Lord Milner Hotel

The hotel's grand Victorian facade, embellished with broekie lace and arched windows, leads you into an opulent era of dark-wood balustrades, red carpets, velvet furnishings, elaborately tiled floors and flourishes galore. The richly ornamented restaurant, with its high ceilings, large windows and red-jacketed staff, makes every meal an occasion. The elegant canary-yellow lounge has an antique piano and large hearth, recalling those Victorian evenings, when people gathered in the drawing room after dinner for song and conversation.

Fifteen classically decorated double rooms within the main hotel are bright, with en-suite bathrooms featuring black-and-white tiled floors, and deep bathtubs (some have side-by-side tubs). Separate from the hotel are four suites and villas: the cosy Olive Schreiner Cottage (named for the famous South African author); the Swimming Pool Suite (with two luxury rooms that open to a private courtyard, pool and terrace); the double-storey, Mediterranean-in-feel Reston Villa (four double bedrooms); and the historic three-bedroomed Old Museum Suite. Sheer luxury!

Matjiesfontein, with its single main street, is regarded as something of an oasis of culture and tradition in the surrounding Karoo scrubland. There's certainly a lot to see, including the Transport Museum (dozens of antique cars); the Old Coffee House (enjoy a mean afternoon tea); two chapels; the Old Post Office; working railway station and Railway Museum. Take the 10-minute tour in a double-decker London-style bus. For some chills, the ghost tour takes in many of the reportedly haunted buildings.