Summer holidays are all about lying by the pool, letting the sound of the waves just beyond your villa lull you as the sun caresses your skin. The joyful sound of the kids splashing in the water creates the perfect background for the daydreams that float across your mind. And when it’s time to cool down, you can immerse yourself in the cool blue of the pool and soak up the spectacular views of the mountains and the Atlantic beyond. All you have to decide is which fine dining restaurant you should visit for dinner, or whether you should nap now or later.

Cape Town’s Tidal Pools

Then, when it’s time to gather the family for an outing, visit one of Cape Town’s tidal pools just a few minutes’ drive from your villa. These spectacular swimming spots invite you to sit on the rocks and sip on a cool drink, while the kids play safely in the gentle waves. When they tire of the water, share in their delight as they explore the rocks around the tidal pools, and discover the little sea creatures like starfish, crabs and silvery shoals of tiny fish that make their home in the rock pools.

Salt water has been shown to have many spa-like benefits, so for that skin-tingling boost and radiant glow, take a dip in the tidal pool, like the locals do come rain or shine, and feel the difference.

Great Restaurants Nearby

Swimming stirs up the appetite, so head across the road from these tidal pools to the fantastic restaurants on offer. From Maiden’s Cove in Camps Bay, with its breathtaking views of the Twelve Apostles and breaching whales that come close to the shoreline, you can take a short walk to the restaurant strip. Hang out with the fashionistas and celebrities that frequent Camps Bay as you tuck in to a seafood platter. If you’ve emerged from Dalebrook Pool in Kalk Bay, you can people-watch and spot the local artists and musicians at Dalebrook Café just across the road. This café serves delicious breakfasts and lunches, as well as great coffee and fresh juices.

Summer is for Swimming

This summer, let us find a villa with the perfect pool for you. Soak up the sun as you drift suspended between the azure blue of the sky that stretches above you and the silvery blue of the water that holds you.

You spend months looking forward to your holiday, but when you’ve put your bags down and opened the veranda doors of your villa to let in the salty sea air, it can take a while to clear your mind and relax.
In the wise words of Pooh, A.A. Milne’s endearing Bear of Little Brain:

“What day is it?” asked Pooh.
“It’s today,” squeaked Piglet.
“My favourite day,” said Pooh.

As Pooh shows us, one of the best ways of emptying your mind is by focusing on the present moment. Studies show that practicing present moment awareness can help you relax, pay attention and feel happier.

Jon Kabat-Zinn (the ‘father’ of secular mindfulness) says, “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”

5 Top Tips for creating a mindful holiday:

1. Come to your senses. Take the time to taste that first sip of tea, to feel the crisp bedsheets, to breathe in the sea air and watch the sea gulls soaring in the sky, and listen to the waves breaking on the shore.
2. Use your breath to slow down and focus. Long, deep breaths in and out will help reduce stress and draw you back into your body.
3. Create unstructured time. Let go of your long list of holiday activities and any residual FOMO. Enjoy where you are right now.
4. Be creative. Write in your journal, work on that painting, try out a new craft.
5. Disconnect to reconnect. Put your phone on silent. Hold your partner’s hand while you watch the kids build sandcastles. Haul out those board games that remind you of your childhood.

Breathing in deeply and soaking in your surroundings will fill you with a deep sense of wellbeing.

And that is what holidays are all about.