Make hiking in the Drakensberg an even more memorable experience when you overnight in a cave. Don’t expect hot-and-cold running water and other creature comforts, but rather an awesome back-to-nature experience as you see the dawn break or the sun go down from your rocky eyrie. more

Shamwari Private Game Reserve in the malaria-free Eastern Cape is home to 5 of South Africa’s 7 major biomes. Within this biodiversity you’ll also find the Big 5, luxury lodges like Lobengula and Bayethe (and 5 more), plus the Born Free Foundation’s big cat sanctuaries. Shamwari has heart as well as beauty. more

Singita Boulders Lodge is famed for its spacious luxury and privacy, as is the equally sumptuous Singita Ebony Lodge. Both are situated along the wildlife-rich Sand River in the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, bordering Kruger National Park. Here you’ll find the Big 5, tranquillity and exquisite cuisine. You will not want to leave. more

Sabi Sabi's Earth Lodge is thought to be 1 of the most environmentally sensitive game lodges on the continent. Built in harmony with nature, Earth Lodge sits within the Sabi Sand Reserve, famed for its Big 5 sightings. It offers an unexpected sensory experience that you’ll never forget. more

Royal Malewane, in the Thornybush Private Game Reserve flanking the Kruger National Park, is the perfect destination for anyone seeking the classics of luxury bush safaris: palatial rooms overlooking untamed bush and the Big 5; sumptuous meals; world-class guiding and interpreting of wildlife sightings; plus the peace you only find in the wilderness. more

Phinda Forest Lodge in the lush northern KwaZulu-Natal is an architectural masterpiece within a dry sand forest. The lodge's stilted wooden suites have huge windows that allow an intimate connection with the forest. It makes for easy viewing of the rare and tiny suni antelope and duikers that walk below. more

Londolozi's Granite Suites are the crème de la crème of luxury lodgings in this well-known private reserve in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, with elegant furnishings and massive picture windows. But the real emphasis is on your interaction with nature. Not for nothing are the leopards of Londolozi world-famous. more

Enjoy a romantic picnic on the banks of the Crocodile River, follow the rose petals to your romantic hideaway, relax with a healing massage in the wellness centre, and interact with the free roaming horses that live on the estate. more

Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, owned by the Oppenheimer family, has 2 exceptional lodges – the Motse and Tarkuni. These opulent lodges are surrounded by a blonde land with cheetahs, meerkats, black-maned lions and desert zebra. Experience it on horseback, on foot or by vehicle. Your soul will be touched by its beauty. more

Marataba is a stylish, sophisticated camp that manages to combine the Big 5 and the bushveld with elemental constructions of glass, stone, canvas and steel. Set in the Marakele National Park, this Waterberg destination is only 3 hours' drive from Johannesburg. more

From your base at the Cathedral Peak Hotel – which has been welcoming guests for more than 70 years – you can walk in a World Heritage Site, ride horses through valleys or simply chill out with a good book, with jagged peaks in the background. more

Eco-friendly rooms offer all the creature comforts holidaymakers expect, while ensuring that wherever possible facilities and amenities are responsibly sourced, naturally derived, don’t harm the environment and make judicious use of our planet’s precious resources. more