We promise there’s not an umbrella in sight – only ancient olive trees shading your private beach and cicada’s cranking up the volume as the day warms up, and water lapping gently at your feet.
Three Stone Villas (sleeps 4 in each, 12 in total)
Évia island, Greece
Slather on the sunscreen and broadest hat to paddle to your nearest taverna or to the hot springs nearby for a dip with the locals… Your kind of holiday?
This is the good life at Three Stone Villas on the island of Évia, a favourite with Athenians as it’s just two hours’ drive from the city.
Travel off-peak if you can: June and September are glorious in Greece. Email [email protected] for more info now!
Some places instantly exhale for you… Casa Blu is one of them.
If ever there was a moment to disappear up the coast for a seaside reset, this is it. Salty air, sunshine and a softer pace? Time to pause and recalibrate together…
Casa Blu (sleeps 8)
Dwarskersbos, West Coast
Thank you to @sueloves for sharing your family stay in this West Coast gem!
Email Sue de la Harpe on [email protected] to book now!
Feeling cooped up?
Weekend plans = sorted at these cosy spots… From welcoming country cottages to soulful farm stays, winter was made for this kind of romance.
Toasty evenings beside flickering fireplaces, candlelit suppers, slow farm mornings and mist rising over the fields. A glass of red in hand, something delicious in the oven, and absolutely nowhere important to go.
Pack the Bananagram and Scrabble, the wellies and your woolies…
Email [email protected] and book a spontaneous escape now!
A place of wild beauty and deep stillness…
Hoanib Valley Camp melts seamlessly into the stark desert landscape of
Namibia’s somewhat surreal and remote Kaokoland.
Imagine surreal blue skies, rolling dunes, jagged mountains and soul-stirring silence. Track desert-adapted rhino, meet the Himba people or simply sit still and soak up the peace. A rare and restorative escape on the edge of the Skeleton Coast.
Hoanib Valley Camp (sleeps 14 in 6 luxury tents)
Namibia
If your debate is north, south (or both!), our bespoke travel team can answer your questions. Email [email protected] to plan this trip of a lifetime together. It takes an experienced travel expert to craft a Namibian journey that is paced to suit you.
A sneak peek of what’s to come after a KZN reccie…
Esiweni, the cliffside lodge in Nambiti Private Game Reserve: this gorge is deeper than we ever imagined, and swimming below its cascading waterfalls was a highlight. Imagine hot-air ballooning over the plains (a few weeks ago mother and two cheetah cubs were spotted from the air) or doing a scenic Drakensberg helicopter flip from here?
Up next: an award-winning Johan Slee-designed, trout-fisherman’s haven (built in chunky Lesotho sandstone) that sits on rolling green lawns bordering 1.4km of private river frontage near Underberg.
This area is like a mini-Maun, a hub for outdoorsy types who have a lot of fun: magnificent southern ‘Berg hikes; 4x4’ing up Sani Pass to go mountain biking in Lesotho; horse trails. Enjoy the best coffee and pastries at Balam’s after tubing downstream or doing the beautiful Sani Spoor river trail. The list is endless…
Subscribe to our weekly mailers to read new launches or email [email protected].
Photos: Michelle Snaddon
Summer in Cape Town doesn’t get more glamorous than this…
Days spent at Hawk’s Eye will mimic those of a hedonistic holiday in the heart of the Mother City.
Hawk’s Eye - sleeps 8
Green Point, Cape Town
Stupendous bird’s-eye-views take you over the V&A Waterfront and out to Robben Island and the West Coast – sparkling at night and dusky pink at dawn, even from your dreamy bathtub. Expect beautifully curated spaces in this mountainside eyrie that emerges from the slopes of Signal Hill.
Email [email protected] to book your stay now!
From stormy to steamy!
Here in the Western Cape we’re in the grip of a powerful storm; with dire weather warnings in place, we’re battening down the hatches and staying cosy at home. On days like this, a winter break may feel like a wild idea, but astonishingly, by Sunday we’ll be back to sunshiny blue skies and temperatures in the mid-twenties.
