South Africa

Inyati Game Lodge occupies a private concession on the banks of the Sand River in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, one of the older and more personal operations in a reserve now dominated by large groups.

The riverine forest here is prime leopard habitat, and the concession’s traversing rights permit off-road driving and night drives that are not allowed inside Kruger itself. Game drives are run by a ranger and tracker working as a pair, with the tracker reading spoor from a seat mounted ahead of the bonnet.

The Peermont Mondior sits within the Emperors Palace complex at Kempton Park, a few minutes from OR Tambo International Airport, and exists primarily to solve the problem of Johannesburg’s long-haul connections.

A 24-hour shuttle runs to the terminals, and the surrounding resort holds restaurants, a casino, a theatre and a spa, which makes an enforced overnight considerably less tedious than it would otherwise be. Rooms are quiet despite the proximity to the runways.

Lekkerwater Beach Lodge sits directly on the shoreline within De Hoop Nature Reserve, on a stretch of coast that was formerly a private presidential retreat and is now the only accommodation of its kind inside the reserve boundary.

Seven rooms face the Indian Ocean across dune and fynbos, close enough that southern right whales can be watched from the beds between June and November. The surrounding marine protected area is regarded as the finest land-based whale watching anywhere in the world.

The Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront occupies a position on the Atlantic shoreline at Granger Bay, immediately alongside the V&A Waterfront, with most rooms facing directly onto the sea.

It is a full-service hotel rather than a boutique one, with an infinity pool set at the water’s edge, several dining options and reliable business facilities. The location works particularly well for travellers wanting Waterfront access without staying inside the shopping precinct itself.

The Silo Hotel occupies the upper floors of a 1920s grain elevator on Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront, converted by Thomas Heatherwick in the same project that carved the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa out of the storage tubes below.

Its defining feature is the glazing: bulging, pillowed windows cut into the concrete grid, each pane bowed outward so the rooms catch Table Mountain, the harbour and the Atlantic from different angles. Interiors are deliberately maximalist against the industrial shell, and the rooftop pool and bar look straight across the working docks.

The Winchester Hotel sits directly on the Sea Point promenade, a Cape Victorian building that has looked out over the Atlantic since the 1920s and remains one of the more characterful addresses on that stretch of coast.

Rooms face either the ocean or a planted internal courtyard, where the hotel’s long-running jazz brunch is held. Sea Point itself is walkable, flat and lively, with the promenade running for kilometres along the shoreline towards Green Point and the stadium.

Tsitsikamma Village Inn sits in the centre of Storms River village, minutes from the entrance to the Tsitsikamma section of Garden Route National Park.

Rooms are arranged around a courtyard in a cluster of Cape-style village buildings, giving the property a distinct character. The position makes it a practical base for the suspension bridges, the Otter Trail and the region’s canopy tours.

Tsala Treetop Lodge places its suites among the canopy of indigenous forest near Plettenberg Bay, raised on stilts and connected by elevated wooden walkways.

Each suite includes a private infinity pool that appears to spill into the surrounding treetops. The forest setting is genuinely immersive, and the region’s Tsitsikamma trails, canopy tours and suspension bridges are within easy reach.

Le Quartier Français sits in the heart of Franschhoek village, placing the town’s celebrated restaurants, galleries and tasting rooms within a few minutes’ walk.

Suites are arranged around a central courtyard and pool, combining Cape village character with contemporary interiors. The location makes it possible to explore Franschhoek’s food and wine scene entirely on foot or by wine tram.

Babylonstoren is a historic Cape Dutch farm near Paarl, dating to the seventeenth century, best known today for its extensive formal garden of over three hundred edible and medicinal plant varieties.

Guest cottages are set among the orchards and vineyards, and the farm’s restaurants draw almost entirely on what is grown on site. Wine tastings, garden tours and cooking experiences run throughout the week.

Kurland Hotel occupies a country estate near Plettenberg Bay, its suites arranged among landscaped gardens on a working polo farm.

The atmosphere is relaxed and distinctly family-oriented, with an emphasis on outdoor activity. Polo, horse riding and forest walks are all available on or near the estate, and the beaches of Plettenberg Bay are a short drive away.

Grootbos Private Nature Reserve occupies a hillside of ancient milkwood forest above Walker Bay, combining luxury accommodation with a serious fynbos research and conservation programme.

Suites look out across the bay towards Hermanus, one of the world’s best land-based whale-watching areas. Activities focus on the reserve’s extraordinary plant diversity, alongside horse riding, coastal excursions and community projects the property supports.

Singita Boulders Lodge sits along the Sand River in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, its structures woven between the granite boulders and riverine forest that give the property its name.

Glass-fronted suites open onto private decks above the river. The lodge combines Singita’s design and service standards with the Sabi Sand’s exceptional leopard viewing and long-established conservation ethos.

Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge is built into a slope within the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, designed to be almost invisible from the surrounding bush, with earth-toned interiors and hand-sculpted detailing throughout.

Each suite includes a private plunge pool and open frontage onto the reserve. The subterranean architecture has made it one of the most photographed lodge designs in the Greater Kruger region.

Lion Sands River Lodge sits on the banks of the Sabie River within the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, which shares an unfenced boundary with Kruger National Park.

Riverfront suites look out over permanent water that draws wildlife throughout the year. The lodge is best known for its Chalkley Treehouse, a raised platform in the reserve where guests can spend a night alone beneath the stars.

Royal Malewane sits within the Thornybush Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger area, and is best known for assembling one of the most highly qualified guiding and tracking teams in South Africa.

Colonial-inspired suites each include a private heated pool and viewing deck. Twice-daily game drives explore the reserve’s Big Five terrain, led by guides holding the industry’s highest professional qualifications.

Hog Hollow Country Lodge sits on a forested ridge above the Tsitsikamma coast, its individual suites spread across landscaped gardens with views towards the Indian Ocean and the Tsitsikamma mountains.

The atmosphere is relaxed and personal rather than formal, and the location places the region’s forest walks, canopy tours and the Storms River suspension bridges within easy reach.

Delaire Graff Estate sits atop the Helshoogte Pass between Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, combining a working wine estate with an art-filled hotel and two acclaimed restaurants.

Lodges and suites look out across vineyards towards the Cape Fold Mountains, each with a private plunge pool. The estate’s art collection is displayed throughout the public spaces, and daily tastings showcase its own wines.

The Plettenberg Hotel occupies a rocky headland above Plettenberg Bay, with the Indian Ocean on three sides and long views along the Garden Route coastline.

Rooms and suites look out over beaches and rock pools, and the position makes it one of the region’s better land-based vantage points for southern right whales between June and November. The town’s restaurants and shops are a short walk below.

Londolozi is one of the founding properties of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve and has been in the same family for four generations, with a conservation record that helped shape modern photographic safari practice in South Africa.

The property comprises several distinct camps, ranging from classic thatched suites to more contemporary design. Its reputation rests on decades of leopard habituation, making sightings here among the most reliable anywhere.

Singita Lebombo Lodge occupies a dramatic basalt ridge overlooking the N’wanetsi River in eastern Kruger National Park, its glass-and-steel suites cantilevered out over the gorge below.

The architecture is deliberately transparent, dissolving the boundary between interior and bushveld. The lodge holds a private traversing concession within Kruger, permitting off-road driving in pursuit of the Big Five.