Mount Nelson
It quickly gained a reputation for elegance and modernity, but was soon co‑opted during the South African War, serving as a headquarters for senior British officers, including Lords Kitchener, Buller and Roberts, and hosting Winston Churchill during his time as a war correspondent.
Through the 20th century, Mount Nelson evolved into a beloved Cape Town landmark, its famous pink façade, grand gardens and heritage buildings preserving more than a century of social, political and cultural history.
Location
The city centre and the South African Museum are an easy walk from the hotel, while the closest truly beautiful beach – Camps Bay – lies only a few kilometres over the ridge, offering white sand and sweeping Atlantic scenery.
Accommodation
The suites in the main wings range from elegant Deluxe and Superior Rooms to Junior, Deluxe Junior, Studio and Deluxe Studio Suites, all with marble bathrooms, sumptuous beds and, in many cases, balconies framing views of the gardens, city or Table Mountain. Several suites include a second bedroom, ideal for families or small groups.
Communal spaces unfold across nine acres of landscaped grounds, with two heated swimming pools, a well‑equipped gym, tennis courts and the tranquil Librisa Spa. Indoors, lounges and terraces provide restful corners for reading or afternoon tea.
Dining spans multiple venues: Amara for seafood‑driven Michelin‑level creativity, The Verandah for South African flavours, The Red Room for Asian‑inspired dishes, Oasis for relaxed poolside meals, and The Fountain by Planet Bar for Mediterranean‑leaning garden dining. For something truly immersive, guests can reserve the Chef’s Table, tucked within the kitchen itself.
Experiences
- Hop into the iconic Pink Kombi for a culinary tour, tasting your way through Bree Street and Bo‑Kaap while exploring Cape Town’s layered food heritage.
- Set off on a Wild Wine Adventure by jeep, accessing private roads in the Constantia Winelands to visit historic estates, meet winemakers and enjoy exceptional tastings.
- Join marine biologist Marie for a hands‑on ocean experience, discovering Cape Town’s coastal ecosystems before unwinding on one of the city’s beautiful beaches.
- Ride the Pink Kombi to Muizenberg for a surf lesson, gearing up with boards and wetsuits before heading into the warm waters of False Bay.
- Be chauffeured in a gleaming classic car, choosing a bespoke route through Franschhoek, Stellenbosch or Constantia for a day of wine, scenery and indulgence.
- Climb into a vintage sidecar for a coastal adventure, cruising Chapman’s Peak or Bloubergstrand with leathers, helmets and goggles provided.
- Explore Cape Town on foot with expert guide Kate Crane Briggs, delving into art, architecture and hidden studios starting right from Mount Nelson’s historic estate.
Why We Include Mount Nelson in Our Journeys
Families appreciate the spacious accommodation and thoughtful children’s programme, while adults can retreat to the tranquil, adults‑only pool. As a counterpoint to the rough‑and‑ready rhythm of safari, it delivers calm, comfort and refinement; with sophisticated Cape Town right on the doorstep.
Talk to us about designing your journey >
From the Team
“My family and I arrived at Mount Nelson straight from the Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls, still a little dusty from the journey. Like the finest butler, the hotel made no comment; it simply gathered us up with effortless grace. Within hours we were exploring Cape Town, enjoying the superb facilities and feeling completely restored.”
Why Plan Your Safari with Journeysmiths
Every journey we design begins with listening. Whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple, or across generations, we take time to understand how you want your safari to feel – not just where you want to go. From there, we carefully weave together exceptional places, trusted guides, and seamless logistics to create journeys that flow naturally and feel entirely your own.Every journey we design begins with listening. Whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple, or across generations, we take time to understand how you want your safari to feel – not just where you want to go. From there, we carefully weave together exceptional places, trusted guides, and seamless logistics to create journeys that flow naturally and feel entirely your own.
We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.
Great Places to Combine with Mount Nelson
Mount Nelson works beautifully as part of a wider journey in Africa. We often pair it with contrasting environments to create a sense of flow and variety.Mount Nelson works beautifully as part of a wider journey in Africa. We often pair it with contrasting environments to create a sense of flow and variety.
A contemporary sanctuary set above Walker Bay, Grootbos Forest Lodge immerses you in ancient milkwood forests, sweeping ocean views and world‑class fynbos experiences, all delivered with refined, nature‑forward luxury.
La Residence is the finest boutique hotel in the Cape Winelands. The main house is reminiscent of a French country chateau and is set in the beautiful Franschhoek Valley surrounded by classic Cape Winelands scenery and overlooking a peaceful lake. The hotel is decorated and furnished in style with French antiques, Persian carpets and oil paintings, yet a friendly informal atmosphere prevails.
