The Fynbos Pod, Cyphia Close Cabins, Hout Bay

Stay at Cyphia Close Cabins in Hout Bay, in a unique, architect designed pod with magnificent outdoor spaces, sea & mountain views, surrounded by beaches, sand dunes, mountains & fynbos, while still close to town & CBD Featuring a twin/king bed(s), bathroom, living area, kitchen, deck & wood-fired outdoor bath Internet:500MB down/250MB up. Inverter for loadshedding Not secluded; we have other cabins and we have animals onsite No free stays for social media posts Please read full listing The space This is is a still new, completely bespoke 8x3m wooden cabin perched on a hill of fynbos with 270 degree views the incredible Chapmans Peak mountains, Sandy Bay dunes and beach of Hout Bay, situated at Cyphia Close Cabins Finished during 2021, it was designed and thought out over a long time by an avid traveller to be exactly what a magical adventure to a far-off place should be - a bit of glamourous rustic, a bit of luxury, a bit of originality, and lot of practical functionality, with incredible views. You will not find a property like this anywhere in Cape Town. Enter the pod up slightly-uneven stone steps, across the wooden deck and up the wooden ramp. Leave your shoes in a nook by the entrance to keep a clean, shoe-free zone, and hang your coats and keys behind the front door. Wallets and keys on the shelf above. Behind a solid wood, locally crafted barn door, is the beautifully designed bathroom with a uniquely-tiled shower, stone basin atop a purpose-build wooden pedestal and toilet. Hang up or fold away your clothes, lay out your shoes, and keep your suitcases out of the way at the top of the open twin cupboard spaces. The kitchen punches well above its weight for its size, and boasts beautiful, locally-crafted wooden counters and shelving, as well as a rustic concrete basin home-made from the sand outside. Crockery, cutlery and all the basics needed for self catering are found on the open shelves. A hidden pantry cupboard opposite the fridge hides away any clutter, groceries, cleaning items and internet access points. The red fridge in the corner makes a statement, while a mini dishwasher is a rare jewel for those who hate washing dishes on holiday. The lounge area has a tiny wood-fired closed-combustion fireplace with a basket of wood, as well as a comfortable hand-crafted wooden couch with magnificent views. The couch has an additional feather mattress topper and can double up as a comfortable single bed for a third person if booked accordingly. Step up to your sleeping platform, read a book or wake up to a magical sunrise, watching the panoramic sea and mountain views. The quality mattresses can be configured as a connected singular king bed for individuals or couples (default), or as twin beds for single travellers. Drink your coffee in the morning, enjoy your meals or (try to) work on your laptop under a unique chandelier, at the versatile coffee bar with incredible views of the mountains and sea. The sliding windows all open in any direction, for the living outdoors feeling. If this isn't enough to entice you, enjoy an outdoor shower after a hot hike or long day at the beach, or pop a few logs into the wood-fired coil to keep your outdoor bath (for one or two) warm, while watching the fading sun paint the Chapmans Peak mountains pink and the bay a pale silver in the fading light. If its not a windy day, enjoy a braai and al fresco dining on the wooden deck before retiring for the evening. Enjoy cosy winters with an outdoor hot bath, wood fired firestove and electric hot water bottles to keep your bed warm. We have a basement facility where guests have access to a laundry facility, additional wood and fibre line (for resets). Laundry, wood and any other services are subject to availability and require additional payment via SnapScan or credit card payment on an honesty basis. Note the basement has a camera for security purposes. We also have a mobile spa available, where you can arrange spa treatments from a mobile spa in the privacy of your pod, or on your deck. The property is very secure and boasts external cameras, linked alarm system and electric fencing all around as well as remote-controlled smart access. The magical garden and outdoor spaces are a highlight of this property, designed by a talented local garden designer to be entirely indigenous and mostly local fynbos growing in this specific area. It boasts a beautiful natural rock eco pool and sitting area (main house use only), with endless views of the mountains and sea from various angels, and abundant birdlife and local wildlife (spot the frogs, mongeese and caracals). The garden area includes a kitchen garden, composting section, rainwater harvesting, walkways and paths, and has been designed with long term sustainability in mind, particularly with Cape Town being a water scarce environment. Note there is another smaller pod on the property and a main cabin, which may be occupied by ourselves or other