teams and embarked on an amazing 3D maze race. I have to commend Colin and his team for the time and effort put into this experience! It’s a full size maze in which you have to find your way to each corner, gathering clues, tokens, identifying hidden creatures and remembering the answers for a quiz at the end. Allow 30 to 45 minutes to complete – a real family adventure! Unfortunately we didn’t have time to do the Forest Puzzle Walk, but this too looked very entertaining, with mind games such as “LINE READ LINE” (read between the lines) spaced out along the course. There’s also a mini maze, rope maze, quad ride and animal pens to keep the kids busy while Mom and Dad browse the gift shop and enjoy the coffee shop. 

Next up was the Elephant Sanctuary, situated just a little further down the road at The Crags. The Sanctuary has been a client of mine for many years and it was great to finally meet Chris and experience all there is on offer. Tanya, our guide, took our group of about 15 people on an enchanting walk with the elephants. Each person had a chance to lead them a short distance – even my 7 year old walked hand in trunk with one of these magnificent animals. With an informative talk and demonstration, we all learned a little more about them before they were led off into the sunset to a spot where we could all have a go at offering them some snacks. It was an absolute privilege to have spent time in their presence. 

With the day at an end, we headed back to Plett and found Cranzgots Pizza in town to be the ideal stop for supper - the BBB Pizza (bacon, banana and brie) for my wife, American Pizza (salami, pickles, cucumber, pepperdew and feta) for me, and their own version of a Hawaiian Pizza (salami substituted for ham and no pineapple) for the boys. Fast, efficient service - boy, did that hit the spot! After an active day, we headed home for an early night. 

Easter Sunday began with a surprise as it seems that the Easter Bunny knows where you are even when you’re on holiday! After the traditional gathering of chocolate assortments found hidden in every conceivable nook and cranny, we decided to have a go at canoeing up the river from Beacon Island (yes – you do get wet) and then to head back out to The Crags and visit Monkeyland and Birds of Eden. As we approached the latter’s parking area there was much excitement from the boys as they eyed the massive canopy net which encloses the bird section, which we opted to experience first. It’s hard to describe the scale of what we saw, but if feels as if you’ve been transported to a tropical forest with exotic and colourful birds everywhere you look. We watched as a few macaws glided overhead, calling to each other – an incredible sight! As we followed a wooden path which took us up and down hill and past a waterfall, we pointed out birds that we recognized to the boys, such as our national bird (the Blue Crane, not Patricia Lewis!), flamingos and a hornbill. One parakeet even hitched a ride on a backpacker’s satchel for a short while. Next up was Monkeyland where Lara arranged our guided tour with Lisa, a volunteer from Holland. As we followed the path which took us to different areas of the sanctuary, Lisa talked us through every step of primate history, introducing us to the various members of our extended family. We met the dim-witted lemurs, clever little marmosets, familiar vervets and the solitary Spectacle monkey. The boys even saw King Julian and his cousins from Madagascar! As the sun set on another busy day, we headed home, pondering the news of the day and looking forward to relaxing to the antics of Inspector Clouseau on the box that evening. 

We said our good byes to Marlene and Robin early the next day and made our way back home to PE, passing by most of the places we had visited, with the boys reminding each other of their experiences and looking forward to telling their classmates of the adventures they’d enjoyed in Plett!