Picture sleeping in an open-air treehouse, raised high above the bush, with the South African wild stretching out in the dark around you. It sounds like the kind of splurge you only read about. But it is a real place to stay, and it just landed on a list that carries real weight, voted for by the people whose travel opinions are hardest to fake: other travelers like you.
Every year, Condé Nast Traveler asks its readers to name the places they loved most. Not editors or advertisers, just readers voting on where they have been.
This year, South Africa did unusually well, and several standout stays climbed the US rankings. For anyone planning a big safari-and-city trip, that is useful to know. These are not random names off a search page; they are spots real guests rated among the best in the country.
American readers just ranked South Africa near the top
US readers cast nearly 800,000 votes in this year’s awards, and South African lodges and hotels showed up again and again. Three stays from the family-run MORE Collection made the US lists. Two are safari lodges out in Big Five country, and one is a boutique hotel in the middle of Cape Town.
Lion Sands: the one with the treehouses
Lion Sands took the number two spot for best resort in South Africa. It runs along the Sabie River, across the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve and Kruger National Park. There are four lodges to pick from, plus two private villas.
And yes, the treehouses are real. Three open-air ones let you sleep out above the bush, under the stars. Days can fill up with a wildlife photography lab or a helicopter flight over the escarpment.
Monwana: six suites and a private waterhole
Monwana came in at number eight on that same resort list. It is small on purpose.
Six suites and one exclusive-use villa sit inside the Greater Kruger, looking out over an active waterhole where animals come to drink. Guests head out on game drives twice a day. With so few rooms, the team can build the whole trip around you.
Cape Cadogan: a polished base in Cape Town
The third win is a city stay. Cape Cadogan Boutique Hotel ranked number six for best hotel in South Africa.
It sits in a restored national monument on Upper Union Street, in the Kloof Street neighborhood, with its rooms and suites tucked behind a heritage facade. Restaurants, bars and shops are a short walk away. Next door, Upper Union Restaurant is run by the collection’s group executive chef, Amori Burger.
A South African trip is a big one, the kind people save up for and plan around for months. If it is on your list, these three are a reliable place to start: two lodges for the wild side, one hotel for the city.
Book early, though. Rooms like these fill up fast.