It was a wonderful experience from the moment we arrived. We were greeted with a smile and a complete tour of the property, which exceeded all expectations (in fact, the pictures do not do it justice).

The property representative - who stays in the guest house, when he is not traveling - did everything he could to make us feel welcome, answered all questions, and easily accommodated a couple of requests.

The house itself is beautiful - well-appointed with beautiful art and furnishings, an excellent chef's kitchen, both a gas and charcoal grill, a several lovely outdoor sitting areas, and even an outdoor shower. It sits up on a hill in Topanga Canyon, in a small gated neighborhood (3 homes, I believe). It is also quite private - the property is walled, with a wooden-doored stucco wall between the parking area and the grounds themselves.

The property is just a few hundred yards above the main "shopping district" of Topanga, which consists of a general store and a couple of small multi-tenant commercial properties (cafes, art galleries, an Italian restaurant). This is just about perfect, as a quick run down to the store is a 5 minute walk or a 60 second hop in the car. One of the cafes plays jazz until ~10pm on weekend nights, which wafts up the canyon as lovely background music when outside (but cannot be heard inside, unless the windows are open). It is also just a little over a mile from the entrance to Topanga Canyon State Park, which is great for hiking (both steep and relatively flat). There is easy parking at the park, so you can bop up for some hiking whenever you'd like.

Important to know: The property is about 3 miles up a winding mountain road which runs up from the Pacific Coast Highway, a mile or so north of the Getty Mansion. The road itself is extremely reminiscent of France or Italy - steep in places, quite twisty, and one lane. So if you're not accustomed to driving on such roads, or live in a place with right-hand drive, make sure that you're comfortable negotiating this kind of a road.