You are met on arrival at Cape Town International Airport and transferred to Ellerman House, set on the slopes of Lions Head in the exclusive city suburb of Bantry Bay. Arguably Cape Town’s finest boutique hotel, this sprawling Edwardian-style manor overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and famous Robben Island, boasting panoramic sunset views.

Strolling from your suite to the central lounge is a stroll through Ellerman’s remarkable art collection. Before setting out to explore all this city has to offer, rest and recharge at the in-house spa or soak up the sunshine and views at the pool.

Ellerman House’s chef and sommelier are famous for the sensory symphony they produce for guests. Every meal is an indulgent encounter with world cuisine and carefully selected vintages. After sumptuous dinners, the whiskey lounge beckons for a nightcap, convivial conversation and the lulling sound of the ocean waves below.

Ellerman House is centrally positioned for easy access to Cape Town’s many attractions – the V&A Waterfront, Table Mountain, award-winning beaches, and the café culture of the city’s design district are all a few minutes’ drive away.

However you choose to spend your days in Cape Town, each evening it is customary to salute the setting sun with a cocktail. There are few more romantic moments than toasting the close of day on Ellerman’s terrace with its spectacular views of ocean and sky lit up in a fiery palette with Table Mountain glowing pink behind you.

Today you return to Cape Town International Airport for a local flight to Johannesburg and a short charter flight to the Kruger National Park. A game drive introduces you to this legendary landscape and delivers you to the hospitality of Singita Lebombo, a multi-award-winning lodge widely considered the benchmark of safari luxury. Perched on a cliff face overlooking the N’wanetsi River, the lodge combines natural wood and stone with sophisticated architectural finishes in glass and steel.

Singita Lebombo is set in a substantial private concession within the Kruger National Park, which guarantees a private and intimate wilderness experience. Expert guides lead day and night game drives, interpreting the signs of the wild, and sharing their knowledge and insights generously. This is classic Big 5 country with the rare opportunity for you to encounter both black and white rhinos. These prehistoric beasts recall an epoch earlier than humanity’s and are a sight to behold, especially since they are so tragically endangered.

The Kruger is also famous for its predators. Leopard, cheetah and wild dog are all present and large prides of lion thrive here, a testimony to the abundance of prey in the area. Encountering a pride in the late afternoon as they begin to stir and rouse themselves to hunt at dusk is a thrilling experience: they stretch languidly and yawn widely, cuff each other playfully and rub heads affectionately. At first, you may be lulled into thinking they seem very like domestic cats until you glimpse the hypnotic amber eyes and rippling muscles that testify to a lioness’s extraordinary predatory power. Very few sounds equal the spine-tingling roar of a pride male when the King of the Jungle declares his territory, a majestic call that is echoed by his pride; it inspires great gratitude for the domestic comfort of the lodge’s roaring fire.

After a final morning game drive and a delicious lunch, your charter flight wings you back to Johannesburg. Images of your journey come flooding back to mind: the alpine views of Cape Town’s winelands, sunset from Ellerman House’s terrace, and the thrill of searching for and finding the Big 5. You are among the select few who have experienced Africa from this sophisticated and refined perspective, and this is, perhaps, merely the first chapter in your African story.