Soon enough, after the glowing embers in our wood-burning fireplace banished the evening chill from our room, I chose to focus rather on the swishing from the sea and our unexpectedly delicious dinner at Monkey Valley Resort's restaurant, Thorfynns.
Before the sun went down I had a bath in the generous Victorian-style tub in the bathroom, designed to take full advantage of the view over the milkwoods and onward to the sea. Earlier in the day we followed the path down to the beach, narrowly missing a series of orb spider webs spun into a silken arch between the tops of the trees.
Noordhoek's Long Beach is well named and had the weather been finer I'd have relished a walk along it. Monkey Valley Resort offers accommodation that is self-catering and on a bed and breakfast basis. These thatched cottages are cleverly located within the greenery that trees provide the necessary privacy. It is also one of the few accommodation places that welcome animals - birds are very active within the trees and while we didn't see the eponymous monkeys, I'm sure they are around. Many people had dogs as did the folks running the restaurant as their four-legged friends welcomed us with warm sniffs and awkward nudges whenever we arrived in the reception and restaurant areas.
They have a wonderful kid's area with a pirate-style jungle gym that made me wish I was 40 years younger.
While some of Monkey Valley's higher reaches were destroyed in the recent fire that decimated Silvermine and Chapman's Peak, it looks like building work is also currently underway to expand the reception and admin building. Some of the accommodation is newly completed and I'd love to stay in one of the self-catering units nearer to the beach on a return visit.
The luxury here is in being in such a beautiful natural environment. Monkey Valley Resort is justifiably popular for conferences (the first time I ever visited was to attend a conference there eons ago) and at such affordable prices, a wonderful place for a family vacation.
If you're as curmudgeonly as I am, keep ear plugs with you or a dinner suit so you can join the party.
