Day Dreams at the White Sands Beach House

I can’t hear a single thing, but I can see the green and white waves crashing outside the window. The afternoon has fallen quiet as the group slinks off to the various corners of the house for some solitude.

The burning smell of chillies disrupts my ocean trance, bringing my attention back to the gas stove to give the stainless steel pot a rapid stir before it’s too late to redeem my lunch.

It’s stormy across the ocean and there’s nothing better than a snuggly, indulgent bowl of corn and jalapeno risotto as the drizzling begins to dot the windows above the stove.

The indoor fire is lashing behind the oven style door, keeping the house cosy. Norm emerges to crunch on his homemade sourdough, another product of Denise’s kitchen. Dean begins typing on his work keyboard – someone has to keep things floating while I lounge around watching the storm pass.

Rain drops sprinkling the glass doors, warm blankie, fire, white wine; day dreams really do come true at the White Sands Beach House.

Weeknights at the White Sands Beach House

The Beach House Collection caught my attention nearly a year ago. Whenever I’m at work and wondering when the next getaway will be, the collection immediately occurs to me as an ideal location.

This, fueled by a lockdown winter, inspired me to reach out to the venue owner. And, low and behold, it’s an acquaintance from the blogging world – Ginger & Lime’s Denise Cowburn-Levy. What a happy coincidence!

Denise graciously welcomed us to White Sands, as well as offered us a tour of the other 2 properties – Pearl Bay and Thyme & Tide, two more of her beachfront properties on the Yzerfontein shoreline available for visitors to rent short or long term.

White Sands is a 5 bedroomed house located, literally, 300 metres from the Yzerfontein shoreline. It includes two suites outside (essentially a duplex with their own entrances), one large master bedroom with a lounge, en suite bathroom, wc and a sea facing porch while downstairs has two bedrooms with single beds.

Master Bedroom Bliss

The master suite is essentially an apartment in itself.  Positioned directly above the lounge, dining room and kitchen of downstairs, it’s a spacious, en suite loft with a private, wrap around balcony. The downstairs fireplace has a chimney cleverly designed to pass through the bedroom, helping beat the winter chills and heat up the large space.

The bed is sea facing, which means each morning starts with views of the ocean as soon as you open the interior shutters. If you thought social media was a distraction first thing in the morning, the combination of electric blankets and infinity waves outside will siphon hours of your life faster than a YouTube rabbit hole!

Once you do peel yourself out of bed, jump straight into the en suite shower or bath. Look out for the glass door though, it’s so big that it can bang the shower head and snap you out of your ocean bliss. This is not necessarily a bad thing as it’s probably lunchtime by now!

Our Experience at White Sands Beach House

While there are televisions in the house, we didn’t bother turning them on. Denise’s robust culinary career has created a cook’s dream at White Sands, particularly for groups of friends or family where creating meals together, prepping salads, making coffee, pouring sundowners – it all happens around the kitchen’s open-plan island and pantry.

The floor to ceiling glass doors are moving canvases displaying Mother Nature. Whether it’s clouds over the ocean, seagulls squawking past or cheeky mongooses popping their heads up above the porch, you feel totally connected to the world around you while residing in upmarket comfort.

Security of the house was also very good. While it’s fantastic to have such amazing views, not feeling over exposed or vulnerable is also important. The house faces the ocean which a very private “front”, with entry through a small courtyard or side door. All the sliding doors can also only be opened from the inside of the house if closed. This makes the house very secure and ensures no one can wonder if it precaution is taken.

 

Summer or Winter?

I’m personally not a “lounge in the sun” kind of gal. While most love the ocean during the summer, I much prefer walks on the beach in the cooler weather. Admittedly, the rain did start to close in a little quickly on my excursion, but it was still totally worth being alone with the birds, the sea and the rock pools.

If summers at the beach are more to your style, then you’ll be pleased to know there’s an outdoor fireplace (which I used in the rain!), a seating section hidden from the wind, splash pool for the brave and deck chairs for the sun worshippers. Come rain or shine, White Sands is fully equipped for all seasons.

Final Impressions

We had a wonderful stay at the White Sands Beach House and highly recommend the house for a weekend away. Most suitable for 3 x couples and 2 x kids (4 single beds), the house has everything needed for a self-catering stay on the West Coast.

The rates vary depending on the season, but do have a minimum 1 week stay over festive periods. I highly recommend you visit now before the 2021 rates increase with the reopening of international borders – this house is guaranteed to be snapped up quickly over the summer holidays.

Tinashe, the house manager, offered the most amazing support during our visit by answering any questions we had about where to find things, how to set the alarm as well as giving us a tour of Thyme & Tide and Pearl Bay so we could compare the 4 bed, 5 bed and 7 bed houses.

About The Beach House Collection

The Beach House Collection is a trio of properties located on the southern side of Yzerfontein. Available for hire for photo or film shoots, private events or family vacations, Denise’s wholesome philosophy on food and cooking is felt throughout each house.

During our two nights at the house we had a regular braai, curry dinner, snoek braai, risotto for lunch, baked sourdough and had a snack-a-thon! (Video on the way.) It really does inspire you to stay in, feast and relax. The Yzerfontein Spar has reasonable stock making picking up the odd bits and bobs easy to do.

Thyme & Tide is a 7 bedroomed house currently being occupied while international borders are still closed, while Pearl Bay has a more rustic beach house feel and offers 4 cosy bedrooms. In total, over the 3 houses, there are 16 bedrooms – giving different families different options to enjoy their visit to Yzerfontein.

Keen to make a booking or ask a question? Ping us a message below!