WISH WE WERE HERE

You can eat with your eyes, so why not travel that way, too? Captivating, unexpected and inspiring these destinations should be on every decor-lover's bucket list...

- CHRISTI NORTIER

THE BEACH HOUSE: THONGA BEACH LODGE 

"No shoes, no news" is the motto of the newly refurbished Thonga Beach Lodge in KZN's iSimangaliso Wetland Park. And it's reflected in the decor, which features a healthy dose of "barefoot luxury".

Stylists Penni Korb and Kelly Coates describe the look as "beach chic meets Africa's contemporary cool", and the lodge is made up of 12 round Thonga-style thatched units. Nestled into the Mdoni dune forest right on the beach, they are all connected by a sun-bleached wooden walkway reminiscent of a Thonga village.

A sun-tanning beach deck, hammock laze-zone and forest fire pit complete the picture, offering private moments of quiet rest.

THE KAROO VILLA: JONKMANSHOF

On the quiet end of Montagu's main road, you'll find a handsome terracotta-colour house with green shutters at the front door - but you could never guess the oasis that lies within. The two residences that make up Jonkmanshof, built in the late 1800s, are designed to give guests a sense of "privacy, exclusivity, relaxation and above all - that home-away-from-home feeling where our guests can put up their feet and enjoy the whole house," says owner Hein Liebenberg.