Only a 'what have I got to lose' hour from Cape Town - a chunk of it along a very pleasant winding ribbon of coastal road linking Gordon's Bay to Rooi Els and the holiday hamlets beyond - Sea Horse ticks quite a few of those 'dream beach house' boxes. To name but some... Magnificent views stretching from Cape Point to the Strand; an easy five minute stroll to the beach and the shallow child-friendly river; a sunny open-plan layout and relaxed custom-made white-washed furniture and decor befitting a pad by the sea. While the house can sleep a mini tribe of nine guests, the price tag is affordable for both smaller (R1000 a night for four) and larger groups (R1500 for five and more). What's more, Sea Horse is built in such a way that the house easily accommodates two full families without any logistical headaches or emotional flare-ups - downstairs you'll find an ensuite bedroom with double bed, and another bedroom with two singles for the harassed parents, as well as a separate bathroom; heading upstairs it's pretty much the same thing, plus an extra bed to make up the nine total. Stepping into the huge open-plan lounge and dining area, this is where it all happens socially. Factor in the vista-hungry balcony, you can't really ask for more on this front. The adjacent kitchen is compact and fully equipped with all the necessary mod-cons and appliances homo sapiens requires to survive the modern age. For activity, there's the beach and river, a restaurant and pub in Rooi Els itself, plus loads of eateries of mixed standard spread across Pringle Bay and Betty's Bays - about 15 minutes in the car.