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The Plettenberg Hotel, Plettenberg Bay

Top of the range hotel with a true South African ‘feel’ in a stunning location

This is luxury accommodation at its finest, equivalent to the top international hotels but distinctly South African. The rooms are beautifully decorated in the unique, luxuriously restful style established by the late Liz McGrath. This is a sister company to The Marine (Hermanus) and The Cellars – Hohenhort (Cape Town). These are all top of the range 5 star hotels with a level of service that is second to none. There are a number of room options ranging from a luxury room that may have a view of the car park, to sea facing luxury rooms with incredible views across the bay. There is also a house that can be rented on a self-catered basis. Enjoy the infinity pool with an amazing view of the Indian Ocean.

About the Location

Beaches are very close and a further appeal is that the centre of Plett is just a 5-minute walk away. You can choose to eat at one of the many good restaurants locally or indulge yourself in the hotel’s own, elegant, if a little formal, restaurant – Sand. From here you can enjoy the many activities in Plett including whale watching, in season, hiking on the beautiful Robberg Peninsula or just relaxing on one of the many beaches.

The Sands, St. Francis Bay, Eastern Cape

The Sands is an exclusive beach-side boutique hotel set alongside a pristine beach

The Sands is perfect for couples seeking a retreat close to the beach with the soothing sounds of the Indian Ocean. There are five luxury suites and one honeymoon suite. All have sea views, a private deck overlooking the beach, a jacuzzi bath and the finest linen. The decor is modern, light and very tasteful. The property has two pools – one overlooking the ocean. There is a steam room for guests and spa treatments can be arranged. Accommodation is on a B&B basis but the in house restaurant can provide light lunches and an extensive al la carte dinner menu. The wine cellar has to be seen and sampled!

About The Sand’s Location

St Francis Bay is a quiet beach-side town set around a series of canals opening onto the Indian Ocean. Beach and countryside hikes are available. The beaches at nearby Cape St. Francis are pristine, dominated by the historic lighthouse which is the tallest in South Africa. A Penguin and seabird rescue centre is adjacent and there are numerous paths to hike into the coastal nature reserve. For the more adventurous, take a 4X4 excursion into the Baviaanskloof Nature Reserve which is one of the last remaining natural wilderness areas in South Africa. The close by Port St. Francis has some excellent fish restaurants featuring locally caught seafood. The area is known for the squid caught in the bay and called, locally, chokka. Additionally, you will find excellent hake, kingklip and Cape Salmon. For golf enthusiasts, St. Francis Bay has two rated courses including the Jack Nicklaus designed Links. Both courses are within a 5 minute drive. Day Safaris can be arranged at the sister property of Pumba Private Game Reserve where you will encounter their famous white lions.

Aquavit, Plettenberg Bay, Garden Route

Aquavit is a beautiful property with one of the best views in Plettenberg Bay from your room!

Aquavit is all about luxury, comfort and spectacular views. The property has one of the top ratings on Trip Advisor of any establishment in South Africa and clearly deserves its 5 star rating. Aquavit has five exquisitely appointed rooms. Each room has its own semi private balcony or poolside patio. The owners have decorated each room in light earthy tones which, with the crisp white bed linens and huge windows gives a very airy and spacious feel. The large sliding windows open onto the balcony or poolside patio. Here you can relax in a lounger over looking one of the best views of Plettenberg Bay we have encountered. Aquavit is a small property and very popular so in the main season you should book well in advance to ensure availability. We at South Africa Sun are sure you won’t be disappointed.

About Aquavit’s Location

Plettenberg Bay is the gem of the Garden Route. The three main beaches are among the finest in South Africa. All the beaches are within a 5 minute drive of Aquavit. The town of Plettenberg Bay has some excellent restaurants so you will not be short of fine places to eat. If you enjoy a relatively easy hike choose the Robberg Peninsula Nature Reserve. The location offers a variety of hikes from the relatively easy to the fairly challenging. With each hike, however, you will be rewarded with some of the best photo opportunities. Robberg Peninsula was the site of the first semi permanent settlement in South Africa when a Portuguese ship foundered in 1630. The survivors stayed for nine months before departing on the two ships they built.

