Ohana Retreat: Soulful, Stylish Living in Nature’s Embrace

A chic retreat in the heart of the Western Cape, Ohana is a design lover’s dream wrapped in nature’s embrace — the perfect escape for those seeking serenity, soul, and style

Tucked away in the Banghoek Private Nature Reserve, a tranquil slice of wilderness just two hours from Cape Town, Ohana Retreat offers an inspired blend of thoughtful design and raw natural beauty.

A whitewashed, thatched farmhouse reborn, it’s the passion project of Daniel Phillips and Debbie Goldstein, whose vision was to create a space that felt both deeply considered and delightfully unpretentious. The result? A boutique hideaway that wears its elegance lightly — soulful, stylish and soaked in nature.

Debbie, also the founder of fashion forward Madison Boutique in Constantia, brings a deft hand to the interiors. Every corner whispers intention, but never shouts. Inside, the open-plan living area is anchored by a generous hearth…

Shelves filled with art and literature, an assortment of old-school games beckoning to be played and plush furnishings that invite long, lazy afternoons. The palette is soft and sun-bleached. Earthy linens, timber tones and textured ceramics echo the surrounding landscape, with pops of colour keeping things interesting, and a commitment to local design — Mungo, Ashanti, Fieldbar et al. (If you know, you know and you’ll be able to spot it.)

Three bedrooms spill out onto a lush garden, where the soft mountain air drifts through open doors and the lines between indoor and out dissolve. Ohana's outdoor spaces are equally alluring. Beanbags and hammocks are scattered under trees, a small but inviting natural pool fed by the river glimmers in the sun, and a canopy of fairy lights brings a touch of magic to evenings al fresco. The surrounding landscape — where Daniel and Debbie have planted and nurtured more than 2  000 trees, plants and orchards — are a living, growing expression of the couple’s love for this land. The space is cocooned in colour and scent, seamlessly connecting it to the untamed beauty of the reserve.

Off-grid and solar-powered, it’s no surprise that Ohana runs lightly on the earth while not compromising on comfort. Nature is part of the rhythm here. And that’s the charm… It’s the kind of place where your shoulders drop a little lower, your breath comes a little slower and the days unfold with a quiet kind of luxury.

There's something wonderfully grounding about staying somewhere that’s so effortlessly in sync with its surroundings. Ohana is, quite simply, a celebration of place — a sanctuary that fuses artful living with the soothing balm of the wild.

Text by Lynette Botha