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Staycation at Shark Bay Hotel
A staycation at Shark Bay Hotel in Langebaan is the ultimate place to unwind, relax and rejuvenate.
Whether your staycation is to relax or have fun, there are many activities to do in Langebaan and it’s surrounding towns. Just a mere 1.5 hour drive from Cape Town, it’s not too far for a weekend staycation.
For those who are new here, we are twin South African travel bloggers, inspiring you to travel more! Our page is to create travel content, and showcase our travel tips and experiences. Itinerary planning can be quite time consuming, but with Lauren’s travel background, it’s like second nature to her.
In this blog post, we go into detail about our staycation at Shark Bay Hotel where we celebrated our 30th birthday!
Where is Shark Bay Hotel located?
The Shark Bay Hotel is nestled on a hill in Langebaan which overlooks the Langebaan Lagoon and West Coast National Park. The villa’s are sparsely located and surrounded by picturesque flora and fauna. Currently, there is a lot of construction work in the area so hopefully there is still space and privacy between units in a few years time. Langebaan is renowned for it being a fisherman’s town, where kitesurfing is very popular for locals and tourists and it’s a close enough drive for a weekend getaway.
How to get to Langebaan
Langebaan is approximately 1.5 hours from Cape Town, depending on how many stops you make / speed limit. Remember this road has cameras which track your average speed and fines are rather hefty.
Head onto the N7 towards Malmesbury and take exit 31 which merges left from N7 onto Melkbosstrand Rd/M19. (If you’re in need of a little coffee pitstop, the Melkbosstrand Caltex FreshStop isn’t a far detour off the main road and has a takeaway Seattle Coffee Co inside.)
Directions to your staycation at Shark Bay Hotel
Exit Melkbosstrand and turn left onto the R27 towards Langebaan and drive for +- 86km. Turn left at the Engen West Coast 1 Stop onto Langebaan Weg. The road name changes to Oostewal Road, and continue traveling straight until you get to the Langebaan Yacht Club T junction. Turn left onto Sunbird Drive, right into Park Drive and right into Stompneus Drive. The destination Shark Bay Hotel will be on your right hand side.
When returning home from your staycation at Shark Bay Hotel back to Cape Town, enter the West Coast National Park gate and take a leisurely drive and hopefully you’ll spot a few animals. You’ll most likely spot many ostriches, as there is an abundance at the moment. (Make sure to contact WCNP to check what is required when entering the park and the payment methods they take).
Villa and Hotel Overview
Hotel or villa? How do you choose?
We cannot stand sharing a bed, so we always look out for twin beds for all our destinations. The best suitable accommodation for us and our parents was Villa #5 which was absolutely LOVELY. The main hotel does not split beds into twins, therefore the reason why we opted for the villa over the hotel. We walked into the light open villa, which smelt so good of room spray (Julia has an obsession with clothing detergent and room spray).
We checked out all the rooms and were jealous of dad picking the main room in the house. Guess we will have to go back for another staycation at Shark bay Hotel to secure that main room 😉
Main room:
This large room has large corner windows which look out onto the diverse fynbos and lagoon while laying in the comfortable queen bed. A large bathtub is located behind the bed (with a wall divider), a shower and enclosed toilet.
Room 2:
Double bed, cozy and crisp bedding with an ensuite shower and toilet. The blockout curtains were a winner, even though we woke up early for the beautiful sunrise.
Room 3:
Twin beds, large ensuite with toilet and amazing shower. Perfect for us two.
If you are wanting the ultimate relaxation holiday where you do not want to cook meals and take outs are the solution, we would suggest staying in the main hotel at Shark Bay Hotel.
Shark Bay Hotel Rooms vs Freestanding Villas
Hotel
Security: The main hotel at the Shark Bay Hotel is located at the entrance of the hotel and therefore 24/7, making one feel safer if you are safety conscious.
Food: Restaurants on repeat. There is a restaurant inside the hotel for you to have breakfast, lunch and dinner all a walk away.
Bedding: Sharing beds for the win! All the hotel unit beds cannot be split into twin beds.
Location: Within walking distance to the lagoon and one of the safest spots for smaller children to swim at – Shark Bay Beach
Views: Lagoon views
Villa
Security: The villas do have alarm systems and are freestanding homes. You can set the alarm, however, you won’t be able to move around in the villa without the alarm going off. There is a security company that roams around during the day and night.
Food: Full on self catering villas with a kitchen equipped with everything that you need.
Bedding: A variety of bedding options, including twin beds in one room.
