Taking on an exciting and secret adventure as ‘Mystery Guest’ for Blouberg Holiday Rentals, I was given the opportunity to enjoy an unforgettable weekend at the gorgeous Chandos on Lake self-catering holiday home on Woodbridge Island, in the vibrant Milnerton suburb of Cape Town.
We were set to arrive at Chandos n Lake late on Friday afternoon, ready to put on our smiley holiday faces, turn off our work buttons and enjoy an amazing time at this lovely self-catering house by the sea. I received a phone call at about 2 pm from a Blouberg Holiday Rentals concierge, which was a pleasant surprise. Erin, our ‘go-to-guy’ for the weekend was very friendly informative and didn’t seem to think it was strange when I asked if a “fully equipped kitchen” included wine glasses, an ice bucket and a French press coffee plunger (I take my coffee very seriously…), luckily Erin assured me that the kitchen supplies would indeed include these very essential items.
I arranged to meet Erin and 5 pm in front of the complex gate and he was there waiting with a smile on his face as we drove up. We followed Erin through the picturesque Woodbridge Island complex, driving past a few neighboring townhouses, plenty of trees and natural beauty and the spectacular Table Mountain overhead. Erin led us on an excellent tour of the beautiful property, complete with information on the area, pointing out all the facilities of the spacious house and also providing us with the keys and a welcome pack of basic items like soap, toilet paper and some coffee, sugar and tea.
Eager to catch the sunset, we took a short walk past the a few casual cafes and restaurants and went straight to Maestros On The Beach restaurant, situated right on the sand dunes with the most spectacular ocean views. Perhaps it was the holiday mood and sunny beach vibes that led me to immediately ordering a Pina Colada cocktail once we grabbed a table outside, before I proceeded to snap an array of photos in an awe-inspired tourist like trance – the views were sensational, with the golden sun going down and the white sandy beach almost disappearing in the high tide. Although the air was cooler as the sun started to set, the slight chill in the air was almost unnoticeable and the ambiance of this sophisticated restaurant coupled with the stunning surroundings took hold. We returned ‘home’ just in time to cuddle lazily in the lounge and enjoy a movie which was featuring on DSTV.
On Saturday morning I woke up early to the soothing sound of the ocean waves and enjoyed a coffee on the outside deck overlooking the outstretched lagoon (the French press coffee plunger was easy to locate, even in my early morning grogginess) and waved as a bunch of local canoeists sailed past. In the en-suite bathroom I enjoyed an amazing shower thanks to the stunning and modern rain shower head – the shower was twice the size of my shower at home, so of course I spent twice as long showering and felt amazing afterwards.
We decided that breakfast was in order and drove along the coast about 10 minutes to the small but bustling Paddocks Shopping Centre to enjoy a local favourite restaurant, Mugg & Bean. After indulging in amazing bottomless coffee and a filling breakfast of traditional South African styled bacon, eggs, toast and chips we were all bright eyed and ready for our afternoon adventures. We decided to invite friends who stayed in the area over to enjoy a braai with us later in the day – luckily Paddocks is packed with shopping stores, a pharmacy, a couple of restaurants and even a grocery and liquor store where we managed to stock up on essentials for the rest of our weekend.
The weather was beautiful on Saturday afternoon when we returned to Chandos on Lake. We took a walk around the complex and discovered some stunning sights along the way – I was especially enchanted by the little lake area in the complex and couldn’t resist taking a break to breath in the fresh air.
Some time on Saturday afternoon Erin from Blouberg Holiday Rentals gave me a friendly call to see what time on Sunday he could come to meet with us and take back the keys (sob!). Naturally we opted to stay till the latest possible minute and asked Erin to come at 11 am.
Our friends arrived later on Saturday afternoon and we all spent some time catching up outside over some wine, until soon enough it was almost dusk and time to start the fire for our braai. We melted marshmallows and prepared the meat over the fire, made a fresh salad inside and had the music channel on in the background – an awesome vibe. The kitchen really was fully stocked, from outdoor braai equipment to salad bowls, a grater, cutlery and everything else we needed – there was even salt and pepper, which was a relief as we forgot the buy!
When our guests left, I thanked them for coming to our ‘housewarming’, as we were not ready to leave the next morning and will definitely be returning again to make more memories at Chandos on Lake.
On Sunday morning we both woke up very early and were blown away by the stunning sunrise over the lagoon from the deck, where the air seemed to stand still and only the sound of seagulls and waves surrounded us. After a quick shower and some more time spent admiring Chandos on Lake (snapping pictures and wishing time would slow down), it was 11 am and Erin was knocking outside.
After a friendly goodbye to Erin and one last photo of Chandos on Lake, Tim and I decided to drive further up the coast and found ourselves in Bloubergstrand about 15 minutes later. We ended up at News Cafe and enjoyed beer on-tap while I feasted on the best burger I have had this entire year. Once again we enjoyed the amazing views of Table Mountain and the sea, before returning home from a magical and amazing weekend courtesy of Blouberg Holiday Rentals, with only raving reviews to share and feeling totally relaxed.
To view more details on this stunning 3 bedroom holiday home in Milnerton, click here to view Chandos on Lake featured on Blouberg Holiday Rental’s website.