The quiet magic of a winter stay is that they invite us to slow right down. Sleep in on dark mornings, light the fire early, cook something generous and warming, potjies, casseroles, soups, fresh bread. Head out for a rambling walk, then pause with hot coffee and rusks. And for true winter magic, choose a hideaway with a hot tub, add chilled bubbles, and let the weather do its thing.
Here are five hot-tub hideaways to get you glowing…
1. Mukti, Nieu-Bethesda, Karoo
2. Bungalow St James, St James
3. Treehouse at las Faldas, Constantia
4. Buchubos Villa, Bangkok Private Nature Reserve
5. Azure Beach House, Romansbaai
Images: Elsa Young, Greg Cox, Henrique Wilding
Sometimes images evoke an emotion you simply can’t describe. And when these arrived, we couldn’t resist sharing.
Hidden in five acres of ancient olive groves, Villa Castellucio is a beautifully restored villa near the charming town of Ceglie Messapica – the perfect base to immerse yourself in the lifestyle of Puglia.
Villa Castellucio (sleeps 6)
Puglia, Italy
To book your stay in Italy, email [email protected] soonest, especially if you’re planning a summer escape.
The joy of a small wedding…
Just your closest friends and family in a private home, yours for a few days. Relaxed, intimate and with many memories to cherish forever.
Email [email protected] for every special celebration, from elopements to milestone birthdays. There’s a hideaway for them all!
This is Cloudbreak, near Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town (sleeps 15).
Thank you for sharing this special day!
Photographs: @andreacronje
Planning and design: @elopecapetown
Make up and hair: @daniellejacobs24
Decor: @urbantonicevents
Flowers: @paradisoflowers
Cake: @spoonbakery_cpt
Chef: @onecookskitchen
Marriage officer: @lovebridge_marriageofficer
Arguably the best land-based whale watching in the world! But don’t just take our word for it – read what Kaitlin, our guest, had to say:
‘We absolutely loved Heaven on Earth! We could see whales every day right from the house. We loved the fireplaces and the hot tub – perfect for cold winter days and nights. We also really loved that we could access the cliff path from the house and walk to the beach. We have already booked again for next year!’
Heaven on Earth (sleeps 16)
Hermanus, Overberg
Email [email protected] to book your stay now!
Clips: Greg Cox
FOR SALE! Buy into two magnificent homes and an olive grove on one unforgettable Umbrian estate. Clinging to a historic hilltop, this terraced retreat pairs the five-bedroom, 17th-century Casa di Led with its enchanting two-bedroom sister, Casa Olivi. Together, they offer classic Italian soul with contemporary comfort, surrounded by vineyards, ancient olives and the soundtrack of cicadas.
Shared ownership means when you arrive, both villas are yours – all the romance of Italy, without the full-time upkeep.
Casa Olivi (sleeps 4)
Casa di Led (sleeps 10)
Umbria, Italy
Contact David Untiedt on [email protected] or +27 (0)82 888 1734 for details and the price.
Want to stay to get a feel for living like a local here in Umbria? Luckily, both may also be booked through Perfect Hideaways!
May is flower and wild asparagus season, and the ‘secret season’ is when the locals return to reopen their restaurants ahead of olive harvesting in October and November. Love jazz, opera and theatre? Nearby Spoleto hosts the annual Festival dei Due Mondi (26 June to 12 July 2026). Medieval Trevi is 10 minutes away and Assisi’s famous frescoes a 25-minute drive away. Yes, you could live the lifestyle!
WIN! A sheepskin hot water bottle cover (worth R990!) could be yours. Follow @perfecthideawaysliving and answer the question below:
Which area of South Africa do our snuggly hot water bottle covers come from? Pop your answer in the comments below, and – of course – we’d love it if you shared our winter win with all your friends!
Winner to be announced 05 June 2026.
Ts&C’s apply: link in bio. Good luck!
