Les Cascades de Bantry Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

Les Cascades clings by its fingernails to the slopes of Lion's Head above Bantry Bay, and while it mightn't be for vertigo sufferers it certainly feels like an eagle's retreat, and has fine views over the ocean. Its infinity pools (there are three) seem to drop away to nowhere, and you can lounge under the parasols by its Balinese-style pavilion as if suspended in mid-air. Inside, more Balinese furniture mixes with African artwork, abstract paintings and leather sofas. The interior isn't as airy; indeed, it borders on the cluttered, providing a personal and informal feel, as if you just wandered into someone's lounge, or perhaps the den of a middle-aged bon vivant. (Brandy, anyone?) The adjacent Villa is more contemporary in style, going for the sandstone and stainless steel look, with some animal skins thrown in to remind you that you're in Africa (though we think the skins look a whole lot better wandering through the bush on the animal's backs). Les Cascades' highlight is the dining room, or rather its outdoor deck, which provides dazzling views of the sunset.

The rooms
Guestrooms in the Main Lodge have African and Asian elements in their décor, including pictures of wildlife on the walls and fur throws on the bed. The look may be a little stuffy and old-fashioned to some, cosy and appealingly blokey to others. (We reckon Wilbur Smith and Hemingway readers will feel right at home.) The Villa is a bit more understated and more contemporary in crisp browns and whites, perhaps revealing Les Cascades' more feminine side. The beds are king-size, and all the rooms have big windows and balconies overlooking the ocean down below. Light floods in, and if you close over the wooden shutters, sunlight stripes the room very attractively in bands of gold. CD players are a nice extra. Rooms 5 and 6 spread over two floors, with bedroom below and lounge above, with a sofa-bed that would suit families. With four levels and lots of step staircases on the property, you'd have to keep an eye on little ones, though. Otherwise, just kick back on those balconies, and gaze into the deep blue yonder.