Ravine

Bantry Bay lies between a scramble of coarsely crystalline rocks on this famous Cape peninsula coastline, and the lower lightly forested slopes of Table Mountain. It is a small but much celebrated piece of turf, commanding huge prices because of its potent position. “Ah, Bantry Bay,” people nod knowingly. Super smart. Swanky houses, enviable vistas.

It lies within a microclimate of tropical weather, which Ravine has made the most of with a tangle of waxy tropical plants, orchids, banana trees, hanging baskets filled with begonias.

As a holiday destination Ravine offers an island feel, a look that is mirrored in the interiors with its anthracite, charcoal and purpley granite shades offset with pots of orchids, frangipani, poinsettia, a Catherine Wheel of colours shot with scarlet accessories.

Large oil paintings decorate the walls, some portraits and one of gulls rushing through a sunset makes the heart leap. Ravine is sunset territory and tilting down cocktails – Manhattans, Sidecars or personal favourites like the Sazerac – you can watch the sun sink slowly on the horizon, which is the real essence of Bantry Bay.

Comfort is the box office word for Ravine, lofty bedrooms, all except one with sea views, big bathrooms (only found in South Africa and America) and a parabola of windows like an ocean liner. The rim pool juts into the sea and ocean and sky meets sea to make a wall of blue. “Comfort is my big thing here” says the owner, “it’s wall to wall luxe and that translates into relaxation for me. A few days and I am restored.”

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