Feature: Fine Dining

Le Quartier Francais

Le Quartier Francais, Franschhoek

Luxury and style set in the centre of Franschhoek

Although the hotel is situated right in the middle of bustling Franschhoek, step through into the gardens where the 21 suite style rooms open onto the compact pool and you could be in the middle of the countryside. The atmosphere is very calming set among the fragrant bushes and herbs. The rooms are much larger than usual and exquisitely decorated – some with antiques but all very tasteful. The restaurant is renowned for its food and here you will also find a delicatessen and bistro.

About the Location

The hotel is part of the original village founded by the Huguenots in the early 1700s and many of the nearby buildings date back to that time. In Franschhoek you will find interesting boutiques, numerous restaurants and, of course, many excellent wineries. The spectacular Franschhoek pass is only minutes away and Cape Town takes around 40 minutes along good roads.


Mont Rochelle, Franschhoek

Beautiful and very stylish thatched hotel overlooking the Franschhoek Valley

A first class luxuriously appointed hotel and although is priced to reflect this, the extra expense is well worth it. The hotel has spectacular views from the terrace overlooking the fabulous Franschhoek valley. The restaurant is one of our favourites and one of the most highly regarded in South Africa. The hotel is situated high above Franschhoek so most of the 22 bedrooms have spectacular views.

About the Location

The village is only 5 minutes drive away and is bustling with numerous boutiques, restaurants and street cafes. Some of the finest wineries in South Africa are within easy reach and Cape Town is only 45 minutes drive. Therefore, whether you want a romantic place to stay at the end of your holiday or just a dinner to remember Mont Rochelle should be on your itinerary.


Lanzerac Manor Hotel

Lanzerac Manor Hotel, Stellenbosch, Cape Winelands

It is with great sadness to relay that as a result of a fire that extensively damaged the Manor House and the operational areas of the hotel, Lanzerac is closed until further notice

 

Lanzerac is a stylish wine estate with great wines and cuisine

This is a gracious, Cape Dutch manor house resplendent in antiques and the polished woods of South Africa. Lanzerac Manor & Winery is one of the enduring gems of the Cape. Set in the beautiful Jonkershoek Mountains just on the outskirts of Stellenbosch, the Manor has 48 classically appointed suites, many with antique and antique style furniture and fittings to compliment an estate that can trace its origins back over 300 years. The hotel has two pools one of which is located in the stunning gardens complete with poolside service. The restaurant is one of our favourites serving good modern South African dishes combined with an excellent cellar including the estate’s own wines with impeccable service. The rooms and bathrooms are large and traditionally decorated.

About Lanzerac’s Location

This is set in a secluded location on the edge of bustling Stellenbosch. The town centre with its thatched and whitewashed building is a 10 minute drive. The town is home to one of South Africa’s premier universities and the buzz and the ambiance reflects this. As well as Lanzerac, you will find some excellent restaurants.


Fregate Island Private Hotel

Fregate Island

This is a wonderful island with giant granite boulders that are synonymous with the Seychelles scenery

The resort can accommodate up to a maximum of 40 guests in 16 beautiful villas strategically built on the granite rocks overlooking the Indian Ocean. The size of the island and the location of the villas ensures privacy. Local building materials have been utilised such as the indigenous mahogany and so the villas blend in very naturally with their surroundings.

Each villa has two bedroom, a large terrace with a day bed and a Jacuzzi. The tropical feel of the villas is imparted by light and plenty of space. The island has two freshwater pools and seven beaches with one, Anse Victorin renowned as one of the most beautiful in the world. Another, Anse Macqueraeu is for private use on a first come first serve basis! Activities abound for the energetic. Snorkelling, hobby cats, kayaks and fishing aboard the island’s launches are all available.

About the Location

There is a fully equipped gym and for the really energetic the 125m Mt Signal is a worthwhile climb. Children are well catered for with their very own Castaway Club to keep them occupied in their own tropical paradise.Fregate is also a culinary experience. As the island has its own fresh water source, much of the fruit, vegetables, salads and herbs used by the kitchen are homegrown. Dinner is served either in the historic and romantic setting of Plantation House for wonderful Creole cooking or in Fregate House where a gourmet menu is prepared daily. Guests can dine in the comfort of their own villa or eat casually at the beach bar.