guests. We have 2 feisty Boston terriers and a super tranquil small rescue collie who understand the property as theirs. We cannot control them 24/7 and they may come to visit and sometimes bark at new guests. If you do not like animals please enquire about if we will likely be on site or not (we usually are) as this property may not be for you. We also have a cat whom you may never see and a chicken who will likely join you around the firepit (she’s worse than the dogs when it comes to food). Please respect other residents on the property and their privacy. Except for the pod and personal deck, the rest of the garden is not for guest use. However, please feel free to ask us if you would like to try anything out of our kitchen garden. There is direct access to the Sandy Bay Dunes Nature Reserve via a back gate on the property, where guests can walk about 200m up the hill, onto the sand dunes and down to Sandy Bay and across to Llundudno along the hiking paths, as well as onto the Shipwreck Trail. The top of the dunes are popular with groups and families for picnics. Please look out for the sign to the beach, follow the path behind the main house (not by the deck and pool) and respect our privacy. If you’re a surfer, Sandy Bay and Llundudno are both in walking distance. If you’re a family with kids and dogs, welcome to heaven. This place is a paradise for hikers, trail runners and cyclists, and even the less fit can enjoy an almost flat walk (from the top of the dunes) along the contour of The Sentinel, with incredible views across to Camps Bay, the 12Apostles and Lions Head. This location literally cannot be beaten. Guest access Whole cabin Cabin deck Outdoor shower Wood-fired outdoor bath/hot tub Food garden (shared and by arrangement) Path to the reserve (shared) The eco pool and outdoor areas is reserved for Sentinel guests and not permitted for pod guests. Specific arrangements could potentially be made for a particular day on request if other guests are not in residence. Guests are requested to consider the privacy of other guests or residents at The Sentinel and the Reservoir Micro Pod. Other things to note - South Africa experiences load shedding from time to time, meaning the electricity is turned off in managed schedules to assist with maintenance on old infrastructure. We have back ups on the fibre and internet lines, gas stoves and a back up light with phone charger in each house. The gate has a basic battery up. Please note that loadshedding, other electrical outages and water outages do happen from time to time, are ebeyond our control and we can’t take responsibility for any issues caused by this. - The Reservoir Pod is situated on top of the reservoir, behind a row of growing trees. The pod faces the sea and depending on where on the deck you are, may look up to the fynbos pod’s deck or the main house deck. Blinds keep the sun out and provide privacy while still being able to see the view. - The Fynbos Pod is situated at the top of the hill on the property, with magnificent views of the mountains and sea. While the deck, pool and outdoor areas are visible from the pod, guests are drawn to the views and can make use of their blinds. The trees around the deck will provide full privacy in time. - Cape Town is known for being windy at times, in both summer and winter. It can be particularly windy up here on the mountain and the house is built of steel, glass and wood so it can be noisy during high winds - The house has French press (plunger) coffee available only. No on site coffee machines because the value chain is environmentally unfriendly and also because it is an opportunity to buy local from the cafés down the road. - Regular or occasional servicing can be arranged, but is subject to availability. An additional fee of R300 for a half day applies. - For bookings longer than 7 days, a weekly cleaning fee (R300) and linen change (R200) is mandatory - Due to Cape Town being a high risk water area, there are no regular baths on this property and guests are asked to use water sparingly at all times as only the garden, eco pool and outdoor wood fired bath are serviced from rain water - The eco pool is a natural rock pool with no fencing and no cover. The cabin is up a short hill and the deck has unprotected sides with drop offs of around 1m on some sides. The is also a sharp drop off out of the sliding windows (which has a balustrade). The cabins are not most suitable for children under 10 or anyone under the influence of alcohol or any other substances. Anyone using the property needs to exercise suitable caution and does so at their own risk. We will not be liable for any injuries. - We have 2 fiesty Boston terriers and a super tranquil rescue collie who understand the property as theirs. We cannot control them 24/7 and they may come to visit and sometimes bark at new guests. If you do not like dogs please enquire about if we will likely be on site or not (we usually are) as this property may not be for you.