I saw this vibrant artwork on a wall in a disused tennis court on the way to the Sonnekus Guest House & Bistro where my wife and I would be staying for a night. I have tried to find out who the artist of this piece is, but with no success.
This was our first trip back to Cape Town in several years, and it was our first flight after the pandemic changed the world.
Since the lockdown in March of 2020, all the travel destinations that we have visited have been reached via car, hence it was rather strange to be back in the Cape, a destination that was considered just ‘too far’ for a comfortable drive unless it was turned into a road trip and that was not always possible.
Our accommodation for a couple of days.
Sonnekus has 10 individually designed bedrooms together with a pet-friendly café situated on the front verandah that spills over into the front garden. It also has the most energetic and pleasant staff that I have dealt with in a long while.
We stayed in sea-facing Room 4 and seeing that I only glanced into the other rooms, I can only comment on how superb our accommodation was.
It seems that the guest house has been under new management since the latter part of 2022 and is now part of The Ideas Cartel group that offers bespoke accommodation in several properties in and around Cape Town.
According to the official Sonnekus website, the beach is only 30m away, and that is technically correct. What I discovered is that at certain times of the day you virtually have to be ‘born on the other side’ of Main Road to gain access to the aforementioned beach.
However, if you walk just a short distance in either direction, there are pedestrian crossings that make it a whole lot safer to get to the other side.
It is not a case of “Why did the chicken cross the road”? but more “How did the chicken cross the road”?Â
The al fresco café that can be found on the front verandah is where a plethora of people sat and enjoyed not only the delicious coffee and cake but were able to watch the ever-changing Atlantic Ocean as well as the passing parade of interesting individuals.
This space is open to both hotel guests and the passing public.
A great place for an early morning coffee or an evening drink.
I have to say that this became a favourite spot of mine and if I had time to spare, I would spend it here.
It did take me a while to make my way to the upper floor where our room was situated.
The reason for the delay was two-fold…I got chatting with the owner and his staff and as I arrived via one of the early morning trains, the room was not ready.
I decided to enjoy a walk to Kalk Bay and back while awaiting the arrival of my wife who would be joining me in the late afternoon,
The décor throughout the building harks back to Colonial days but updated and in a modern palette of colours and soft finishes.
The open ceilings and impressive lampshades could have guests believing that they were on an island resort deep in the Indian Ocean.
The sound of the ocean just a few meters away added to that island illusion as did the muted tones and the carefully curated furniture both in the rooms and the public spaces.
The bed linen was superb and the bed was so ‘tightly’ made that I could have bounced coins off it.
It also made photography easy as I did not have to spend time smoothing out the duvet. Not a crease or a wrinkle in sight, except for the ones that I have!
The bedside lamps served a purpose and were not merely there for decoration. It is a constant bugbear of mine that the majority of these lamps cannot be used for reading or any other activity.
That being said, I believe that when traveling in South Africa it is a good idea to take a head torch with you to obviate the need to use the supplied lamps…or if there is load shedding.
Needless to say, given that I ALWAYS forget one item when I pack, it was my torch this time.
This chair was both unexpected and extremely comfortable…and if it could have fit in my luggage, it would currently be in my home office in Johannesburg.
However there was no room in my small suitcase, so I left it behind for other guests to enjoy.
The artwork in our room as well as the public spaces is sublime.
As an aside, if there was a way of contacting the artists should guests wish to purchase pictures, that would be great.
These two works were on the wall in Room 4.
With the sea only 30m from the front door of the Sonnekus is there any better view that guests can wake to?
The room has its own tea/coffee station so guests can enjoy the view with their beverage of choice…and even a biscuit.
Although there is a large flat-screen tv on the wall at the foot of the bed, we chose to spend our time gazing at the ocean, a vista that we do not get to enjoy in our home city of Johannesburg.
As a working travel writer, I often wax lyrical about desks in various rooms that I get to stay in.
As most people visit establishments like this for a holiday rather than work, it is an item of furniture often overlooked by the management of many of the properties I have stayed in. Or if there is a ‘desk’ then it is not at the correct height or with decent seating.
The desk and chair in Room 4 ticked all the correct boxes, however, this trip saw me leave my laptop at home so as not to be weighed down by luggage on the flight, hence the desk was not used at all.
This was the first time in almost two decades as a travel writer that I brought neither my professional camera equipment (all the images were shot on a Samsung A32) nor a laptop with me.
Methinks that the pandemic and the way I fly in future will see me leave both at home on short domestic trips.
Room 4 had a fireplace, but seeing that it was summer, we did not feel the need to test it out.
I have to mention the beautifully laid wooden floor. Not a creak or a groan emanated from it. Walking on old wooden floors can often be ‘challenging’ and disruptive, especially at night when partners are trying to sleep.
This was not the case in Room 4 and I was able to traverse the distance between my side of the bed and the bathroom without waking my wife.
The bathroom was bigger than we expected and had a full-sized bath.
It seems that many European visitors prefer a bath to a shower, and the owners have catered to their needs.
Fluffy white towels, an adequate supply of bath/ shower products and it is a space that allows for relaxation. What more can any guest wish for?
A shower and hand basin complete the amenities…and yes, there is a toilet…I am sitting on it to take bathroom pictures.
More than enough hot water, and remember that the hot tap is on your left as you face the shower.
Early morning, well before sunrise, I took a stroll down to the beach. Seeing that the train lines and the infrastructure surrounding them plays such a big role in the landscape, I chose to include those in the image and not ‘hide’ them.
I thought that I might be alone, but the nearby tidal pool was already attracting swimmers out for a dip before heading off to do whatever it is that keeps them busy during a working day.
I returned from my perambulations to enjoy a sumptuous breakfast on the front verandah with my wife. Seeing we both chose the same breakfast option, there is only one photograph.
When you book, you have options:
1] You can book either a sea-facing or a no-view room.
2] Your package can either include or exclude breakfast in the quoted rate.
That does not mean to say that you cannot enjoy anything on offer on their menu, and the breakfast can be ordered all day!
Although the property has been around for a while it was recently taken over and has had a refurbishment of note… but don’t take my word for it. Click on the logo above to be directed to their website.
Looking for a reliable shuttle service while you are in Cape Town? Looking for someone who is reasonably priced and ahead of schedule?
Then I have done your homework for you! Check out this company that we used to get us back to the airport at the end of our extended Cape Town weekend. Click on the logo to be directed to their website.
For those that were not aware, there is an extension to the Travel & Things Blog in the form of ‘In conversation with‘ a YouTube channel hosted by David Batzofin and filled with a plethora of interesting interviews with a variety of people.
To visit the channel, click on the ‘In conversation with’ image above.
All images, unless otherwise stated, are the copyright property of
and may not be used without permission.
For this trip, I decided to leave my professional Pentax equipment at home to be able just to carry hand luggage onto the Safair flight.
All the images were shot on a Samsung A32 that is almost 3 years old. I was astounded by the quality of the images, especially in low-light conditions.