Must-see hotels in Southern Africa

  • Kick4Life Hotel & Conference Centre

    Lesotho

    Attached to the sport-focused NGO Kick4Life, this smart hotel with a football (soccer) theme funds the charity's work and its staff includes Kick4Life…

  • Annie's Lodge

    Malawi

    Set in the foothills of the Zomba Plateau, Annie's has a bar-restaurant with an appealing terrace for a sundowner, and black-and-white-brick chalets with…

  • Shewula Mountain Camp

    eSwatini (Swaziland)

    This community-run place 37km northeast of Simunye in the Lebombo Mountains (21km on tarred road and 16km on dirt road; turn at signs indicating Shewula)…

  • 91 Loop

    Cape Town

    Jo'burg investors are behind this new and buzzing place offering a good range of rooms, including pods – essentially a dorm bed but instead of a bunk you…

  • Roma Trading Post

    Lesotho

    Roma Trading Post is a charming trading post operated since 1903. The attached guesthouse includes garden rooms, rondavels and the original sandstone…

  • Smith’s Cottage

    Durban

    An excellent budget option within chirping distance of the Umgeni River Bird Park. It's set around a suburban garden and has a couple of free-standing …

  • Thaba Tsweni Lodge

    Blyde River Canyon

    Beautifully located just a short walk from Berlin Falls, these six self-catering chalets have stone walls, African-print bedspreads, kitchens, garden…

  • Gastehys JanHarmsgat

    Gauteng

    An attraction in its own right, this four-room B&B in a renovated farmhouse is like something from an interior-design magazine crossed with an conceptual…

  • Cradle Boutique Hotel

    Gauteng

    Relax and revive in one of the 17 very stylish and spacious timber and thatch lodge-style rooms on this property. All have verandas with sweeping views of…

  • Alpine Attitude

    Pretoria

    Looking for a night somewhere extra special? Make a beeline for this unique boutique hotel. The seven rooms have been creatively designed – each one has…

  • Kopanong

    Cape Town

    Thope Lekau, also called ‘Mama Africa’, runs this excellent B&B with her equally ebullient daughter, Mpho. Her substantial brick home offers three…

  • Casa Rossa

    Malawi

    Named after its oxblood veranda overlooking town, this Italian-owned guesthouse offers hillside tranquillity and the best restaurant around. Rooms in the…

  • Marloth Lodge

    Western Cape

    This excellent budget lodge is set on a huge plot of land bordering the Marloth Nature Reserve. It's had a bit of a makeover and offers charming rooms…

  • It's a Small World Lodge Vumba

    Zimbabwe

    This is an attractive guesthouse set in a colonial-style holiday home with an English garden and outlooks to the valley. It's currently undergoing a…

  • Trees Too

    Mpumalanga

    This place is a standout, with great thatch and brick rooms featuring quality furniture, honesty bars, wildlife artworks and vintage African tourism…

  • Lower Sabie Rest Camp

    Kruger National Park

    Kruger's most popular rest camp is set on a gorgeous bend of the Sabie River that attracts elephants, hippos, buffaloes and other animals. LST2U-class…

  • Brackenhill Lodge

    eSwatini (Swaziland)

    With its wonderfully relaxing atmosphere and bucolic setting, this little cracker located 4.5km northeast of Mbabane is sure to win your heart. It offers…

  • Ganora Guest Farm

    Eastern Cape

    If you’d rather be out of town under the soaring skies of the Karoo, this 18th-century farmstead 7km east of Nieu Bethesda is an excellent option. The…

  • Morija Guest Houses

    Lesotho

    At this sterling stone-and-thatch house perched high above the village, guests can choose between cosy rooms in the main building and cottages below…

  • Elephant House

    Sunshine Coast

    For panache and design flair, Elephant House is a great place to indulge. The main thatched-roof building shelters six cosy rooms filled with rugs and…

  • Royal St Andrew

    Sunshine Coast

    Directly across from the golf club and within walking distance of the beach, the creatively designed Royal St Andrew is Port Alfred's most prestigious…

  • Macondo Camp

    Malawi

    Run by Italian couple and serial overlanders Luca and Cecilia, Macondo has cute rooms in the main house, tented chalets with wooden decks overlooking the…

  • Idle & Wild

    Mpumalanga

    In a wonderful tropical garden that will make your heart sing (no, really!) are eight excellent rondavels (round huts with conical roofs), with outside…

  • Bwelani

    Pretoria

    Concealed behind high walls down near the university, this bright, contemporary B&B has lots of personality. The nine rooms, including two self-catering…

  • Cloud 9

    Cape Town

    This arty new boutique hotel and spa has been created from combining several formerly separate properties. Rooms differ depending on what part of the…

  • Cascade Country Manor

    Winelands

    Tucked away along a dirt road 10km east of the centre, this place will make you feel like you're far from anywhere, although it's an easy drive back to…

  • Plumtree Lodge

    Limpopo

    The bungalow rooms at this German-run guesthouse are some of the most spacious and appealing in town. Standard features are high ceilings, lounge areas,…

  • Edge Mountain Retreat

    Eastern Cape

    The tastefully decorated cottages and garden rooms are strung out along a dramatic plateau edge. The cottages, some with sensational valley views, vary in…

  • Kimberley Club

    Northern Cape

    Founded by Cecil Rhodes and his diamond cronies as a private club in 1881, and rebuilt following a fire in 1896, this reputedly haunted building became a…

  • Ocean Bay Guest House

    Port Elizabeth

    A short amble from the beach, this sassy venture with a boutique feel is the epitome of a refined abode, with seven elegant, modern and amply sized rooms,…

  • Isango Gate

    Port Elizabeth

    This venue strikes a perfect balance between style, functionality and privacy (there are only 10 rooms), in a residential area close to the beach. Expect…

  • Point Village Hotel

    Garden Route

    The quirky, fake lighthouse on this exceptionally well-priced hotel’s exterior speaks to what you'll find inside: a range of fun, funky, bright rooms and…

  • Tatasberg Wilderness Camp

    Northern Cape

    The delightful cabins at this camp each have a covered deck with magnificent views over the Gariep (Orange) River. Made from corrugated tin, reed and…

  • Potting Shed

    Hermanus

    This friendly guesthouse offers delightful personal touches, including homemade biscuits on arrival. The neat rooms are comfortable and have bright,…

  • Liziwe Guest House

    Cape Town

    Liziwe has made her home into a palace, with seven delightful en-suite rooms all sporting TVs and African-themed decor. She was featured on a BBC cooking…

  • Scotia Inn Hotel & Restaurant

    Northern Cape

    There are standard rooms on the ground floor and bright, modern deluxe rooms (single/double R550/850) upstairs, some with huge sea-facing balconies…

  • Reeden Lodge

    Franschhoek

    A good-value, terrific option for families, with well-equipped, self-catering cottages sleeping from two to 10 people, situated on a farm about 10 minutes…

  • Shimuwini Bushveld Camp

    Kruger National Park

    This beautiful small camp and bird hide has a picturesque riverine setting, with 15 self-catering cottages staggered on lawns overlooking a wide stretch…

  • 139 on Munnik

    Limpopo

    Without a doubt Louis Trichardt's most luxurious accommodation. Modern fittings, stylish touches, great beds and facilities such as a bar and coffee shop…

  • Grand Daddy Hotel

    Cape Town

    The Grand Daddy’s star attraction is its rooftop 'trailer park' of penthouse suites, made from seven vintage, artistically renovated Airstream trailers…

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