Best Hotels & Lodges

The hideaway in the Dolomites at an altitude of 1770 m. A unique building, one of its kind, in a breathtaking location. Enjoy the beauty of nature and the blessing of silence, as well as a high-level quality of life, to rediscover the true values of existence. Forestis regards itself as a place of retreat surrounded by nature, where time can once again be sensed and filled with emotional value through physical and mental mindfulness towards oneself.

The Suites at Forestis are surrounded by dense treetops. Nothing obstructs the view down into the valley, over wooded mountain landscapes or the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Zulu for ‘love’, Thanda makes you do just that. You will fall in love with this authentically South African wildlife experience. Thanda Safari Lodge is known for its plushly unique bush suites, each perched on a hill overlooking the reserve. With your own private sala on stilts, plunge pool, wrap-around deck and bush boma, you probably won’t want to leave to explore anything else. But trust us - it’s worth it. On Thanda’s game drives and bush walks you will fall in love again with the diverse wildlife and best of all, you get to enjoy it all to yourself.

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve stretches across 54,000 hectares of arid and silent Little Karoo landscape. This is where San people lived for thousands of years, and where galleries of rock paintings illustrate their lives. It's a pretty inhospitable place, and yet it is rich in wildlife and indigenous flora. Tilney Manor is one of four lodges in the reserve, with interiors that are indeed manorial, combining warmth and comfort with true elegance. The food is glorious, the staff are attentive and the guest suites, just six of them, meet your every need. It's a glamorous base from which to explore this extraordinary wilderness.

*Closed for extensive refurbishment from 18 March to 20 September 2024* This well-appointed and intimate tented camp is located in Ngala Private Reserve within Timbavati, the first private nature reserve to remove the fences that separated it from its neighbour, Kruger National Park. This satellite camp to Ngala Game Lodge is set beneath giant shady trees on the banks of the seasonal Timbavati River, and is known for its Big Five and wild dog sightings. Game, walking and photographic safaris are led by expert guides and trackers, who make sure that no rock is left unturned in pursuit of the animals.

Perched dramatically above the glittering Mediterranean, this 13th-century Capuchin convent has been transformed into something rather special indeed. What was once a place of quiet reflection for monks now offers a different kind of transcendental experience - though we'd argue that gazing out over the azure waters from the infinity pool is its own form of meditation. Just a ten-minute amble from the bustling Piazza del Duomo, former monastic quarters have been reimagined with sophisticated flair, while the original cloister and chapel remain as atmospheric reminders of the building's storied past.

Just thirty minutes upstream from the iconic Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwean side of the Zambezi, Matetsi River Lodge sits on a quiet stretch of river within an enormous private game reserve. It's an extraordinary setting for this newly refurbished lodge, which serves up tranquility and adventure in equal doses. From your riverfront cottage, enjoy watching the birdlife flittering around the water below, or head into the reserve for an excellent selection of game. And then of course, there's the star of the show, Victoria Falls, a sight that David Livingstone once said was, "a scene so lovely it must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight." Sounds good to us!