South Africa’s Ellerman House in Cape Town

One of the most magnificent Edwardian houses on one of Cape Town’s most picturesque coastline locations, it was constructed in 1906 for the shipping tycoon Sir John Ellerman and has stunning views of sunsets and the boulder-strewn bathing bays below. With 11 rooms, 2 suites, 2 villas, and 1.5 acres of hillside grounds with lush lawns, swaying palm trees, and fragrant Cape fynbos beds, Ellerman House is located in the exclusive Bantry Bay neighborhood. By pressing clothing, providing bubble baths, bringing tea in antique silver pots of freshly picked mint, and offering wine recommendations, the staff members treat every visitor like a houseguest. Paul Harris, the home’s owner, has artwork in each of the beautifully furnished bedrooms that either the sea or the mountains. His private collection, which adorns the home and its adjacent gallery, includes modern portraits by Gerard Sekoto and landscape paintings by Thomas Bowler from the 19th century. It is among the best in South Africa. Its cheerful restaurant, well-stocked cellar, and spacious, light-filled spa all provide individualized treatment; cooks are happy to prepare guests’ favorite dishes, such as fresh lobster salads and rich Cape Malay curries, as well as daily goodies that are laid out in a self-serve pantry. Families may enjoy two more modern villas where kids can swim about in their own pool without bothering those enjoying a traditional English tea on the verandas or relaxing on a pool lounger while watching the seagulls whirl over the Atlantic. This hotel has the sense of a gracious grande dame—a clubby setting that invites you to relax and indulge. starting at $900. Lisa Grainger

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The Singita Ebony Lodge

In South Africa’s Sabi Sand, Singita Ebony Lodge

Singita, which operates 19 hotels and camps in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Rwanda, is a company that epitomizes the safari gold standard. It all began in 1993 at Ebony Lodge, a private concession in the leopard-rich Sabi Sands Game Reserve with a view of the Sand River. But until a beautifully textured revamp spearheaded by Cape Town designers Cécile and Boyd was launched in the spring of 2024, Singita’s other lodges—we especially love the nature-modernist Sweni lodge—had somewhat supplanted its traditional style. The 12 beautifully textured rooms at the new Ebony Lodge are more fluid and in tune with nature thanks to the glass and canvas that have taken the place of walls and the indoor-outdoor tiered center space that lowers toward the river. own views, such as a tree-bound leopard chillingly eating an antelope, were followed by lovely minutes by our own plunge pool while watching elephants loll in the riverbed. Singita’s wildlife drives are always on a whole other level. Happily, the new Ebony is still a classic while being smarter than before. starting at $2,580. —Toby Skinner

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Tamadot Kasbah

Morocco’s Kasbah Tamadot in Asni

Behind guarded walls, every kasbah is a kind of peaceful haven, and Kasbah Tamadot is among Morocco’s best. Its name, which evokes the respite it provides under the shade of the Atlas Mountains, means “soft breeze” in the local Berber language. Originally constructed more than a century ago as a residence for a local governor, it joined the Virgin Limited Edition Collection of resorts and lodges in 2005. Tamadot, a beautiful but eccentric Amazigh castle with exquisitely carved doors, private courtyards, hidden corridors, and terraces of reflecting ponds sprinkled with rose petals, is now reopening after suffering significant damage during the 2023 earthquake. It is filled with the remarkable treasures of Luciano Tempo, a Venetian antiquarian who owned the property before Richard Branson bought it. In corners are enormous wooden and metal boxes that may have held Barbarossa’s riches. Pathways wind through sprawling gardens under jasmine trellises, and the cabanas around the pool are framed by espaliered apple trees. The new accommodations provide a step up in luxury with six opulent riads that offer three-bedroom suites and private pools, as well as ten glitzy Berber tents in the gardens, in addition to the dramatic apartments in the original kasbah. starting at $728. Stanley Stewart

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Beyond and Beyond Zanzibar, Tanzania’s Mnemba Island

Despite having some of the world’s most pristine beaches, the East African coast is home to very few private island resorts. This is perhaps the reason for the long-standing popularity of AndBeyond’s Mnemba, a little island of white sand located about two miles off the popular tourist destination of Zanzibar. The little 12-banda resort, which was reconstructed in 2024 by the renowned Fox Browne team with architect Jack Alexander, is more beautiful than ever. It opened in 1997. The rooms are curvy, wood-and-reed-clad Robinson Crusoe-esque interiors that are designed to resemble the curvature of a nautilus shell and to bring nature within. They provide shower views of chirping seabirds and a shaded woodland, as well as the possibility of sea air (and the odd bird, crab, or bat) wafting in. Both socialites and seclusionists like this spot. If you desire seclusion, you can remain there all day and ask a butler to stop by with a refreshing coconut or a basket of sushi. Others could put on a silk caftan and walk barefoot over the dazzling white sand to the bar for a drink of good South African wine or a Dawa lime cocktail, followed by a romantic candlelit meal on the beach, such as lobster ravioli or rare Kenyan beef with mango sorbet or chocolate pastry. For those who like design, there is a store filled with vibrant local jewelry, clothes, and crafts; for those who are more active, there is a group of friendly people who can assist you dive the area’s well-known reefs or explore the beautiful, turquoise seas on catamarans, kayaks, or paddleboards. The island’s new spa offers yoga sessions on a chilly, windy beach deck and top-notch massages perfumed with Healing Earth, delivered by the island’s gifted, perceptive therapists. Many of the tourists are returning visitors from the United States, France, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. During their ninth visit, a glamorous couple explained: “We’ve traveled the world and haven’t found anything to compare.” Thus, we just keep returning. It’s a huge pleasure, really. However, nothing compares to Mnemba. starting at $4,300. Lisa Grainger

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The Botswana camp of Jack

Imagine a place so big it could engulf the sky, so bone-dry at certain seasons of the year that the earth’s fissures create a complex system of veins that stretches for kilometers. Jack’s Camp, an anachronistic creation brimming with the full magnificence of a 1940s camp, rises out of this landscape of Botswana’s Makgadikgadi salt pans like a mirage. In the 1990s, cultish safari founder Ralph Bousfield created Jack’s Camp in memory of his father, Jack. Their shared vision is what gives the camp its distinctive colonial design and glass-cased archeological artifacts. Romance is abundant here: On the outside, there are wide wood decks, swings, and plunge pools, and each of the nine canvas tents has hand-carved mattresses and campaign workstations. You may be tempted to remain inside, but there are open areas outside the door that are teeming with meerkats, hyenas, and wildebeests that are just begging to be explored on horseback, quad bike, or 4×4. After exhausting days, visitors and guides congregate around a 36-seat table to sip glasses and sample pilipili-hoho, a staple of Jack’s Camp that consists of African chilies steeped in gin. The rich afternoon tea, served in a Persian tent on tattered carpets, is the restaurant’s true highlight. It’s just what you need to boost your energy before venturing out into the cool afternoon sun for additional desert exploration. starting at $1,965. —Arati Menon