Bushmans Kloof, Cederberg, South Africa

Where it is

The reserve sits on the edge of the Cederberg wilderness, a landscape of kloofs (ravines), weathered arches and fynbos-covered slopes. This is rooibos country: the plant grows commercially nowhere else on earth. Skies are dark enough for serious stargazing, and in spring the Namaqualand flower fields to the north put on a famous show.

The drive up from Cape Town or the Winelands is part of the pleasure, and many guests continue to the West Coast afterwards.

Rooms, suites and villas

No more than 34 guests stay at any one time, spread across rooms, suites and private villas. The villas and the Riverside Supreme Suite come with their own pools. Interiors are classic Cape country, comfortable and unfussy, with many rooms looking onto the river or the hills, and stone-and-thatch buildings sit among lawns and gardens.

Spa, food and the rest

For slow days there is a heated pool, a spa with steam room and relaxation lounge, and treatments in an open-air gazebo, plus a health bar. Food comes from three restaurants, mixing Cape flavours with Mediterranean and Asian ideas, and staff will lay on a riverside dinner or a mountain picnic if asked.

There is plenty to do: rangers lead rock art walks and drives in search of antelope and mountain wildlife, and you can canoe, fish, cycle, hike, try archery, taste wine or join a cookery class.

The moment

Dawn beneath a rock overhang with a guide, as the low sun picks out eland, hunters and spirit figures painted in ochre long before written history. Then, after dark, eating outdoors under the Milky Way while the outline of the mountains fades into the night.

Why we chose it

Bushmans Kloof brings together ancient art, red mountains, a gracious lodge and a genuinely restorative spa. It is predator-free, so it is not a Big Five safari, but that is part of its peace, and it makes a superb counterpoint to the bustle of Cape Town.

Combine it with Delaire Graff in the Winelands, or fly north to the gorillas at Bisate Lodge.

When to go

The reserve is open all year. August to October is spring, with wildflowers across the Cederberg and Namaqualand. March to May brings mild, settled days, and the busiest weeks follow South African and European school holidays around Christmas and January.

For travellers free of school dates, late March to May and September to October are the sweet spots, with comfortable temperatures for walking. Summer, from December to February, can be very hot in the middle of the day, and winter nights are cold, though the days are often clear.

The longer stay

Three nights gives you time for rock art walks, a canoe trip, the spa and a long lazy afternoon by the pool. For a fortnight in South Africa, pair it with Cape Town, the Winelands and the West Coast, adding Namaqualand in spring.