Sandy Place Newsletter June 2022

Events | Refurbishments and Maintenance | Explore | Guest Feedback | Notices

‘Location, location, location’, as the old refrain goes… When it comes to holiday locations, you’d have to go far to beat Sandy Place’s little sweet spot here in St. Lucia, located within the boundaries of the 3 280 km² iSimangaliso Wetland Park and World Heritage Site. And knowing that St. Lucia’s population of around 500 permanent residents rockets tenfold to about 5000 people during holiday season, we can’t help feeling just a little bit smug about the fact that our Sandy Place Shareholders have their own little piece of this sublime, and very special, slice of Africa that you get to return to and relish in year after year!

Did you know that iSimangaliso means miracle and wonder? An apt description for the astonishing beauty and variety of habitats within the Park – from the Ubombo Mountains to grasslands, forests, wetlands, mangroves and ancient dunes, magnificent beaches, and coral reefs – and the diversity and awe-inspiring magnificence of the wildlife!

In the words of Nelson Mandela:
“iSimangaliso must be the only place on the globe where the oldest land mammal (the Rhinoceros) and the world's biggest terrestrial mammal (the Elephant) share an ecosystem with the world's oldest fish (the Coelacanth) and the world's biggest marine mammal (the Whale).”

And that is why we are never happier than when we are welcoming you back for your annual holiday! Nothing quite puts a smile on our faces like our Shareholders coming back through the Sandy Place gate for another year’s retreat to this very special part of the world. So, without further ado, let’s catch you up on what we’ve been up to here at Sandy Place, until it’s time for us to see your smiling faces in person again.

Christmas @ Sandy Place

The towels in each unit were lovingly decorated with a caress of Christmas cheer.
All our guests received handmade Christmas gifts: Rudolf-the-Reindeer bottles, filled with chocolate treats.

New Year @ Sandy Place

We maintained the Festive Season tradition and specially arranged and decorated the towels in all the units with a touch of Festive flair, to provide a special welcome for our guests checking-in over this period.

Valentine’s Day

There’s no denying that we have a soft spot for romance, and we can’t resist letting Cupid out to play on Valentine’s Day! Love décor and sweet treats – including lollipops with love tags – were placed on the beds; as were colour-my-heart cards and crayons, adding some fun activities for the whole family into the mix.

Easter

Clearly the Easter Bunny is a big Sandy Place fan as he allocated plenty of time and Easter-stylings resources to setting the Easter scene for our guests! Bunny treats and Easter surprises were the order of the day, from check-in to Easter Sunday!

UNIT MAINTENANCE
New aircons have been installed in certain units, as required.

OUTSIDE LIGHTS
The cabling for the outside lights has been upgraded in order to provide better lighting for guests at night, as well as in the interest of security

PARKING AREA
All cracks have been repaired and painted.
Membrane has been placed on all the top walls

RESORT VEHICLE
Resort vehicle has been serviced

LAUNDRY
Faulty isolator switch has been replaced to ensure that all laundry equipment can be switched off in the evenings prior to staff leaving the workplace

STAFF QUARTERS
Air vents have been installed in the staff quarter showers to ensure proper ventilation

Ground Maintenance

Removed and replaced the defective float switch in the water system
New rakes have been purchased for the upkeep of the gardens
Various tree-felling and pruning to remove decomposing trees and overhanging branches, as required
Garden edging
Painting of swimming pool walls
Water feature pump installed
Our face-in-the-hole photo board has been given a new theme, and a new home at the recreation area. Now our photo fans have the choice of a beach themed photo or an animal themed photo

While staying in St. Lucia one has the opportunity of enjoying spectacular, unspoiled beaches as far as the eye can see, with Ingwe Beach approximately 1,3km from St. Lucia and Jabula Beach approximately 1,8km from St. Lucia. Our favourite route is to drive down towards the ski boat club and walk along the boardwalk to access the beach. But it’s definitely worthwhile exploring just a little further afield too and visiting the Cape Vidal & Mission Rocks Beaches.
Travelling from St. Lucia into the iSimangaliso Wetland Park you have the opportunity of enjoying both the bush and the beach. This wonderous area, with its abundance of wildlife, makes for an exciting day out. For those wanting to enjoy some sun and fun, travel towards Cape Vidal 28km North.
The sandy beaches with scattered rocks make for some enjoyable swimming, snorkelling and fishing. Cape Vidal has a protected bay from where one can easily access the beach. Note: It is recommended that snorkelling only be done at Low Tide, due to the effect of incoming tides.
Mission Rocks is situated almost halfway between St. Lucia and Cape Vidal Beach. This area has a rocky landscape towards the South, with slightly sandier beaches towards the North. With rocky pools and rock outcrops, the family can clamber and explore to your heart's content.

Getting to Know Your Host,
Resort Manager Tanya Viviers

We sat down with Tanya to find out some of her favourite Sandy Place anecdotes and memories...

When in Rome, Eat Like a Local!

One of our East Coast friends very kindly shared this yummy KZN favourite, Durban-style Prawn Curry recipe so you can give it a try.

He-Said-She-Said:

“Sandy Place is very well situated in the middle of town. You can get wherever you want on foot. From the Welcome at the gate from the Guard to the Reception check-in, we felt at home. Flat is well furnished with all you need for a week or just weekend away. Clean and well serviced. Restaurants and shops walking distance. Would be back again cheerfully.”
– Google, March 2022

“The host and hostess are very friendly and accommodating. The duplex unit we stayed in is very modern, clean, and spacious. The on-site staff are so helpful and friendly. We recommend Sandy Place to anyone wanting to visit St. Lucia.”
– Google, March 2022

“Absolutely fantastic, we will most definitely be returning. Absolutely brilliant, I was amazed about the safety gates provided in our unit. It made me sleep without any worry that our kids will wake up in the night and walk downstairs.”
– Guestrevu, March 2022

“Excellent - certainly going back there: location, comfort and amenities excellent.”
– Guestrevu, Feb 2022

“It was a very relaxing experience. Had friends with us as guests and they also enjoyed it very much.”
– Guestrevu, Jan 2022

“We've been coming to Sandy Place for a few years now , since we became owners. It's starting to feel like an extension of home.”
– Guestrevu, Jan 2022

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Important Notices

Resort Calendars > 2022 | 2023

We would like to remind our valued Shareholders to kindly check and sign off on inventories upon arrival at your home-away-from-home unit. An inventory list is available in your unit; any discrepancies must please be reported at Reception.

Keep In Touch With Us

As twilight changes the sunset hues to darker honey tones, the air fills with the sound of a thousand miniature frogs having their high-pitched say before the night settles in; we turn our thoughts to preparing for the second half of 2022 with determination and readiness to end the year on a high note.

We are grateful that, as always, we get to walk the Sandy Place path with you – our loyal Shareholders – by our side. With this in mind, we leave you with the words of Henry Ford; “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress and working together is success”. Thank you for working together so well with us.

Warmest regards
Marjorie Forssman