Elite Traveler HRS 2024

elite traveler HOTELS, RESORTS &SPAS2024 76

Head up into the heart of the Cederberg Mountains to experience another side of South Africa at Bushmans Kloof, an 18,533-acre reserve

STAY Bushmans Kloof’s rooms are subtly spread across the property. Some are grand manor house-style suites overlooking the lush gardens; others sit back by the lively pond with views of the mountains beyond. What each share (16 in total, with an extra, private lodge accommodating 10), however, is a unique sense of character. As with all Red Carnation hotels, founder Beatrice Tollman had a heavy hand in the design here; her taste is evident throughout, from the carefully selected art collection to the antique furnishings collected on her travels. DINE Bushmans Kloof has perfected the art of location dining. In three too-short days, we managed a lavish picnic lunch by the reservoir, a sun-soaked brunch in a dried sandstone crevasse, and, best of all, a candle-lit braai (barbecue) dinner at Kadoro — a restored shepherd’s cottage in the far corners of the reserve.

There are plenty of dining options closer to home, too. At Homestead, an alfresco dining room sits poolside. Nearby Makana, a double-height, thatched roof, all-day dining area, overlooks the Boontjies River. Botho ff er meticulously prepared à la carte menus, rich with South African culinary in fl uence. EXPLORE If you’ve made it all the way to Bushmans, there’s little chance you’ll be leaving the borders of the estate — and why would you want to? As well as the standard daily game drives (mountain zebra, reebok, baboons and ostrich rule the roost here, but the endangered Cape leopard slinks around at night too), there are self-guided hikes and walks led by resident guide and rock art expert Londi Ndzima. Under Ndzima’s careful guidance, we traversed a rocky path down to a sheltered sandstone overhang, home to ancient art layered over many thousands of years by the nomadic San people. The oldest is thought to date back some 10,000 years — a remarkable history that has seen the reserve awarded National Heritage Site status. The team can also arrange fi shing expeditions, canoeing in the dam and its sandstone- fl anked tributaries, archery classes, swimming, and mountain biking. Although a stay at Bushmans Kloof is more likely to appeal to those with a penchant for experience travel over out-and-out relaxation, there are plenty of chances for some R&R too. The spa o ff ers a multitude of targeted treatments that utilize native South African ingredients, while a doze by one of the many pools dotted around the estate is a calming way to spend an hour or two. By Kim Ayling From $554 per night. Contact Jacques le Roux, general manager, reservations@bushmanskloof. co.za, +27 87 743 2399, bushmanskloof.co.za

BUSHMANS KLOOF SOUTH AFRICA Picture a South Africa safari vacation, and sightings of the Big Five will likely come to mind — arrivals at Cape Town International are even greeted by life-size models of the country’s famous creatures. Head a few hours north of the city into the heart of the Cederberg Mountains to experience another side of South Africa at Bushmans Kloof, a Red Carnation property and Beyond Green member hotel. Here, on the 18,533-acre reserve, daily game drives are less about witnessing ferocious predators making their kill, and more about appreciating the diverse landscape as a whole — from the fl ora that sustains those animals to the vast cultural history of the native communities that fi rst called these lands home.

Lakeside cocktails

Daily game drives

Photos The Red Carnation Hotel Collection