location, location, location!

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

- CHRISTI NORTIER

The desert dream: Tswalu

Picture this: you're driven to an elevated, open-air platform in the Kalahari's Korannaberg mountains. You enjoy sundowners and a relaxed meal, sip on a nightcap and are then left alone to soak up the solitude of the surrounding desert. You can sleep under the Milky Way - bundled up in luxurious linen - or in a sophisticated tent. These are Tswalu's 'star beds', Naledi and Malori. "It's about casual elegance while enjoying a true connection with your surroundings," says managing director Russel Binks. "The cool breeze carries both myths and promises - there is a timeless quality here. It's a place where humans have wandered and wondered since the dawn of creation."

The earthy sanctuary: Nima Lodge

"Nima is more cabins in the woods than a luxury lodge," says owner Vida Schiff of her property in Wilderness on the Garden Route. All the cabins offer something special, but the soft curves, earthy texture and descending layers of the Sand Cabin are particularly captivating. Vida has brought the ethos of her interior design studio into the space with lighting, materials and furniture that summon serene harmony. "We wanted to create moments throughout the cabin, each offering an activity or an invitation to be still," she explains. "The bathroom is a highlight, using ascending and descending movement to mimic the hillside the cabin is built on... and the bath with a view is a real hit!"

The Karoo villa: Jonkmanshof