Real Estate Investor Magazine South Africa August 2013 | Page 63

LIFESTYLE
eclectic mix of both working, retired and workfrom-home families live on the estate, along
with foreign holiday homeowners. And if you
happen to have some adorable ankle biters,
there are schools not far from the estate in the
neighbouring town of Hermanus. Both public
and private, they have excellent reputations and
offer schooling from nursery right through to
high school.
After my tour of the estate, I am sold, the
views alone make me want to sell some organs
and put down a deposit on a house. Steve
returns me to the hotel and after a quick coffee
and exchange of numbers should I need any
guidance on places to visit, I am at the reception
desk checking in to my room at the Arabella
Hotel. The 5-star treatment has me feeling quite
pampered and I head down to the spa, I have
heard wonderful things about the indoor heated
hydro pool and it certainly doesn’t disappoint.
Body temperature water buffets my tense
muscles and I start to slowly relax, the stress of
the week before receding as I simply lie and let
the water do it’s magic. My next stop in search
of stress relief is a neck, back and shoulder
massage at the Spa. Ronald rubs and pounds
my stubborn knots into submission, after ten
minutes he tells me he doesn’t even have to ask
if I have a stressful job, but lying on the massage
table with scents of jasmine and soothing music
in my ear, I am truly in heaven, and if I could
steal Ronald and take him back to Cape Town
with me I would, his massage was that good!
And what better way to end a massage than a
good steam and then sauna? Back in my room
I order a cheese board and sip a chilled glass

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of Waterford Sauvignon Blanc, it’s one of those
moments you simply want to freeze, sipping
wine as the sun sets over the lagoon, I am truly
humbled by the natural beauty and 5-star
experience Arabella offers. With the sun truly
set, and a quick change of clothing I am off to
dinner at Premier, and I have heard some great
things about this restaurant so I am eager to
try it out. The menu is straight from the cordon
bleu and fashion cookbooks and the food is
like a work of art. The staff are truly happy and
create an enchanting atmosphere to sip a glass
of wine and sample the amazing cuisine. Never
have I had a foie gras crème caramel, and the
richness of the foie gras is cut by the sweetness
of the caramel, creating a heavenly dance of
ingredients on my palette. Next up is a taste
of the peppercorn beef fillet and the meat is
cooked to perfection, my knife simply sliding
through the meat. The rich flavour of the pepper
doesn’t overwhelm the taste of the fillet and the
natural jus makes this dish a winner. Feeling
about 5 kg heavier and sated, it’s time to head
back to my room and the fairies have been hard
at work placing water and chocolate next to my
bed and putting blackout lining behind the
curtains, ensuring that no matter what time I
wake up, in my room it’s like midnight.
It is with a heavy heart that I check out the next
morning, my experience has left me relaxed and I
feel like I could take on the world right now. The
Arabella Estate offers something for everyone
and offers the highest quality of life and will give
you a truly unforgettable experience, as for me, I
am off to play the lotto, more than a destination,
I want to call Arabella home.

August 2013 SA Real Estate Investor

61