FLAGSHIP SOUTH AFRICA

One of the world’s largest urban forests, earning a reputation as the ‘New York of Africa’, Johannesburg is a fast-paced city that has been overlooked for too long. The city, founded on a gold rush, has had a rebirth and is blossoming as an arty hotspot. A muse for jazz bars, beautiful museums, contemporary art galleries and a dabbler in innovative gastronomy, Joburg has its foot firmly in the door as an up and coming destination. You’ll fly into the city and stay one night in the AtholPlace Hotel & Villa, a luxury boutique hotel near the shopping hub of Sandton. Joburg rewards the curious, which works well if you’ve had a long flight. You’ll be joined by James de Laney, a local artist, who will take you on a tour of the metropolis, pointing out the city’s architectural, artistic and cultural highlights as you stretch your legs. You’ll discover real gems, including private gardens with beautiful sculptures, markets that have become social hubs, and vintage stores, and be able to witness Joburg’s street culture as you happen upon rooftop bars playing local music, downtown pubs serving locally crafted gin cocktails and outdoor cafes offering locally grown rooibos tea. If you have some time left over, walk through the Sandton City mall to Nelson Mandela Square and the Village Walk. Have a relaxing drink in the fountain filled square or for the hungry, tuck into a delicious South Africa steak at the Butcher Shop & Grill. If you are after an introduction into South Africa’s history, you can start in the Apartheid Museum, while tours of Johannesburg and Soweto are easily organised.

Today, you’ll be transferred to Pretoria and catch the Rovos Rail train to Cape Town, a 1,600km scenic chug across the country. From Pretoria, the train will snake through sweeping grasslands and formidable mountain ranges to Kimberley, where you can take a step back in time to the days of the diamond rush and venture through the town to discover the Big Hole and Diamond Mine Museum. Your next stop will be at the historical village of Matjiesfontein to have a glass of sherry at the famous Lord Milner Hotel’s bar and see the Victorian buildings and original 19^th century London lampposts that dominate the tiny village, before continuing to Cape Town.  In between the excursions, spend your time watching the landscape rush by you in the dining cart, lounge car or observation room.

On arrival into Cape Town, you’ll be taken to Tintswalo Atlantic, the only luxury hotel located within Table Mountain National Park, also the only hotel in the city that is right on the beach. If you prefer a remote and beautiful location over a hotel smack dap in the centre of the action, then this is hands down the hotel for you. Here you can experience the Cape in total tranquillity, soaking up the 180-degree ocean views, exploring Chapman’s Peak and enjoying the crisp smell of the sea as you walk along the pebbled beach. If it’s your first time to Cape Town, do hit the highlights, visiting Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront and Robben Island, but with spa treatments, island-inspired interior designs and bedroom balconies with views of the bay, you’ll find it very difficult to tear yourself away from the hotel. During your stay, we’ll take you on a tour of the scenic Cape Peninsula for stunning views and for a chance to see the African penguins along Boulders Beach. You’ll also be taken on a tour of the historic cultural influences of Cape Town, visiting the Natural History Museum and strolling through the central Company Gardens with a guide, before resting in a historic tavern to drink in the ambience – and to try a tipple or two.

Next, you’ll be transferred to the coastal town of Hermanus and stay at the Birkenhead House for two nights. A privately owned, luxurious boutique hotel, Birkenhead House has an exhilarating cliff-top position overlooking the rugged and scenic Walker Bay. This region is widely known for its abundant whaling activity; peer over the cliffs to spot these incredible creatures right on your doorstep - particularly during whaling season from June to November. Join the surfers who carve through the rolling waves, hit a birdie at one of the 27 holes at the Hermanus Golf Club or kayak between the old and the new harbours to see seals and if you’re lucky, a southern right whale.

One of the oldest Cape Dutch farms dating back to 1692, Babylonstoren is now a working farm, wine estate and boutique hotel and will be your base for exploring the stunningly peaceful Winelands. Oozing understated chic, the farm hotel is made up of contemporary corners warmed by blazing fires, leafy gardens with giant orange pumpkins, scented lavender beds and stunning white suites formed by vintage four-poster beds and rolltop tubs. Once you’ve tasted the 300 types of edible plants in the restaurant and wandered around the 8 acre estate, head out to discover the wonders of the Cape Winelands. You’ll be taken on a Behind the Barrels tour, where you’ll learn about what goes into each wine and why, such as why French or American oak has been used in the production of a vintage. After the tour, we recommend that you cycle to the intimate wineries dotted around Franschhoek and Stellenbosch and in between glasses of award-winning wine, try some of the local olives, cheeses and chocolate, usually well-paired to the whites and reds of each estate. When you’ve eaten and drunk your fill, you can digest by the pool or in a canoe on the lake – make sure you bring your binoculars as the area is home to a lot of bird species.

After the two nights in the winelands, you might want to work off a bit of that indulgence by raising your heart rate and we find no better way than a thrilling safari to get the blood pumping. From Cape Town, you’ll take a flight to Sabi Sand, home to some of the most stylish safari lodges on the continent. Staying three nights at the outstanding Leopard Hills, you’ll be completely surrounded by the African bush, where you can watch animals roam past from the hotel’s elevated position and enjoy a Big Five safari experience on morning and afternoon game drives. After the magical game viewing (often from the comfort of your plunge pool), rest in your seriously gorgeous suite, which is perfect for an afternoon snooze, before finishing your day with an al fresco moonlit shower and a cocktail sipped beneath the stars.