You can drive from Aquavit to the numerous activities close by. Plettenberg Bay has its own wine route featuring 17 wineries and just 15 minutes’ drive away you can enjoy the fascinating animal parks at The Crags. Drive 30 minutes to the world’s highest bungy jump. A further 20 minutes will take you to the spectacular Tsitsikamma National Park and Storms River where you can enjoy a Tree Top Canopy Tour.

On The Beach, Wilderness, Garden Route

On the Beach is a stunning all suite boutique hotel set on the spectacularly photogenic Wilderness beach

This is a relatively new hotel with 7 beautifully appointed suites. 6 rooms overlook this amazing beach while 1 has a mountain view. You can enjoy the relaxing and restful sound of the Indian Ocean as you lie in bed and wake up to breakfast served in the sun lounge overlooking the pristine beach. Lunch and dinner can also be provided but the center of the little town of Wilderness is a 5 minute stroll. Here you will find interesting shops and restaurants. This is rated 5 star.

About On The Beach Location

Wilderness is a great location to use as a base to explore the Garden Route and the Little Karoo. Wilderness is adjacent to a beautiful nature reserve and at the start of South Africa’s Lake District. While rip tides make Wilderness beach unsuitable for swimming, Victoria Bay close by is perfect for swimmers and surfers alike. Trendy, bustling Knysna is a 35 minute drive set around a spectacular lagoon and here you will find interesting shops and restaurants. The upmarket resort town of Plettenberg Bay with three stunning beaches, great hiking and some of the best restaurants in the Garden Route is a 45 minute drive. In the other direction, drive over the spectacular Outeniqua Pass close to the principal Garden Route town of George and after an hour’s drive you will arrive in Oudsthoorn which is the center South Africa’s Ostrich industry. Here you will be able to learn about these fascinating birds and buy ostrich leather goods at very competitive prices. The world famous Cango Caves are just a 15 minute drive from Oudsthoorn.

18 Hillwood, Bishop’s Court, Cape Town

18 Hillwood is an amazing self catering luxury house set beneath Table Mountain just 15 minutes from central Cape Town. The location and accommodation is simply stunning!

18 Hillwood is a 5 bedroom house that has everything you need for a luxurious stay in Cape Town. You can self cater and the house boasts a fully equipped kitchen. You can also ask the Staff, who are supplied, to cater for you and provide all your meals. The bedrooms are very private and much larger than usual with enormous en suite bathrooms, some with a sitting room. The property is set in beautifully landscaped gardens. There are two pools, a veranda with outdoor furniture and tennis courts. The entire property has spectacular views overlooking the imposing back of Table Mountain. Breakfast can be provided. Normally the whole house will be let so it is ideal for a large family or even 5 couples traveling together. 18 Hillwood is a 5 star property which, in our view, is fully justified and really exceeds its rating.

About 18 Hillwood’s Location

Bishop’s Court is one of the finest suburbs of Cape Town adjacent to Constantia. Drive just 5 minutes to the world renowned Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens where in Spring and Autumn you will find the Protea gardens ablaze with color. You can drive to the center of Cape Town, the Waterfront and the Table Mountain Cableway in just 15 minutes. 18 Hillwood is also well positioned for the Cape Peninsula. The Penguins at Boulders Beach are a 30 minute drive and spectacular Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope will take you around 45 minutes to drive. The Constantia Winelands are close by and the Cape Winelands around Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl are a 40 minute drive. For beach lovers, popular Camps Bay is a 25 minute drive. The property has a concierge service who will be able to arrange guided tours of the wine estates, helicopter tours and other trips if you would rather leave you car at home!

