On arrival at Cape Town International Airport, you collect your rental car and take the drive to Kensington Place, which is located in one of Cape Town’s most prestigious enclaves high on the slopes of Table Mountain. Kensington Place is a true boutique hotel with only eight individually decorated rooms, exceptional service and outstanding attention to detail.

A cosmopolitan collection of modern art and eclectic modernist furniture make up the interior, while the exterior is given over to the aquamarine plunge pool and a sophisticated terrace that has sweeping views of the twinkling city lights by night and of historic Table Bay by day. Treat yourself to the seasonal breakfast on the sunny verandah and cap off your evening with a top-notch tipple from the bar while catching up next to copper-mantled open fireplace.

Each day has its own promise of magic and surprise, and the city of Cape Town and its magnificent Peninsula offer many attractions in breath-taking surroundings - it is no surprise that the city is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in the world. Dramatic mountains plunge down to beautiful white sand beaches dotted along the coastline, and picturesque villages nestle in their folds.

The vibrant V&A Waterfront is a bustling precinct of shops, bars and restaurants overlooking the busy working harbour and docks, and alongside it the city centre of Cape Town sits cradled in the bowl of Table Mountain. The rotating cable car to the top offers incredible 360-degree views as you ascend and, once you reach the level plateau, a thousand metres above the sea, you can follow a network of paths that lead to a series of viewpoints.

Here you can look down over the Twelve Apostles mountain range at Camps Bay and Clifton beaches, over Table Bay to the notorious Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated, across False Bay to the mountains of the wine country and southwards to the end of the continent at Cape Point.

You leave Cape Town behind and drive to Babylonstoren, located in the picturesque scenery of the wine country near Stellenbosch. This magnificent estate dates back to the 17th century and is suffused with the history of the Cape’s European settlers. The original farmhouse and outbuildings are constructed in the Cape Dutch style with thick whitewashed walls, ornate gables and thatched roofs, and the surrounding organic gardens and orchards are a sensory delight.

After settling into your delightfully quaint yet sophisticated cottage, you are ready to enjoy the many attractions of the farm and the surrounding areas. You may choose to be as active or as relaxed as you like, the ethos of Babylonstoren is for you simply to be as you are, and absorb the tranquillity and magnificence of this glorious setting.

You have an 8-hectare formal French kitchen garden to wander and, if you like, a gardener will accompany you as you take a relaxing walk, perhaps picking herbs and ingredients for your own salad to be prepared by the chefs. The river that burbles through the property is cloaked in a carpet of vibrant clivia flowers, and there are numerous viewpoints and picnic spots dotted all over the farm. The spa is an oasis of calm overlooking the gardens where herbs for the various therapies are gathered daily; the nearby gym offers a sauna, steam room and the latest equipment for burning off the kilojoules gained while you have indulged in the fabulous cuisine from the restaurant.

You set off from Babylonstoren in the morning, and follow the scenic route along the coast, past the picturesque villages of Hermanus and Stanford before you arrive at Grootbos Forest Lodge, set on a hillside with a grand view of Walker Bay, where mountains plunge dramatically into the sea. The surrounding reserve is dominated by fynbos, the indigenous floral kingdom that is spectacularly diverse and wholly endemic to the Cape.

Your luxury suite is sited to maximise both privacy and the magnificent view of the mountains and ocean, and although being completely eco-friendly, no luxury or amenity is spared in creating a haven of stylish sophistication in an undeniably romantic setting.

Located in the southern-most region of the African continent where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, the waters here boast an astonishing variety of marine life, from the southern right whale calving ground of Walker Bay to the great white shark hotspot of Seal Alley off Dyer Island just a short distance away. Here too are ancient petroglyphs, shell middens and caves where the earliest human inhabitants of this region left signs of their passage over the millennia. A tour with one of Grootbos’s incredibly knowledgeable guides will provide you with a fulfilling and insightful experience of this incredible ecosystem and its fascinating history.

After a day of exploration, there is no better way to rejuvenate and relax than with a heavenly spa treatment either in the therapy rooms, in the comfort of your suite or even deep within a grove of ancient milkwood trees. It is then in a state of floating bliss that you can indulge in the finest Cape cuisine, accompanied by the fabulous wines grown here in the unique terroir of the Overberg.

Departing Grootbos in the morning, you take the scenic drive along the coast and through the mountains back to Cape Town International Airport, where you board your flight to Tswalu. After take-off, the dramatic beauty of the Cape Fold Mountains are revealed below you, with their rugged peaks and deeply carved valleys meandering towards the sea. Soon you are over the Karoo and then the vastness of the Kalahari opens out before you.

Touching down at the airstrip, you are met by your guide who will take you on a short drive to Tswalu Motse Lodge. Located at the foot of the Korannaberg Mountains, this beautiful lodge looks out over an ocean of grassland dotted with gnarled acacia trees. Built from wood, stone, thatch and red clay, the buildings seem very much a part of this ancient landscape, and a waterhole in front of the main building attracts a steady trickle of thirsty animals and birds. Featuring elevated decks and elegant lounges, the main house is a spectacular space in which to meet. An infinity pool offers an endless view over the savannah and a secluded spa is designed to complete your total relaxation. The mezzanine library is equipped with satellite television and its museum cases display rare artefacts from the area.

Discovering your suite, you find a spacious and elegant space with an expansive bedroom with an open fireplace, a sumptuous en suite bathroom and a private sundeck overlooking the waterhole. This is the ideal location from which to enjoy the dreamy Kalahari sunset display, and to absorb the stillness and tranquillity of this extraordinary place.

You can choose to rise early one morning for an exhilarating game drive, with a delicious gourmet picnic to enjoy along the way, and the chance to see many species of game before they take cover from the sun. On another morning sleep late and indulge in a leisurely champagne breakfast in bed before enjoying a decadent spa treatment to relax and revitalise your soul.

You will spend time bonding with the meerkats at one of the established colonies, before they go foraging, and your guide will take you to track black-maned Kalahari lions. It is a thrilling experience to witness the sheer size and power of these majestic animals while the playful innocence of their cubs will steal your heart. Afterwards, you enjoy a mouth-watering picnic in a scenic location, before you take a stroll to view Bushman rock art, with carvings believed to be up to 380 000 years old.

One of the best ways to see game is on horseback. A gentle ride on one a comfortable, well-schooled horse allows you to see the reserve from a different perspective, where you ride among herds of sable, zebra and tsessebe that are completely unperturbed by your presence. After an afternoon of riding, you indulge in an icy cold sundowner drink while revelling in the magnificent spectacle of a Kalahari sunset from a camp set up for you in the dunes.

On one of your evenings, you sleep out below a glittering canopy of stars at the Malori Sleep-Out Deck: a raised platform richly furnished with an enormous and comfortable king sized bed. Arriving in time to enjoy a cocktail as the sun sinks into the horizon, you then indulge in a gourmet meal cooked over the coals of the campfire before slipping between the covers, with the silence of the Kalahari enveloping you, and the stars so bright they seem close enough to touch.

On your final morning, you enjoy a leisurely breakfast before bidding the magical Kalahari farewell. An aircraft meets you at the runway for the flight to Johannesburg, and as you fly over this ancient landscape, the memories of your magical African experience flood your mind: from the picturesque beauty of the Western Cape with its wine country and whales, to the haunting amber eyes of a Kalahari lion. Moments that have touched your soul and memories that will remain with you forever.