2020 has been a painfully long 5 years. Well maybe not 5 years but it sure does feel like it! We have all felt the effects of the COVID-19 global pandemic. However, I’d argue that there is a second, less impactful but certainly relevant, pandemic underway. Many of us have been diagnosed with the ‘work from home’ virus. Over the last few months, working from home has become the norm for the vast majority of people. Those who have been diagnosed are well aware that difficulty in distinguishing the difference between work and relaxation is one of the hardest symptoms to deal with. Every day starts to feel like the same day and weekends seem to merge into the week. It’s not easy to deal with and it’s been like this for months. One of the best treatments that I have found, is to get away from everything. A hard reset of sorts. So when the opportunity to explore luxury accommodation in Plettenberg Bay Sky Villa arose, I simply had to take it.

Due to the locking down of borders, international travel is not much of an option right now, especially for leisure. This may be perceived as frustration by many, however, I personally choose to view it as the perfect opportunity to explore our local wonders. I often find myself falling into the trap of heading down to Cape Town when travelling locally. It is ok to fall into this trap if you happen to be a foreign tourist. However, I’ll admit that my failure, as a South African, to explore the abundance of lifestyle experiences nestled all over the country is something that I strived to correct by going on this getaway. After having a look at the images found on the Sky Villa website, I knew that this was the perfect destination for that hard reset. What sold me? The view. Please just have a look for yourself.

I will admit that the journey to Sky Villa was a long one due to the fact that we couldn’t find any available flights to George over the weekend. Regardless, the drive presented another opportunity to explore a few more local experiences along the way. After arriving we were greeted by two staff members who became the centrepiece reason as to why my experience at Sky Villa is such a memorable one. Their names were Sino & Noksie. Upon arrival, Sino gave us a quick tour of the hotel and proceeded to take our order for dinner right away. Chicken and the beef curry were on the menu and it was fantastic. Feel free to scroll up and have a look for yourself if you haven’t had your daily dose of food porn pop up on your feed as of yet.

Once the meal had settled I was thrust into that perfect food comma – if you know, you know – and was out by 10 pm only to be woken up by the un-rudest of awakenings – the sun peeking through the curtain. The view from the window when waking up is magical. Close your eyes and try to imagine waking up in the clouds with the sun gently touching your skin and the calming sound of the ocean below you. That is the best way that I can describe the experience. After waking up feeling well-rested and rejuvenated, I spent the day exploring the area and came across a fresh seafood restaurant situated right on the beachfront. We had a great lunch featuring calamari and chips with a tartar sauce. After lunch, we proceeded to spend the rest of the beautiful afternoon strolling along the beach catching some vitamin D and resting in anticipation for the journey back the next day. Hearing the ocean crash on the beach sparked a desire within me to take a swim. After dipping my toes in the water and experiencing a borderline case of frostbite, I made the executive decision to save the swim for the rooftop pool back at the Sky Bar.
Upon arriving back at the hotel I requested for Noksie to open up the door to the rooftop so that I could swim amongst the clouds and experience the coveted Sky Bar Experience for myself. She proceeded to make a special arrangement for me as it was locked up due to circumstances caused by COVID19. After my private swim experience, I was presented with the menu for dinner and my meal (6 large prawns in a peri-peri sauce accompanied by a salad and chips) was waiting for me by the time I had showered and changed into my comfy clothes. This is what I call 5-star service. It was continued when requested for Noksie to open up the Villa at 4 am so that we could manage to get back to Johannesburg by 4 pm in order to rest for Monday. After seeming slightly taken back by the fact that we would put ourselves (and now her) through such torture, she then proceeded to offer to make us breakfast and sandwiches before we left. The next morning she was up at 3:30 am and ensured that we had the perfect takeaway breakfast for our trip back. I am not lying when I say 5-star service! Seeing that with my own eyes is what made me fully understand why the hotel management boasts a 5-star plaque hanging proudly in the lobby for everyone to see. What I experienced at Sky Villa truly is 5-star service.

4 AM arrived the next day and we embarked on our journey home. By the time we had arrived back in Johannesburg, I was still feeling surprisingly rested. The concept of the hard reset prevailed and I am now currently in my office writing up this article. I am still feeling the calming effects of getting away this last weekend.

Now, before I end of this article, let me take some time to share a few disclaimers. Before embarking on this journey, I was slightly nervous about travelling in the midst of the global pandemic. However, due to taking an amplitude of safety precautions throughout our travels and ensuring that we had the correct documentation, we experienced 0 issues with police and arrived back safe and healthy. When travelling during the global pandemic, it is important to protect ourselves but more importantly others. Especially when coming from one of the epicentres of the COVID19 pandemic in South Africa. However, after stating that, I have absolutely 0 regrets taking this trip and I hope that after reading this article, you feel more comfortable with the idea of supporting our tourism industry during this economically trying time.

If you are feeling cooped up in your home during the lockdown and feel like a hard reset will do you good just as it did for me, you should definitely consider organising your stay at Sky Villa in Plettenberg Bay. They are also perfectly positioned as Plett rage accommodation for parents. And if you’re a Cape-based intra-provincial leisure-travel-seeker… just wanting to explore Hotels along the Garden Route, be sure to select this one. They will not disappoint.

Stay Safe, Stay Healthy.

Video and story by Josh De Sousa and Dumisa Rankin for Luxuria Lifestyle South Africa