The Vineyard Hotel is one of the original Cape Town hotels and offers a delightful alternative to staying in the city centre. (Cape Town is a city of several discrete areas each with their own attractions and so the city centre is not necessarily where you want to be). This vibrant hotel lies in 6 acres of garden with rolling lawns and established trees has an excellent location in the leafy Newlands area only 15 mins from the city centre & V&A Waterfront yet closer to Kirstenbosch gardens and wine estates of Constantia. The hotel terrace and gardens, complete with trails along its river frontage, have glorious views over the forested slopes of Table Mountain.
The 200 year old Vineyard Hotel oozes with history with many original letters and paintings of its first owner, Lady Anne Barnard, on display in the public areas. However why we like the four star Vineyard Hotel so much is the seamless combination of an established hotel, which runs like a well-oiled machine - with new contemporary styling - in the bedrooms and in the two restaurants. The original foyer leads into the conservatory restaurant, the Square, for breakfast, lunch and relaxed evening dining with a focus on sushi and Asian dishes. Beyond the conservatory are the various sitting rooms and bar with French doors opening onto the expansive terrace overlooking the gardens and Table mountain - also the venue for alfresco breakfasts and lunches. The Vineyard Hotel also has Myoga Restaurant, one of the best restaurants in Cape Town, renowned for its contemporary fusion style of cooking with a superb tasting menu on offer.
It is filled with works by leading South African artists and offers a choice of either Mountain facing or Courtyard facing rooms (standard or deluxe rooms with a terrace), or the contemporary and luxurious River Suites. All offering dressing gowns, tea & coffee facilities, minibar on request, satellite television, telephone, international computer connections and sockets, 24 hour room service as well as glamorous modern marble bathrooms with separate shower. Families are welcome at the Vineyard Hotel with one extra child being able to share with parents and a small number of inter-leading rooms.
At the south end of the Vineyard gardens is a large outdoor swimming pool. Adjoining the pool area is the hotel's well-equipped fitness centre, indoor heated pool, healthy eating restaurant as well as the superb Angsana spa. Its full range of treatments is very popular with hotel guests and locals alike so we strongly recommend that booking ahead to avoid disappointment.
4 Nights
Bed and Breakfast
1x Courtyard Deluxe Room (Double)
4 Star
Hotel
Spoken Languages: Afrikaans, Dutch, English, French, German
No. Rooms: 211
Special Interests: Beach / Coastal, Flora, Gourmet, Hiking, History & Culture, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Shopping, Sports, Wine
Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge is a game lodge within its own private concession in the lovely Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Park in KwaZulu Natal. Rhino Ridge is ground breaking in being the first private lodge within Africa's oldest proclaimed reserve, and is part owned by the local Mpembeni Community.
Established to protect the previously endangered white rhino now numbering over 1000 in the park, Hluhluwe- Imfolozi Game Reserve has been a triumph of conservation efforts. Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge offers exceptional safari experiences in the heart of Big five territory, with both day and night games drives on offer.
Accommodation at Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge
The lodge has a contemporary design with organic forms utilising natural finishes and materials. 22 well-appointed rooms nestle on a ridge, each with their own private deck giving expansive and uninterrupted views over the reserve. There’s a choice of Safari Rooms, Luxury Bush Villas and two Honeymoon villas.
The Safari rooms are two totally separate en suite bedrooms under one roof and sharing a common lobby. As such they are ideal for families or two couple travelling together as they can be sold as a two bedroom suite. The luxury bush villas are very spacious standalone villas with extensive private decks. The two honeymoon villas are identical but have the added advantage of a private plunge pool. All rooms are air-conditioned with ceiling fan, indoor/outdoor showers, tea/coffee facilities, safe, hairdryer, minibar and internet connection.
The main lodge comprises living areas, bar, dining area and extensive deck with a stunning view over the bushveld. There's a lovely rimflow swimming pool close-up sharing the same view. Near the pool, the small spa has been designed to ensure that you can soak in the sights and sounds of Africa while enjoying professional spa treatments.
With access to over 90,000 hectares of indigenous land, teeming with game, Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge is ideally situated for conservationists and wildlife enthusiasts alike.
