Lanzerac Hotel & Spa

There are several dining areas, including a large restaurant that serves a mixture of local and international cuisine, an open-air garden terrace, the palatial Governor's Hall with its magnificent marble fireplace and Esquire Bar, where whisky and cigars are the after-dinner standard. Whichever your fancy, Lanzerac's award-winning wines are the order of the day. Antique artworks and grand wooden furnishings create a presence throughout the hotel. The library offers a cosy nook to read, and the spa has no fewer than seven therapy rooms, a sauna and steam room, and a heated indoor pool.

There are 47 rooms, all with stunning views over manicured gardens, vineyards and the Jonkershoek mountains beyond. All rooms have heated floors, air-conditioning, Wi-Fi, TV and spacious en-suite bathrooms with baths and showers. Classic and Luxury rooms, as well as Junior Suites and the Royal Pool Suite, are available. All are tastefully decorated, with Suites displaying the utmost elegance and colonial style. Suites have private lounges, and the Royal Suite has an enclosed courtyard with its own pool and outdoor dining table.

Besides relaxing poolside or getting a treatment at the spa, tours of the cellar and wine tasting are available. Be sure to try Lanzerac's pinotage (a hybrid hermitage/cinsaut and pinot noir), unique to the region and the first of its kind ever to be made. There's also plenty of dining and drinking to be done in and around Stellenbosch, including cheese and olive farms, and since it's a bustling student town, there's a fair bit of nightlife too. Feeling active? Head into the mountains for a hike or a bike ride.