Fodor's Expert Review Tilney Manor

A warm welcome awaits when you arrive at the historic manor house at Tilney Lodge, where staff wait outside to greet new arrivals with hot face towels to freshen up after the hour-long drive from the reserve entrance. The manor house (dating back to 1894) was once the home of the Swellendam district magistrate and features a comfortable lounge and sitting room decorated in colonial English style. In summer, the outside rim-flow swimming pool is a popular spot overlooking the lush garden, arid plains, and mountains beyond. Each of the spacious garden guest rooms is classically decorated and has a private veranda with a view over the plains. Lavish bathrooms feature indoor and outdoor showers as well as freestanding, double-sided tubs. In summer, lunches and dinners are served outside on the patio at individual tables, but indoor dining is around a communal table. The menu changes daily, focusing on hearty, neatly presented fare. Lunch usually features a good Caesar salad, and dinners are likely to include venison as a main course.