Granny Mouse Country House & Spa

It's hard not to fall in love with Granny Mouse, with its two restaurants, indulgent wine cellar, spa, chapel, conference/wedding reception venue, and heavenly gardens. The thatched A-frame Bistro restaurant has good views of the valley through wide French doors (perfect if you're lunching along the Midlands Meander and returning with an appetite for homely dinner fare). The Eaves restaurant serves fine dining and a multi-course tasting menu; the wine cellar offers romantic meals. The spa and pool are excellent.

Accommodation is in thatched Deluxe rooms, Deluxe suites or Garden rooms. All are modern in style, with a warm, country feel – expect a wood-burning stove (with enough fuel to keep it fired-up all night), aircon, flat-screen TV, mini bar, wi-fi and your own private balcony or deck. The beds are huge and very comfortable, the linens are of the best, and the roomy en-suite bathrooms have separate showers and tubs. All overlook either the gardens or the river valley.

There's plenty to see and do from Granny Mouse, from light and energetic strolls through the hills above the hotel to golf courses, battlefields, fly-fishing and birding on the doorstep. Head to Sani Pass to explore the region's ancient rock art, or to Howick and its nearby Karkloof Reserve for a canopy tour of the second-largest indigenous forest in the country. Go horse riding, clay-pigeon shooting and food sampling. There's something for everyone, and more.