From Cape Town to Kruger: Luxury Travel with Golfing Flair

If you want to experience South Africa in real luxury, combine the four Royal Portfolio properties into one bespoke journey that leaves nothing to be desired. From the urban chic of The Silo in Cape Town, via the gentle vineyard hills of Franschhoek, where La Residence reigns among the vines, to the endless ocean views of Birkenhead House in Hermanus – all the way to the safari adventure at Royal Malewane.

Wonderful golf courses are always close by. You don’t have to play – but you’ll want to.

Warmly,

your NineteenGolf.Guide team

📍 The Silo Hotel, Cape Town

At The Silo, you sleep inside a former grain silo – artfully transformed into glass and concrete. It sits like a crown above the V&A Waterfront, directly atop Zeitz MOCAA, Africa’s largest museum of contemporary art.

Glass Palace with a View

You wake up – and for a moment think you’re still dreaming. Table Mountain is mirrored in the diamond-shaped glass windows of your room. The Silo Hotel is a blend of art gallery and luxury cocoon. From breakfast at the Granary Café to sundowners at the rooftop bar, every moment is an experience – with champagne, sushi platters and views stretching from the harbour to the Atlantic.

The Silo Hotel

Cape Town Highlights: The Must-Sees Between Mountain and Sea

The cable car glides you up Table Mountain, where the view over city and sea feels like flying. In the colourful lanes of Bo-Kaap, you discover colours and cultures that draw you in at once. And at Boulders Beach, you suddenly find yourself eye to eye with a colony of penguins – a spectacle every bit as enchanting as the sunset at the Cape of Good Hope.

Golf Around Cape Town

Cape Town spoils you with no fewer than twelve golf courses – each one unique, with its own character and panorama: from coastal drives with an Atlantic breeze to fairways set right against the Table Mountain backdrop. We worked our way through them and now share two of our favourites – the courses that won us over instantly.

A City Swing with Table Mountain Flair

Metropolitan Golf Club sits right in the middle of Cape Town – just 5 minutes from The Silo Hotel. Perfect for a quick round before breakfast, or nine holes after afternoon tea – urban golf luxury in miniature.

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Where Golf Meets Wine

Just 15 minutes from the bustle of Cape Town lies Steenberg Golf Club in the Constantia Wine Valley. Among vines and fynbos, you play fairways with lake views and greens that challenge even seasoned golfers – a course as charming as its Sauvignon Blanc: crisp, characterful, with a lingering finish.

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📍 La Residence, Franschhoek

Dreams for Wine Lovers and Gourmets

Up the avenue, vines rustling in the wind – and between the trees, the roof of La Residence flashes into view. In the heart of the Franschhoek Valley, South Africa’s gourmet capital, sits this boutique hotel: opulently staged, with peacocks strutting through the lobby as if it were their own personal catwalk.

Fine dining and wine pairing are a way of life here. At La Residence, you book breakfast only – because out in Franschhoek, the Cape’s gourmet capital, the culinary highlights are waiting.

Amid Cape Dutch manor houses and blossoming vineyards, you experience world-class cuisine.

In the gardens of Babylonstoren, you wander through fragrant pavilions, and in the Mont Rochelle Nature Reserve, you hike fynbos trails until the morning light turns the panorama magical. And along the way, in Franschhoek’s small streets, you’ll discover countless art galleries that make the valley’s creative pulse tangible.

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Golf in the Heart of the Winelands

Just a few minutes from La Residence lies Pearl Valley Golf Estate – a Jack Nicklaus Signature course regularly ranked among South Africa’s top five. Wide fairways, tricky bunkers and views of the Drakenstein and Simonsberg mountains make every round unforgettable.

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Wine Tram to the Best Wine Estates

Hop on, sit back and let yourself be chauffeured hop-on-hop-off style from wine estate to wine estate – through the Franschhoek Valley, past gentle vineyard slopes and historic manor houses. Every stop invites you to taste and linger – no driving stress, just a pure appetite for wine and scenery.

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Winter Grey. Climate Swap. Summer Bliss.

While summer heat shimmers here at home, winter is settling into South Africa. And just as our days grow shorter and greyer, summer begins there – with sunshine in abundance and the best prospects for golf, indulgence and game drives. So if you want to escape the cold season, start packing your bags in your head now: the Christmas holidays are ideal for a trip that’s anything but ordinary.

📍 Birkenhead House, Hermanus

Refuge – a word that sounds like a deep breath and letting go. It stands for places that feel like secrets: lonely coves, charming boutique hotels, or golf courses at the end of a coastal road. Birkenhead House is exactly such a place – a retreat high above the cliffs of Hermanus, where luxury meets vastness and every breath tastes of the sea.

The Ocean Is Your Television

Between May and December, Walker Bay becomes the living room of the humpback whales. They come to calve – and with a bit of luck, you’ll spot them right from the terrace: a glass of wine in hand, while spouts shoot into the air outside. And if the giants happen to stay away? The surfers are guaranteed to put on a show instead. Don’t forget your binoculars!

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A Wine Estate with the Wow Factor

Here, indulgence is spelled with a capital letter: award-winning cool-climate wines, fine dining at the Moody Lagoon Restaurant with its lagoon views, and artworks such as “Faith” by Anton Smit. Cap Classique, cheese-and-wine pairings, a gourmet lunch and a walk through the vineyards – everything that makes life delicious, all in a single day.

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Feel-Good Golf with Lagoon Views

Just 30 minutes from Hermanus, the flag flutters in the wind at Arabella Golf Resort, as if welcoming you personally. Amid blooming proteas, you play a course that blends parkland character with links-like touches – immaculately maintained, spectacularly situated, and exactly the feel-good golf you’d wish for on holiday.

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📍 Royal Malewane, Thornybush Reserve, Greater Kruger

Royal Malewane in the private Thornybush Reserve is where luxury safari dreams begin. Opened in 1999 as a family holiday home, it now ranks among Africa’s most renowned safari destinations – every detail, from the suites to the game drives, is perfectly staged.

At Royal Malewane, quality matters more than quantity: just eight free-standing suites for a maximum of 20 guests. What awaits you is absolute peace, plenty of space and a service that anticipates rather than asks – pure exclusivity, and one of the finest addresses for an authentic safari in South Africa.

Big Five Moments

From elephant and rhino to lion and hyena – and in between, those magical moments that take your breath away. That’s exactly what the experienced guides and trackers at Royal Malewane deliver: personal, tailored, and far from the crowds.

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Safari Meets Golf: Leopard Creek Country Club

At Royal Malewane, this dream becomes reality. Thanks to exclusive access to the legendary Leopard Creek, you play on Africa’s most expensive golf course. While the view into Kruger National Park takes your breath away, Dylan Lewis’s leopard sculptures keep watch over each of the 18 tees – it’s they who give the exclusive club its name. Real leopards, on the other hand, rarely cross your fairway at the tee.

The Royal Portfolio | Luxury Hotels in South Africa