From impeccable service, gorgeous rooms and an incredibly beautiful setting on a 7500-hectare private reserve of vast fynbos-filled plains and golden mountains, Bushmans Kloof is practically faultless. The most luxurious place to stay in the Cederberg, an arid and sparsely populated area of mountains and farmlands, the reserve is a three-hour drive from Cape Town.

Accommodation, in expansive rooms and suites, is either in the 19th century manor house or in thatched whitewashed buildings spread out on the tree-shaded, manicured lawns which look out onto unfettered wilderness. Décor is elegant, timeless and contemporary-colonial – picture four-poster beds, dark-wood furniture, leather armchairs and African prints.

If you’re after a Big Five safari experience, you’ll be disappointed at Bushmans Kloof. If, on the other hand, you’re open to seeing other fascinating and elusive animals you may never even have heard of before (aardwolf, caracal, African wild cat), then you’re in luck.

In addition to twice-daily game drives, other activities on the reserve include hiking, canoeing in the dam, mountain biking, fly-fishing, playing croquet and archery. An unmissable highlight is visiting some of the 130 well-preserved millennia-old San rock art sites dotted throughout the reserve. Each day closes with sundowners around the fire at the outdoor boma, which is one of the best spots in South Africa for stargazing.

You can get spa treatments with rooibos extracts, and the tea features prominently on the food menu with tasty dishes such as spiced rooibos iced tea, rooibos mojito cocktails, rooibos-infused mushroom risotto, salmon poached in rooibos, rooibos-chai ice cream and rooibos crème brulee. On the whole, the food at Bushmans Kloof is a notch above even luxury lodges and you’ll probably find yourself packing on a few pounds during your stay, between the breakfast buffet, the fabulous spread for afternoon tea (think quiches, sandwiches, cakes and brownies) and multi-course dinners featuring Mediterranean and South African dishes, such as roast rack of lamb and ostrich carpaccio. Foodies should ask about culinary weekends, held throughout the year, where you do lessons with the executive chef on how to cook with rooibos or bake bread – and get to eat your creations, of course.