Much to explore at enchanting Sandcastle Luxury Villa

Following an unassuming dirt road through the small town of Wesley, about 75km from East London, Sandcastle Luxury Villa appears in the distance.

It isn’t difficult to spot; aside from the villa’s size, the home’s dreamy architecture is reminiscent of the whimsical castles in the sand you’d build as a child — though much more skill was involved in the creation of the villa. 

Situated on 275ha of private game reserve, part of the Wesley Coastal Conservancy, the first impression of Sandcastle is one of grandeur, vastness and tranquillity.

Like an isolated castle on a hill, the home is the perfect escape into nature and away from bustling city life.

Originally a Nguni cattle farm turned game farm in 2002, giraffe and zebra can now be spotted easily at Sandcastle and sometimes even make their way right up to the villa’s large glass doors — a feature that surrounds the home, opening it up to incredible views from almost every room.

The ocean, only a two-minute drive (or slightly longer walk for those wanting to get their steps in) down the hill, offers some magnificent viewing, with whales and dolphins teasing eager onlookers as they splash around in the distance.

There is also 2km of private beach to explore and revel in. 

Fukile Wewe, the resident game guide and apiarist, is a sweet, charismatic character whose guided walks can turn a sunny morning into a little adventure.

From following giraffes on the roads through the reserve to spotting buck in the distance and tortoises in the shrubs nearby, there is so much wildlife to experience and Wewe shares his passion with a bright smile along the way, making for a lovely walk. 

“I’ve had to scatter my hives across the property because people sometimes vandalise them.

“I have 15 hives across Sandcastle,” said Wewe, who has worked on the property for more than 10 years.

“It’s been great and I love being outside.”

Though the beauty surrounding the villa is captivating, the villa itself is just as enchanting and there is much to be explored within it’s walls. 

From its pale pink and orange hues and undulated, organic shapes to the artefacts and artworks around every corner, the home is a celebration of culture and talent with work by SA artists such as Blessing Ngobeni, Nandipha Mntambo and Anushka Kempken adorning the villa.

“We have a big appreciation for art and feel that art is so important as a celebration of creativity, culture and identity,” said Cara Levinsohn, whose family has owned the Newbradford farm, on which Sandcastle Luxury Villa was built, since 1995. 

“We’ve tried to work with local artists and have a few local artworks up around the home.

“It’s a way for international guests to see it and for local artists get exposure in a less formal way. 

“The farm was bought from the former president of the Ciskei, Oupa Gqozo.”

The home was completed in 1999 and today Levinsohn runs the bookings and events as the manager for Sandcastle Luxury Villa. 

“It was our family holiday home for many years and my parents would rent it out [on and ad hoc basis].

“In lockdown, I spent a lot of time here and I had a friend stay with me for a bit. She suggested turning it into something.

“And so we decided to rent it out as an exclusive-use private villa and have others enjoy the space too.

“The house has an energy of its own and it’s a big home.”

Sandcastle Luxury Villa is big. It’s big enough for you to find a quiet spot to read a book, play a game of cards with a loved one or just sit and enjoy the spectacular views and surroundings. 

Yet, even in its 1600m² splendour, the villa is still homey enough to allow the competitive sounds of a game of 30 Seconds to breathe life into the lounge or bring, and keep, people together at meal times, though it’s difficult to stay away from private chef Khanya Ngoza’s incredible dishes.

Hiring the home for a weekend includes all meals and drinks and Ngoza can, more often than not, be found in the kitchen cooking up a storm.

A menu is created for each stay, depending on the preferences and dietary requirements of guests.

It seems there is nothing Ngoza cannot make.

From brunch canapés to fish taco lunches, a delicious ragu pasta, falafels, mushroom croquettes, a cheese cake dessert and more, Ngoza’s cooking will keep you happy and satisfied, making you live out the old Afrikaans phrase magies vol, ogies toe (tummies full, eyes shut).

It is at this point that you may find yourself sauntering through the home in search of something cosy, and you’ll definitely find it. 

Sandcastle Luxury Villa is not cold and impersonal like many grandiose luxury houses can be. Instead it is earthy, warm and inviting.

There are plenty of big comfortable couches, seats and pillows to recline into which make for great napping spots after a fun-filled morning and one of Ngoza’s mouthwatering lunches. 

The home has two pools, a charming, colourful Mexican-inspired courtyard shaded by a towering fever tree, three lounge areas, four en suite bedrooms, an open-plan kitchen and dinning area.

Three of the bedrooms sport the kind of bathtubs that dreams are made of and each room has an ineffable ocean view — one of the only two requests made by the Levinsohns to the architect when it came to designing the home.

The other was for something “unique”.

And if it is uniqueness you seek, Sandcastle Luxury Villa delivers on that promise.

With a father in property development and mother in interior design, it’s no wonder the Levinsohn’s family home turned out the way it did; a photographer’s dream. 

“My dad didn’t want this glass box and that’s what a lot of architects came back to him with.

“He went through quite a few and he kept saying that he kept getting the same boring designs. With so much space, you have such an opportunity to do something ridiculous and remarkable.

“My dad then came across this industrial architect from Durban, David Mealin, and he asked him to give it a shot.

“After the first meeting, this is the home that Mealin came up with,” Levinsohn said.

She said Mealin was inspired by the landscape, termite hills and children’s sandcastles when creating the earthy elements that protrude above the home like the towers of a castle.

“If you look closely you’ll see that each element or ‘sandcastle’ has a feature, for example one is a bar, another is a linen room, toilet, some are fire places.

“There are basically no white walls in the house and all the walls are plastered, not painted, with beach sand, Belgian white cement, which was actually cheaper to import than to buy locally, and a Bayferrox colourant.

“The walls are also all a different colour, which can be a bit problematic whenever there is an issue because you have to start from scratch and recreate that colour,” Levinsohn said.

The method and materials used to plaster the walls gives them a sandy texture, making it feel like you really are within the walls of a sandcastle.

Levinsohn said the architectural style has been dubbed African Adobe, with Mexican and African influences clearly visible throughout the home.

“The way the walls were packed together to give it this undulating feel is actually a Mexican technique called an ‘Adobe house’,” she said.

The artefacts, art and décor around the home; from masks to sculptural wooden doors, phenomenal tapestries, paintings and more, give it an African feel.

Sandcastle Luxury Villa truly is a wonder to explore.

It is difficult not to feel a tiny tinge of jealousy while walking through the home and imagining Levinsohn’s childhood holidays; plenty of space, a private beach nearby, a pool overlooking the ocean and hectares of land and nature to have fun with. 

The beauty of this family home becoming a luxury accommodation for exclusive hire is that others now get to experience a slice of the joy it has brought to the Levinsohns over the years.

Though Sandcastle Luxury Villa definitely earns its place in the glossy pages of lifestyle magazines and trendy luxury Instagram feeds, the home is meant to be enjoyed, to be lived in — even if just for a weekend. 

To me, this is one of its most desirable qualities; it is not just a beautiful castle on a hill surrounded by indigenous vegetation and ocean views, it is a luxury home where good times, treasured moments and laughs can be experienced with your loved ones. 

• Sandcastle Luxury Villa is an exclusive-use private residence. The minimum stay is two nights during off season and seven nights during peak season (festive season/December). The maximum number of guests is eight people and the home can only be rented out on an all- inclusive basis whereby all drinks, meals, snacks, game walks and so on are included. 
  
  Sadc rates start at R35,000 per night or R4,375 per person per night during off-peak season. During peak season, Sadc rates are R60,000 per night. For more information, visit www.sandcastlesa.com