Last week we skipped out of Sydney for our very first (!!) holiday since having a baby. A bit of a milestone in itself, but we’d actually booked the trip as a belated birthday celebration to mark our son turning one. Which, boy does time fly. One of the first places that came to mind for our holiday was Shoalhaven – a coastal town which was hit by the bushfires last year – and it didn’t take long to find an idyllic holiday spot. We promptly booked in for three nights at Bangalay Luxury Villas. The beautiful villas and close proximity to the beach completely sold us.
WHAT I PACKED
The forcast during our stay at Bangalay Luxury Villas was pretty mixed. Warm and rainy our first night, followed by sunshine with a cool change, and more rain for our remaining two nights. Easy separates that I could layer were my focus, but I couldn’t resist stashing a handful of easy sun dresses in my bag. I took one super chunky knit cardigan, and “thinner” cashmere knit, and a sweatshirt, along with a couple of tanks and a tee. When you have a messy toddler, you need options. I also took a couple pairs of shorts, a skirt and one pair of jeans. For shoes, I went with some pretty sandals, and a trusty pair of sneakers. At the last minute, I threw some RM Williams in the back of the car, though I didn’t end up needing them.
Wearing Matteau dress; By Far sandals; Mango straw bag & Laura Lombardi earrings
Wearing Bec & Bridge dress & YSL tribute slides
Wearing Ceres Life dress; Mango straw bag & Sezane sandals
OUR STAY AT BANGALAY LUXURY VILLAS
I thought I’d share a few quick thoughts on our stay at Bangalay Luxury Villas, because as far as holiday accommodation goes, I’d categorise the price-point within the mid-tier range. Driving there from Sydney, and locating the villas was very simple, and there was ample parking on-site (FOC). Check-in was again, a smooth process (we had paid a deposit up front, the remaining balance and any in-room expenses were charged upon checkout), and we had a PIN to enter our room. Actually very handy as it meant we didn’t have to worry about taking a key when heading out.
The actual villas are beautiful. A mix of coastal and Scandinavian elements, it feels like luxury. It’s light and bright, with quite a dark masculine bathroom which made me think of Indonesian luxury stays. For a family of three, we found the size of the one-bed villa very comfortable. There was enough room for a portacot in the bedroom, while still being able to manoeuvre around effortlessly.
There’s a gallery kitchen with stove top et al, which admittedly we didn’t really use (just the microwave to make breakfast and re-heat some food I’d brought for our boy). But we did appreciate having the option of being able to purchase some food and do a cook up ourselves if we wanted. The lounge is super comfortable, and we loved all the light that came in through the floor to ceiling windows. At the far end is a deck which either looks out to the garden or the nearby golf course. It’s covered so you can sit out there rain or shine.
On-site is also a beautiful pool, and bridging the gap between the Villas and the beach is Bangalay Dining. Excellent coffee, and you can have a beautiful dining experience there if you don’t feel like travelling far.
WHAT WE DID
Keep in mind that this was our first proper holiday in more than a year, so R&R was really our only priority. And if you’d like to get a little peek into our getaway, I did share a travel vlog on my YouTube channel here.
Our very first night, we stayed in. It was raining, and we really just wanted to “chill out” after our drive down. We wandered down to the beach to get the lay of the land, and once back in our villa put together a little cheese board, and settled in with a movie.
Day two, the weather was stunning. Clear blue skies. So we made the most of it and after grabbing breakfast at Bangalay Dining, we headed down to the beach (which is literally a two minute walk, if that). Later in the afternoon, we enjoyed some time pool side, and then in the evening, we had dinner at Bangalay Dining. Safe to say fine dining is a tricky beast when you have a very active and wriggly toddler!
We awoke to cloudy skies on day three, so decided to take it easy. Though I did drag Luke and our boy down to the beach with me first thing on the optimism that we might see the sunrise. One thing we had wanted to do was visit a local winery and take our boy to Shoalhaven Zoo to see the animals. It was pouring with rain by the evening, so rather than try and get food out, we asked if we could get room service from Bangalay Dining… who very kindly obliged! A treat as it meant we could enjoy our meal once our son was tucked away in bed.
Our final morning was leisurely. We woke up at our own pace, grabbed breakfast, and slowly packed to leave. Making sure to visit the beach one final time before hopping in the car.
