South Africa in Style

Just back from a research trip to South Africa, Tyler from our marketing team shows off some of the country's most luxurious offerings.

By Audley Travel

October 31^st, 2018

Safari Lodges

Safari is a central component of most trips to South Africa. Luckily the lodges and boutique properties are an equally thrilling part of the experience, offering numerous high end choices and experiences you can't put a price on.

Some of our favorite touches included suites with private lap pools at Kapama Lodge, perfect for private lounging between safari drives, and tasting menus for dinner personally curated to your preferences and requests. At Shamwari Long Lee Manor high tea included jars of candy so that guests could fill their own bag of jelly beans and assorted licorice treats for the afternoon game drive. Evenings at Amakhala Bush Lodge were completed with hand drawn baths piping hot and ready to be enjoyed in the tented rooms once guests retired for the evening.

At Simbambili Game Lodge we were blown away by the surprise dinner prepared out in the bush where we could see the milky way while we sipped glasses of delicious South African wine. Perhaps one of the most luxurious touches of all was the incredible wildlife sightings right from the room; at Dulini Lodge one afternoon we saw elephants drinking straight from our private plunge pool!

Each moment seemed more decadent than the one before.

The main lodge at Simbambili Game Lodge, Sabi Sand North, Kruger

A decadent start to the day, french toast with brie and bacon at Kapama Lodge

A bathtub perfect for soaking in at Simbambili Game Lodge

The main dining room at Amakhala Bush Lodge

Private plunge pool at Eagles Crag Lodge, Shamwari Game Reserve

Kapama Lodge features airy suites with private lap pools

Wall of masks at Kanonkop House in Knysa

The Garden Route

Heading east from Cape Town lies South Africa's stunning Garden Route. A 124 mile stretch of shimmering coastal views, breathtaking mountain passes, impromptu baboon induced traffic jams, and luxurious places to rest your head at night.

Rooms tended to be opulent and added to the appeal of enjoying both the towns themselves and the experience of the boutique properties. We visited Hermanus during September which meant that coastal whale watching was plentiful, our suite at The Marine included a sitting area with floor to ceiling windows making it possible to watch whales breaching right from our own private couch. As the sun set most rooms provided opportunities to watch the sky change colors right from the bathtub before indulging in decadent seafood dinners. At the Emily Moon River Lodge we started the evening with an in-room massage and fell asleep to the sounds of our own crackling fire after a busy day of using the properties free kayaks to paddle along the river.