Location: Located a little further away from Shark Bay Beach. One can take a leisurely walk to the beach and the main hotel. For kids to move between the villas and the beach, might be a bit of a worry for parents as it’s slightly further away and the road is the same road that cars take to get into the WCNP from the Langebaan side.
Views: Surrounded by nature with beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
Facilities
Spa lovers
For those of you who know us, know we love a good old Swedish massage.
Here at The Shark Hotel, you can spoil yourself with their Spa facilities and unwind overlooking the Langebaan lagoon. You deserve it!
Restaurant
Breakfast, lunch and dinner views overlooking the Langebaan Lagoon.
The Restaurant is located in the main hotel, which is very convenient for guests staying in the main hotel rooms. Depending on which villa you are staying in, this may be a little walk, but manageable – perhaps the dessert option can be an enticement to walk back after your meal…
Conference room
Conference by day, nature walks by night.
We know remote/hybrid working is the new in thing and we’re all for it! Sometimes we need a little team meet up/ morale booster and what better way than booking a getaway for your team to work hard during the day and unwind in the afternoons at the peaceful Shark Bay Hotel.
Your team will return home feeling refreshed and rejuvenated and ready to get back to the work routine.
Staycation at Shark Bay Hotel - where to check in?
You’ll find the friendly reception team at The Shark Bay Hotel. This is where they will assist with check in, hand over keys and answer any queries. If you are staying in one of the villas, you will be guided on how to get there, including a road map of The Shark Bay area.
Address: 8 Grysbok Close, Shark Bay Langebaan, Western Cape, 7357, South Africa.
Travel to the heart of the winelands
Interested in traveling to Franschhoek? Read more about our suggestions for a one night stay in Franschhoek.
Our Favourites
The indoor fireplace
We spent the evening at the villa and made a delicious dinner and watched the tennis. We visited during the winter months and dad made a fire, which warmed up the lounge area.
Being surrounded by nature
The lounge has beautiful views of The Langebaan Lagoon and Table Mountain can even be spotted on clear days! The villa’s are sparsely placed and you’re surrounded by fynbos, birds chirping, tortoises slowly moving along and absolutely amazing starry nights. You need to experience this yourself.
How to book your staycation at Shark Bay Hotel
Online booking and teams are available on Whatsapp.
Need a city getaway and love the idea of being surrounded by nature? Whether it is a solo winter getaway or family summer vacation, book your staycation to Shark Bay Hotel today.
Alternative dining options in the area
If you’re not eating in the restaurant, the villa’s are equipped with fully functional kitchen’s and outdoor braai areas. The kitchen is stocked with all the utensils we needed and a few extra’s too, including a coffee plunger!
We love the fact that Langebaan have eat out specials and allow for visitors to restaurant hop the specials each night.
Windtown Hotel – have specials every night of the week. They have a cosy fireplace to enjoy your meals during the winter months. A must have meal – chicken burger with chips. The rooftop area looks amazing and we envisioned going back for sundowners with friends real soon.
The Langebaan Country Club – we supported The Range Cafe by Soldato for breakfast and chatted to the lovely owners. They recently took over and have great vision with where they want to take the restaurant. Bonus that they have alternative milk options – oat milk all the way 🙂
We didn’t get to all the restaurants, but here are a few we plan on going back to:
- RocXi Beach Restaurant (located centrally near to the Spar and Waterpark)
- Pearly’s Restaurant (we’ve been here before for delicious pizza and sundowner and located centrally near to the Spar and Waterpark)
- Kaapstadt Brauhaus Langebaan (located on Mykonos side of Langebaan)
Make sure to book a spot, as they can fill up during busy seasons.
Activities to do in and around Langebaan
West Coast National Park
- Bird watching & photographing
- Fauna and Flora sightings & photographing (flower season is absolutely stunning and a must during August and September)
- Hiking
- Biking
- Braaing
- Swimming
- Boating and watersports if you own a boat
Club Mykonos
- Jet skiing
- Gambling at the casino
- Tennis and table tennis
Langebaan & Surrounds
- West Coast Fossil Park
- Thali Thali Game Drive
- Aquila Safari
- Langebaan Country Estate Golf Course
- Sunset Cruise
All of these activities are lovely outings for families. The West Coast Fossil Park is a great educational for both children and parents and not a far drive from Langebaan.
If you have any questions about our travels to Shark Bay Hotel, comment below and we will get back to you asap. We hope you have an amazing staycation at Shark Bay Hotel.
