Tintswalo Atlantic | Cape Town One Of South Africa's Best Hotels

We twist and turn along the near-vertical rock face that hugs Chapman’s Peak Drive, with the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean sending spectacular plumes of spray onto the rocks below. Arriving at the gate of Tintswalo Atlantic, we take a shuttle down to the boutique South African hotel, which is set at the base of the cliffs – right in front of the frothing sea. From here, at the edge of Table Mountain National Park, we can see the silvery strip of Hout Bay’s beach, the picture-perfect Hout Bay Harbour and the dramatic Sentinel mountain peak. Just around the corner, out of our eyeline, is Duiker Island, home to a flourishing Cape fur seal colony. A quick tour of the lodge, with its pool, restaurant and bar, shows us that it’s been designed in harmony with the surrounding environment. Following a private track through a grove of ancient milkwood trees, we arrive at a pebbled beach. It’s so isolated that it feels like it’s on a private island. We look around us, enraptured by the views of mountain and sea.

As we walk back to get settled in our suite, we’re told that each of them is individually decorated to reflect ten of the world’s islands. Under one of the milkwoods, and closest to the pool, ours is named Ithaca, and it reflects the Greek island’s character wonderfully. With large sliding doors that open up to a deck just above the ocean, and seashell décor, our suite has all the feel of a deluxe beach cottage. I love its parquet floors and fireplace, while my partner literally gasps at the stand-alone tub, which has views of the ocean. The fading light draws us out again to enjoy drinks and snacks on the main deck. Here we watch the sun sink behind the Sentinel mountain, shooting myriad colours into the bay and lighting up the surrounding mountainside. Then as we sit in the dining room, the open kitchen lets us see the chefs in action, and we marvel over each of the four courses they create. After sitting outside and enjoying the moonlight for a while, we retire to our plush bed, where we fall asleep to the soothing sound of waves rolling onto the shore.

The most striking thing about Tintswalo Atlantic has to be its location. Right next to the Atlantic Ocean, and with all the natural beauty of South Africa‘s Table Mountain National Park, it’s still just a short drive from Cape Town’s best attractions. When the weather was fine, we splashed in the pretty rock pools at dawn, then tanned and swam all day at Hout Bay Beach. On cooler days, we lazed by the heated pool, had pampering massages and simply relaxed in our suite. Whatever the weather, every day brought gourmet delights from the kitchen, and dramatic sunsets over the bay. This is the perfect place to truly relax.

• An exclusive boutique hotel with 10 luxury suites and one two-bedroomed family suite. The lodge has a heated swimming pool, spa, restaurant and bar.
• Isolated location on Chapman’s Peak Drive, flexible schedules, private dining available and private vehicles available (additional cost).
• Swimming, watersports (additional cost), whale watching, nature walks and hikes, spa treatments (additional cost), horse riding (additional cost), Cape Winelands tours (additional cost), Cape Point tours (additional cost), Robben Island tours (additional cost), Duiker Island tours (additional cost) and World of Birds tour (additional cost).
• Children are welcome at the lodge manager’s discretion. There is one family suite, and babysitting is available (additional cost).

• Not only do African safari lodge prices shift with the seasons, they also change based on your length of stay, room type, travel party composition, special offers, if your trip involves stays at sister lodges – and for more reasons besides.
• It’s worth noting that depending on your itinerary, your lodge cost will make up about 75–85% of your total safari trip cost.
• Our safaris are tailor-made to match your personal safari dream, we’d be delighted if you’d allow us to create a bespoke proposal for you.  Simply enquire now – our quotes are complimentary and obligation-free.
• However, to help you get an idea of safari lodge prices we’ve created three safari-lodge categories with various price ranges, to find out more click here.