Morokuru River House is one of the most exciting exclusive use properties in South Africa.
With a superb shady riverbank location in a large and diverse private game reserve, Singita Ebony is not just luxurious; it is fascinating in all respects. Spacious and adaptable, it’s great for couples, groups, solo travellers and families.
With a luxury tented camp and the option of even greater privacy and exclusivity at its two riverfront villas, Mpala Jena offers easy-going indulgence on the banks of the Zambezi River – combining classic safari experiences with the relaxed rhythm of life on the water.
Dinaka’s private Kalahari concession centres on permanent waterholes that pull wildlife close, while the opportunity to spend time with San Bushmen adds a cultural depth few camps can match.
A lush ebony‑ and mangosteen‑shaded island deep in the Okavango Delta, Shinde blends treehouse elegance with year‑round land and water safaris, offering one of the region’s most atmospheric and wildlife‑rich settings.
First class service
"First class service. Ideal combination of camps in Botswana, and saw just about everything. Lion and Rhino in the same photo! Subsequent hotels in South Africa all excellent. They organised exactly what we asked for. We will certainly use them again."
The only country able to offer malaria-free safaris, South Africa is a wonderful choice for many looking for a luxury safari experience. Enjoy the abundance of wildlife on offer in some of the most exclusive private reserves, before exploring cosmopolitan Cape Town, where the glamour of the city meets the rugged outdoors.
See the splendour of South Africa as a family on this exclusive safari. Spend your days exploring captivating Cape Town, enjoying the delights of the Winelands and on safari, seeking out the abundant wildlife that roams the wilderness. No matter your age, this iconic safari will leave you with memories for a lifetime.
With opportunities to see the Big Five of both land and sea, along with incredible scenery, enormous national parks, world-class vineyards, a fascinating history and vibrant, friendly people, South Africa frequently tops the lists of the world’s best holiday destinations. Even so, less than 1% of the world's travellers make it here, so it’s a place where you’ll find yourself with a few select, like-minded and discerning adventurers who have discovered this gem of a country. It’s a place you could return to for the whole of your life and never tire of it.
We’ve compiled a list of our favourite experiences to inspire your imagination.
If you’re looking for a country that’s got everything, choose South Africa. Renowned for the spectacular views of the Garden Route, vibrant Cape Town, malaria free safaris, fascinating history and outstanding wildlife, the whole family will fall under the alluring spell of this diverse country.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu was the first person to call South Africa “the rainbow nation”. It’s a reflection on the fascinating diversity of this country, not only in the identities of its people but in the landscapes, wildlife, cultures, and activities it offers. South Africa is a country which, because of its variety, can be all things to all people, truly a rainbow of varied opportunities and experiences.
in South Africa
Without a shadow of a doubt, South Africa is one of the very best places to watch wildlife in the world. The Kruger National Park — a protected area the size of Wales — is certainly the most famous and popular safari destination, but with Journeysmiths you’ll escape the crowds to explore vast, wildlife-filled private reserves, in the company of the best guides.
Cape Town is one of the world’s great cities with a unique setting beneath Table Mountain.
To experience a little bit of everything that South Africa has to offer, you can hardly do better than to drive along the coastal road of the Garden Route between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. It’s an extraordinary journey, and there’s wildlife on both land and shore, endless beaches, historic battlefields, and the vineyards are never far away. One day you might be whale spotting at Hermanus — renowned as one of the best whale watching locations in the world — and the next you could be learning about the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, handling antique weapons and scrambling over the British and Zulu positions.
Formerly the Zulu Kingdom, the province of KwaZulu Natal runs along South Africa’s dramatic Indian Ocean coastline. The Drakensberg Mountains create a natural border between Lesotho and the Eastern Cape, and offer some excellent hiking routes.
For families of all ages there is so much to see and do in South Africa, making it an excellent and diverse travel destination. We’ve chosen 20 of the best experiences to immerse you in the culture, wildlife and beautiful places of this remarkable country.
South Africa is an excellent choice for family travel with children of all ages. Its wildlife is abundant, with a great diversity of species, including the Big Five: rhino, leopard, lion, elephant and buffalo. There are vast malaria-free reserves and it’s easy to get from safari regions to Cape Town and the beach.
Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary
Working in partnership with globally recognised conservation organisation; Care for Wild, the world’s largest rhino orphanage, we have curated a truly unique and exclusive experience giving a privileged few behind-the-scenes access to this otherwise incredibly private sanctuary.