Cousine Island Private

Cousine Island

Follow in the footsteps of Sir Paul McCartney & Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge 

If you are seeking privacy and exclusivity and budget is not too much of a concern then Cousine Island is probably one of the most perfect locations anywhere in the world. This fairly small island is situated 6 kms off the coast of Praslin and is home to numerous migratory birds, Hawksbill and Green Turtles and, of course, Giant Tortoises. The island is completely free of alien mammals and so is also the perfect Private Nature Reserve. It is also classified as a Conservation Island. Accommodation is in 4 exceptionally luxuriously appointed villas set right by the beach with wonderful ocean views. Only 10 people at a time can be accommodated on the island and the design and location of each villa ensures the maximum privacy. Most of the building materials for the buildings were sourced locally and all the ingredients for the restaurant are similarly sourced locally to provide a wonderful Creole experience. The main building (called The Pavillion) has a dining area and overlooks the pool, the Indian Ocean and the islands of Praslin, Cousin and Aride in the distance. Boat excursions to other islands, diving and fishing can be arranged. There is a spa in the newly created Wellness Centre and there is also a gym. The beach extend for the full length of the island and a further one appears during the North West Monsoon season. Transfers can be arranged by helicopter from Mahe and Praslin airports.

Raffles, Anse Takamaka, Praslin

This a very special hotel with a setting that can only be described as paradise.

The setting is spectacular and  unusual. Raffles occupies a commanding view over Anse Takamaka and the island of Curieuse. All the suites are large with a plunge pool and views over the bay. The accommodation is exceptionally luxurious and  private. The rooms (and the bathroom) look out over your own private deck and the extraordinary scenery. The restaurant specialises in local dishes as well as an international menu and provides some of the best cuisine we have encountered in the Seychelles. The hotel has three restaurants, each with their own style of cuisine. The hotel also has a wonderful pool for those who just want to relax. You may also want to make ‘friends’ with the hotel’s own giant tortoises. The rooms are situated over a wide and elevated location and the hotel provides buggies to transport you around the property. You will see a myriad of colourful birds and we have even seen the reclusive tenrec (a type of cute,  long snouted mouse) nesting in the bushes at twilight.

About the Location

The views are spectacular across  crystal clear turquoise blue waters. In the distance, you will see the  pristine and ecologically fascinating island of Curieuse. This is home to some of the World’s largest and oldest tortoises including one that is reputedly 300 years old! Trips  to Curieuse can be arranged by the hotel.  Concierge will also arrange  scuba diving as well as snorkeling. If you don’t want to stray too far then snorkeling from the beach by the hotel will reward you with a myriad of remarkably tame fish. The hotel is situated on the far side of Praslin from the airport, which is approximately a 20-minute drive. You will also be close to the most photographed beach in the Seychelles – Anse Lazio. The beach is  palm fringed with the characteristic rounded granite rocks and pristine almost pink sands. It is also easy to catch the ferry from Praslin for the short journey to the island of La Digue. In summary this is one of the most romantic locations that you will find anywhere in the world!
Le Boucan Canot

Le Boucan Canot, St. Gilles les Bains

Resort hotel in a great location on this unusual island

This large hotel has 44 rooms and suites including 38 standard rooms. The property has the aire of a resort style hotel with all the amenities you would expect. It is perfectly located on the main beach of the island  and can be accessed relatively easily from the main airport.

About the Location

From here it is relatively easy to drive to the town of Cilaos perched high in the centre of this spectacular island. You can enjoy paragliding, mountain biking (for the fit!) and canyoning as well as deep sea fishing. The volcano is a 2 1/2 hour drive and then a long hike at 8,000 ft but you can also take a helicopter tour of the volcano and island. You would normally combine this hotel with others closer to some of the key tourist locations.


