Overview
Dorp Hotel: Cape Town's Most Singular Stay
Perched above the Bo-Kaap on Signal Hill, Dorp is a whimsical, design-obsessed boutique hotel unlike anything else in the world.
Design Safari: Cape Winelands
An expert-guided day through Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, exploring Cape Dutch architecture, heritage wine estates, and the makers shaping Africa's most beautiful valley.
Design Safari: Cape Peninsula
From Atlantic fishing villages to the cliffs of the Cape of Good Hope and the penguin colony at Boulders Beach, the peninsula in one extraordinary day.
Big Five Game Drives at Sanbona
Morning and evening drives led by expert rangers and trackers through Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, a malaria-free Big Five reserve in the Little Karoo.
The Little Karoo: A Big Five Reserve in the Cape
A 58,000-hectare rewilded wilderness of ancient rock formations and San rock art, reached by a scenic drive from Cape Town rather than a cross-country flight.
Designed and Hosted Throughout
Accommodation, tours, transfers, game drives, and your Aesplore host, every detail included from arrival to departure.
Itinerary
Full Overview
Cape Town & Cape Safari is a South Africa journey curated by aēsplore for the design-conscious traveller. Six nights at Dorp Hotel, one of the world's most singular boutique hotels, place you at the heart of Cape Town's creative culture. Perched above the colourful Bo-Kaap on Signal Hill, Dorp is the ideal base from which to explore the city through art, architecture, and design.
Two full-day expert tours with Design Safaris take you deep into the heart of the Cape. The Winelands Design Safari moves through the heritage estates and Cape Dutch architecture of Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, while the Cape Peninsula Design Safari follows the Atlantic coastline south to the penguin colony at Boulders Beach and the cliffs of the Cape of Good Hope.
Then the city gives way to the wild. A Big Five safari near Cape Town is closer than most travellers expect: a scenic drive along Route 62, rather than a cross-country flight, brings you into the Little Karoo and Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, a malaria-free Big Five reserve where Dwyka Tented Lodge sits among ancient rock formations in a dry ravine. Two full days of game drives, dinners beneath dark Karoo skies, and the unhurried rhythm of lodge life bring the journey to its natural close.
From Cape Town's galleries to the wide horizons of the Karoo, every detail is curated and hosted by aēsplore.
Accomodation
Dorp Hotel, Bo-Kaap, Cape Town
Perched on Signal Hill above the colourful streets of the Bo-Kaap, Dorp is unlike any hotel you have stayed in before. Conceived by the late artist and fashion designer Gail Behr, the property sprawls across a cluster of Georgian buildings connected by wild gardens, hidden courtyards, and unexpected details at every turn. Each suite is individually designed, with its own mood and character, from fireplaces and soaking tubs to private garden terraces with views over Table Mountain and the Atlantic. At its heart is the Salon, a plant-filled dining room and gathering space where breakfast is served and the day begins slowly. Whimsical, warm, and deeply considered, Dorp is the perfect base for exploring Cape Town through a design and culture lens.
Dwyka Tented Lodge, Sanbona Wildlife Reserve
Dwyka Tented Lodge sits in the horseshoe bend of a dry Karoo ravine, encircled by ancient rock formations at the foot of the Warmwaterberg Mountains. It is one of the lodges on Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, a 58,000-hectare rewilding project begun in 2002 and the first reserve to return wild lions to the Western Cape. Nine tented suites are spaced along the ravine for privacy, each with indoor and outdoor showers, a free-standing bath, and a private deck with a heated plunge pool. The lounge and dining areas open onto wooden decks and a boma for dinner under the stars, with some of the clearest night skies in the country overhead. Game drives with expert rangers and trackers cross a malaria-free Big Five reserve of San rock art, succulent plains, and Cape Fold mountains. Fully all-inclusive, with all meals, drinks, and game drives included throughout your stay.
Design-Led Perspective
Carefully Selected Stays
Private & Bespoke
Deep Local Access
Seamless Planning
