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 Thornybush:
Morning and evening drives led by expert rangers and trackers across one of the Greater Kruger's most storied private reserves.
The Greater Kruger: Africa's Finest Wildlife Territory
An owner-run lodge with decades of conservation behind it, set on a riverbed where elephant and buffalo come to drink.
Designed and Hosted Throughout
Accommodation, meals, tours, transfers, game drives, and your Aesplore host, every detail included from arrival to departure.
Itinerary
Full Overview
Cape Town & Thornybush 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 short flight to Hoedspruit delivers you to Thornybush Game Lodge, the original and most storied lodge in the Greater Kruger Private Nature Reserve. Three nights of Big Five game drives, bush dinners under an open sky, and the unhurried rhythm of lodge life bring the journey to its natural close.
From Cape Town's galleries to the African bush, 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.
Thornybush Game Lodge, Greater Kruger
The original lodge in the Thornybush Private Nature Reserve, open since 1961, Thornybush Game Lodge sits on a meandering riverbed and waterhole where elephant, buffalo, and large game come to drink. The thatched main area flows between an open dining room, a classic bar, and a deck that looks directly out into the bush, with no fences between you and the wilderness. Suites are spacious and designed to bring the landscape inside, with private viewing decks and a sense of deep quiet that only the African bush delivers. Morning and evening game drives are led by expert rangers and trackers across one of the Greater Kruger's most storied private reserves. 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