Blue Margouillat Hotel

Blue Margouillat, St Leu, Reunion

Blue Margouillat is exquisitely located with sweeping views to the Indian Ocean and providing some of the best accommodation in La Reunion 

Blue Margouillat is a small, 10 roomed, luxury boutique hotel. The hotel is part of the prestige Relais et Chateau Collection.  All the rooms have commanding views over the Indian Ocean and each has its own private balcony from which you can enjoy the beautiful, tropical sunset. The rooms, although not particularly large, have been well designed and are comfortably appointed. We particularly liked the individual artwork incorporated as part of the wall decoration. The beautiful and colourful gardens incorporate a pool, floodlit at night, to enjoy or just relax beside with a cocktail from the pool bar. The restaurant serves some of the best food we have encountered on Reunion often on the terrace overlooking the pool and the ocean with soft classical music in the background. In the morning you will awake to the sound of exotic birds in the trees mixed with the sounds of the ocean.

About the location

From the hotel, you can drive into the mountain regions around Cilaos. This is a 2 1/2 hour drive along tortuous roads providing some of the most spectacular views on the island. You may want to use the hotel as a stylish base and combine it with a couple of nights in Cilaos. We also recommend taking an organised day tour to the volcanic southeastern side of the mountain where you will be able to walk out on lava flows by the sea that are still steaming! For the volcano, La Fournaise, we suggest a helicopter tour unless you are very fit and enjoy hiking at high altitudes. The beaches at St Gilles are a 30 minute drive away although there is a black, volcanic sand beach within walking distance of the hotel.

St Alexis, St Gilles les Bains

An unusual,  luxurious hotel on the main beach of the island

This is one of the most unusual hotels we have encountered. From the time you enter the reception area with its model of the boat (St Alexis) that brought the French to Reunion) and underwater views of the pool, you know that this hotel is different. It is large with 58 rooms and suites of varying sizes and all on the ground floor have a terrace with direct access to the pool which winds its way around the hotel complex. Accommodation is spacious and decoration is sophisticated using cool and uncluttered schemes. Bathrooms are also larger than normal. There is direct access to a great beach, which has a semi private feel at the quieter end of this popular bay. There is an excellent restaurant serving a variety of well-prepared dishes at tables that are on a terrace overlooking the beach as well as inside. The hotel has gym and spa facilities in addition to several Jacuzzis located around the pool.

About the Location

Although the hotel fronts onto a busy street in popular St Gilles, once you are inside the hotel you are in a different world where you will be able to relax. From the hotel, you can drive into the mountain regions around Cilaos. This is a 3-hour drive along tortuous roads providing some of the most spectacular views on the island. You may want to use the hotel as a stylish base and combine it with a couple of nights in Cilaos. We also recommend taking an organised day tour to the volcanic southeastern side of the mountain where you will be able to walk out on lava flows by the sea that are still steaming! For the volcano, La Fournaise, we suggest a helicopter tour unless you are very fit and enjoy hiking at high altitudes.


Agulhas Country Lodge, Cape Agulhas

Agulhas Country Lodge has one of the most romantic locations at the southern tip of Africa

Agulhas Country Lodge is positioned at the most southerly tip of Africa. The lodge is a beautiful limestone building furnished with antiques and South African art. The building has the air of a remote Scottish castle with original wood fittings rescued from historic properties in The Cape. Sit by a blazing log fire in the winter and read about some of the fascinating shipwrecks that have occurred (and are still occurring) along this notorious stretch of coastline. There are eight, large and sunny rooms and all have balconies and great sea views. Some rooms also have a Jacuzzi. As well as a sumptuous South African breakfast, dinner is included which always promises to be an experience.

About Agulhas Country Lodge’s Location

This is a great area for whale watching in season (June to December). An eco Quad Biking tour of the coastline and nearby nature reserve is an experience to remember in this interesting but often forgotten corner of South Africa. Visit the fascinating lighthouse which was modeled on the ancient Pharos of Alexandria. This is the third oldest lighthouse in South Africa and dates back to 1849. The lighthouse has a restaurant, museum and curio shop. Nearby Struisbaai has wide sandy beaches and old whitewashed fishermen’s cottages. More of these national heritage buildings can be found in Arniston and Waenhuiskrans which are a short drive away. Further inland are some more interestingly rural towns that have been ‘discovered’ by South African artists and entertainers. As this  is just a 2 1/2 hour drive from Cape Town, the area is also being discovered by tourists. There is even a local wine route which are the southernmost wineries in Africa. There is also a 9 hole golf course in Bredasdorp which is the southernmost golf course in Africa.