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Seven SA destinations among top 50 favourites on travellers’ list
More than 800,000 people voted for their favourite places inspiring the return to travel. These South African resorts were among the top 50 resorts chosen.
Cheetah Plains celebrated in the 34th annual Readers’ Choice Awards. Picture: Adam Letch
For Condé Nast Traveler’s 34th annual Readers’ Choice Awards, registered voters weighed in on their favourite resorts worldwide, among which several South African destinations were included.
Cheetah Plains, Sabi Sands Game Reserve
At number 44, Cheetah Plains is a private bushveld retreat like no other, offering the perfect setting for an exclusive family vacation or a luxurious safari stay with friends.
It boasts Plains House villas, each accommodating up to eight guests, each comprising shared living spaces and private accommodation.
The trio of private villas showcases ultra-modern designs, including raw concrete, rusted steel statement blown glass chandeliers and colourful artworks. The villas are also equipped with greywater recycling systems, solar panels and electric Land Cruiser safari vehicles, allowing guests to get surprisingly close to the Big Five during game drives.
Morukuru Family, Madikwe Game Reserve
Voted number 11, the Morukuru Family’s Owner’s House, River House and Farm House – all located in the popular Madikwe Game Reserve – are all about family travel, offering game drives with children, kiddies activities and even babysitting services.
Madikwe Game Reserve is also known as one of the best reserves in which you can not only spot the Big Five, but the Magnificent Seven, including the cheetah and the African wild dog.
Priding themselves in being family-friendly, they even have WiFi available everywhere (even in the rooms), which means kids won’t get frustrated if they can’t access social media to share their experiences.
Royal Malewane, Greater Kruger National Park
Home to the most qualified guiding team in Africa, Royal Malewane came in at number nine.
The lodge is based in Thornybush Private Game Reserve, which forms part of the greater Kruger National Park and offers safaris that cover an area the size of Wales.
It boasts exclusive, private and intimate accommodation, from six luxury suites and two royal suites to the palatial six-bedroom Africa House, which comes with its own private chef.
Singita Sabi Sand, Sabi Sands Game Resereve
At number seven, Singita Sabi Sand’s Ebony Lodge, Boulders Lodge and Castleton Lodge, in the Sabi Sands Game Reserve, proves to be the epitome of a luxurious safari experience. Singita has been owned by the Bailes family since 1926, opening its first lodge (Ebony Lodge) in 1993.
Singita’s philosophy has always been to preserve large tracts of wilderness and wildlife populations for future generations.
Morukuru Family, De Hoop Reserve, De Hoop Nature Reserve
With the same sentiments as their accommodation options at Madikwe Game Reserve, the Morukuru Family’s De Hoop based properties came in at number two of the popular Readers’ Choice Awards.
Their Morukuru Family Beach Lodge and Morukuru Family Ocean House both offer exquisite experiences for travellers wanting to explore South Africa with less safari and more beach.
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These two properties come with access to the De Hoop Nature Reserve, with a protected marine area that will leave you breathless. A visit between July and October even secures sightings of the Southern white whales.
Two destinations also got voted into the Readers’ Choice Awards’ best hotels of the world:
Ellerman House, Cape Town
Mere minutes away from Cape Town’s most popular beaches and the Table Mountain cableway, the elegant Ellerman House was voted number 47 under the world’s best hotels.
Located between Lion’s Head and the Atlantic Ocean, this destination is in a prime spot and looks like one of the many Cape Edwardian mansions in the area. This is but one of the reasons travellers keep returning to this hotel.
The owner, Paul Harris, is known for his pride in his country and therefore the destination also boasts an impressive art collection, as well as a cellar comprising of 7,500 bottles of vintage and rare South African wines. Not to mention Ellerman House’s lovely gardens, filled with indigenous plants sourced from the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.
Babylonstoren, Franschhoek Valley
At number 34, Babylonstoren was also included among Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards’ best hotels in the world.
Located in the Drakenstein Valley Northeast of Cape Town, Babylonstoren is probably the closest you’ll get to the Garden of Eden.
Here, it is not so much about luxury, but rather about history, with minimalist, yet stylish cottages accommodating guests wanting to learn more about farms that supplied the ships making their way around the Cape of Good Hope en route to India in the 1960s.
Upon your stay, make sure to pay a visit to the on-site bakery, the winery, the cheesemaker and the butcher, and don’t omit a dip in the farm-tank style swimming pool.
This surely proves that South Africa is one of the best destinations to travel to and worth adding to your bucket list for upcoming travels as the world slowly starts to open up after the Covid-19 pandemic’s devastating effects on the travel industry.
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