Farm 215

Head to the main area to identify your discoveries in its well-stocked reference library, curl up in a deep chair and enjoy delicious meals made with locally sourced produce. The meals are deliciously creative, the wines come from four local estates (in season, the restaurant hosts a wine-tasting event for the Lomond Wine Estate). The decor is stylishly clean-cut, the views across the fynbos to Walker Bay are panoramic and the atmosphere is cheery and friendly. There's also a pool.

There are two types of units. Three freestanding Fynbos Suites, spaced out along a meandering path, are glass-fronted with sliding doors that open to a covered viewing deck. Indoors is a woodstove-heated lounge, bedroom and bathroom, all interconnected (enjoy the view from the bath!). The Old Homestead offers one ground-floor and two upstairs rooms, all more traditional in flavour. The upstairs duo have wide views from the bed and balconies; the lower room has a covered terrace and bird-filled garden.

Explore the reserve and its surroundings on horseback. Take one- to six-hour rides (for all experience levels) with the African Horse Company and its knowledgeable guides. Wander through the fynbos to admire the plants in the kloofs and ravines, and keep your eyes peeled for the region's incredible birdlife. Farm 215 lies close to South Africa's famous Whale Coast, so time your visit to coincide with the arrival of these leviathans (July to December). Go shark-cage diving, explore the local wine region, or simply soak up the silence.