Children at Rhino Ridge
Children of 3-6 years are accommodated on a kiddies drive from 10am-12pm at no extra charge. They will be required to have a guardian adult of the parents choice within the group booked. Children 0-3 years may only go on game drives if a private vehicle is booked at additional cost. There are no afternoon/evening game drives for children 3-6 years but they have a supervised kiddies playtime/activity between 2pm-3pm in winter and 3pm-4pm in summer.
3 Nights
Full Board Plus - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast, Lunch and Activities
1x Bush Villas (Double)
Safari Lodge
Spoken Languages: Afrikaans, English, Zulu
No. Rooms: 18
Special Interests: Adventure, Big 5, Birding, Flora, History & Culture, Indigenous Culture / Art, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Wildlife
Thonga Beach Lodge, in Kwazulu Natal, is a stylish and relaxed beach lodge on the shores of the secluded Mabibi bay in northern KwaZulu Natal. It lies within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site, with no other lodges within 50 km.
Mabibi Beach is a magical place with a long sandy beach, snorkelling reefs, coastal forest and shimmering lakes behind. Thonga Beach Lodge, nestling in the canopy of the dune forest, offers panoramic ocean views. It has a spacious, relaxed beach feel with a stylish outdoor eating area, a secluded upstairs seating area with a DVD player for children, a chic open air bar and wooden walkways leading to the rooms.
However, Thonga Beach Lodge is in no way a resort – it doesn’t have extensive watersports or a kid’s club for example. Rather the emphasis is on relaxed coastal living with a variety of activities which you can sign up for on the board, if you want to…
The thatched en-suite rooms have been carefully constructed in the coastal dune forest to ensure minimum impact on the environment. Five have sea views and seven have forest views and perhaps greater privacy. Built within an extremely sensitive milkwood forest, no trees were allowed to be cut down. This means that even the sea view rooms do not have completely un-obscured ocean views. Luxuriously decorated, the rooms exude a romantic ambiance. Bleached wood, glass and natural materials have been used to create an open, airy feel. Each has a double vanity unit, bath, indoor/outdoor shower, separate toilet, minibar, ceiling fan, air-conditioning, mosquito net and private balcony.
There are also two Ocean View Suites with a private plunge pool on the deck. These have the best views and are also ideal for families as they have a separate living room which can be used as a second bedroom. Other facilities at Thonga Beach Lodge include a new swimming pool, curio shop, spa & wellness centre with various spa treatments on offer and a dive centre for all water sports activities.
This part of South Africa, in Kwazulu Natal is one of my favourite areas with its lush vegetation, unspoilt setting and friendly people. Activities at Thonga Beach Lodge revolve around the ocean and nearby Lake Sibaya. Complimentary activities include snorkelling direct from the beach, bird-watching and sundowner cruises or guided canoe trips on Lake Sibaya and turtle tracking walks in season (November to mid February). The white sandy beach is about 25 metres away via a board walk with an extended deck with sun loungers overlooking the beach. You can also dine here overlooking the ocean.
Various additional activities are on offer such as scuba diving, dive courses, cultural village visits and boat-based turtle tracking as optional extras.
Scuba diving at Mabibi is phenomenal, with reefs located only a short distance from Thonga Beach Lodge. Shoals of game fish, sharks and schools of bottlenose dolphins are often seen. 1,250 fish species can be found on these reefs (Great Barrier Reef has 1500). The Ocean Experience is great for seeing whales and dolphins with an exciting boat launch in the surf. You can sometimes swim with dolphins or whale sharks or snorkel with manta rays and giant turtles if you are lucky.
Birding is excellent and the variety of habitats attracts a great diversity of species. Typical coastal species include Livingstone’s and purple-crested lourie, green twinspot, grey waxbill and green coucal. Waders are common along the shoreline, and pink throated longclaw and rufous-bellied heron frequent the marshy areas. Lake Sibaya has recorded 279 bird species including the palmnut vulture, the only fruit-eating vulture in the world, Pel’s fishing owl and the pygmy goose.
Children are very welcome at Thonga Beach Lodge. Two small children (or one teenager) can share with parents or you can take the Ocean View suite for more space.
4 Nights
Full Board Plus - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast, Lunch and Activities
1x Forest View Room (Double)
Lodge
Spoken Languages: Afrikaans, English, Zulu
No. Rooms: 12
Special Interests: Adventure, Beach / Coastal, Birding, Fishing, Flora, History & Culture, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Watersports, Wildlife