!Xaus Lodge, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

!Xaus Lodge provides rustic-style accommodation with a touch of luxury in one of the most remote locations on earth

!Xaus is really different! The 12 well appointed and air conditioned chalets are set in a remote corner of the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The park spans both South Africa and Botswana. The lounge and dining area has a cosy fireplace for the cold winter nights (June – August) when the heat of the day can plunge to close to freezing. Accommodation includes all meals and two game drives each day of your stay. There is an observation deck which is wonderful for star gazing in this pristine, unpolluted wilderness. The lodge also has a great pool for cooling off after the heat of the day.

About the Location

The Kgalagadi Park is larger than the Kruger Park extending to 3.5 million hectares. 50,000 hectares was given back to the ‡Khomani San and Mier communities (Bushmen) in 2002 and the land was then leased back to South African National Parks. SAN Parks are responsible for the environmental management of the land and !Xaus Lodge is owned by the two communities. !Xaus means ‘heart’ in the Nama language and was proposed as a name for the lodge by a group of visiting Bushmen. This was confirmed by the representative bodies of both the ‡Khomani San and Mier communities. The name, ‘!Xaus’, symbolises the healing of relationships, the restoration of dignity and the aspirations of these communities, who after many years of deprivation are now owners of the lodge and the land on which it is situated.The lodge overlooks a large salt pan with a distinctive heart shape in its northwest corner. This location inspired the name. The rustic -style lodge is located at the ‘heart’ of the land restored to each of the Mier and Bushman communities. The vision of the settlement agreement was stated as ‘in the national interest, to finally settle the land claims of the community parties and to establish a positive, co-operative relationship between the community parties and SANParks.’ The symbol ‘!’ denotes a palatal click in the Nama language. !Xaus is pronounced ‘kaus’.’ !Xaus is a unique property and among the experiences you will enjoy, guided walks and visits to a Bushman Village are also included.Game drives

Sunset pan drive and dune walk to ‘listen’ to the sun set over the Kalahari.
After-dinner night drive. You will hear sounds of barking geckos, insect shrills, and larger animal calls to break the silence.
A complimentary six to seven hour game drive through the dunes and along the Auob River. A packed breakfast and picnic lunch, is available for guests staying four nights or longer. At an additional charge, this game drive is also available to those staying for two or three nights.

!Xaus Lodge

Cinnamon Boutique Guest Lodge, Wilderness, Garden Route

Cinnamon is a perfect and very stylish backwater in the beautiful village of Wilderness

Cinnamon has 13 exceptionally luxurious suites set amidst the luxuriant foliage of the Wilderness National Park. No expense has been spared in providing this hotel with exquisite furnishings and stylish decor. The exceptionally large bathrooms compliment the suite style rooms and all include showers, baths and bidets. Each suite has a balcony, some with ocean views and others overlooking the mountains. The dining experience is renowned as one of the top ten restaurant along the Garden Route. The lodge gets consistently excellent reviews and, for example, on Trip Advisor it ranks number 1 in Wilderness. Cinnamon is the sister lodge to On the Beach in Wilderness.

About Cinnamon’s Location

Although the hotel is not on the beach, the vast expanse of Wilderness beach is just a five minute walk. Wilderness is a great location to use as a base to explore the Garden Route and the Little Karoo. Wilderness is adjacent to a beautiful nature reserve and at the start of South Africa’s Lake District. While rip tides make Wilderness beach unsuitable for swimming, Victoria Bay close by is perfect for swimmers and surfers alike. Trendy, bustling Knysna is a 35 minute drive set around a spectacular lagoon and here you will find interesting shops and restaurants. The upmarket resort town of Plettenberg Bay with three stunning beaches, great hiking and some of the best restaurants in the Garden Route is a 45 minute drive. In the other direction, drive over the spectacular Outeniqua Pass close to the principal Garden Route town of George and after an hour’s drive you will arrive in Oudsthoorn which is the center South Africa’s Ostrich industry. Here you will be able to learn about these fascinating birds and buy ostrich leather goods at very competitive prices. The world famous Cango Caves are just a 15 minute drive from Oudsthoorn.

Cinnamon Boutique Hotel

Wilderness Beach, South Africa

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, 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.