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Country Getaways Just a Short Drive From Joburg

Four escapes where mountain views, crackling fireplaces and slower mornings are never more than a few hours away

Updated June 2026

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Walkersons Hotel & Spa, Dullstroom

By Thursday afternoon, Joburg starts behaving like a pressure cooker.

The traffic gets worse. Your inbox develops a personality disorder. Somebody schedules a meeting that could have been an email. Suddenly, the idea of pointing the car towards the horizon becomes less of a luxury and more of a survival strategy.

Fortunately, one of South Africa’s greatest travel advantages is that adventure rarely requires a boarding pass. Within a few hours of Joburg, you can swap traffic lights for trout dams, office towers for mountain peaks and WhatsApp notifications for birdsong.

Here are four of our favourite country escapes when the city becomes a little too city-like.

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Walkersons Hotel & Spa, Dullstroom

For the fireplace philosopher

Some hotels impress you when you arrive.

Walkersons starts working its magic long before that.

The rolling hills of Mpumalanga slowly unfold as you approach Dullstroom, and by the time the entrance appears, your shoulders have already dropped a few centimetres.

Set across 800 hectares of countryside, Walkersons feels purpose-built for winter weekends. Days are spent exploring the estate, indulging in spa treatments or finding excuses to linger over long lunches. Evenings belong to roaring fireplaces, good wine and conversations that somehow become more meaningful when there’s a mountain view involved.

The Flying Scotsman Restaurant remains one of the highlights, while the spa provides a compelling argument for extending your stay by another night.

Some destinations encourage activity. Walkersons encourages stillness. And every now and then, that’s exactly what the doctor ordered.

Walkersons Hotel & Spa, Dullstroom
Walkersons Hotel & Spa, Dullstroom
www.walkersons.co.za
@walkersonshotel

Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve, Cederberg

For the dreamer

South Africa has many beautiful places. Very few feel like another planet.

Driving into Kagga Kamma is a bit like stumbling into a science-fiction film directed by Mother Nature herself. Massive sandstone formations rise from the landscape like ancient monuments, creating one of the country’s most unusual accommodation experiences.

The cave suites are cleverly integrated into the rock formations, making it feel as though the mountains themselves have invited you to stay the night.

Then there are the open-air suites. No television. No ceiling. No distractions.

Just you, a comfortable bed and a sky containing more stars than most city dwellers realise exist.

The Milky Way becomes your nightly entertainment and suddenly those urgent emails back in Johannesburg seem wonderfully unimportant.

Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve
Kagga Kamma Nature Reserve
www.kaggakamma.co.za
@kagga_kamma
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Omega Luxury Mountain Retreat, Clarens

For the romantic escape artist

Clarens has long been one of Gauteng’s favourite weekend destinations, but a few kilometres outside town lies a retreat that feels wonderfully disconnected from the rest of the world.

The cabins at Omega Luxury Mountain Retreat sit quietly among the dramatic landscapes of the Maluti Mountains, offering equal measures of comfort, privacy and scenery.

Each cabin has its own personality, filled with colourful details and just enough eccentricity to make it memorable. The real attraction, however, happens after sunset.

Pour a glass of wine. Climb into your private Jacuzzi. Watch the mountains change colour as daylight disappears.

It’s remarkable how many life decisions suddenly seem obvious when viewed from a hot tub in the Free State.

Add hiking trails, mountain biking routes and Clarens’ restaurants just a short drive away, and you have the recipe for a wonderfully restorative weekend.

Omega Luxury Retreat
Omega Luxury Retreat
www.omegaclarens.co.za
@omegaclarens
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Dalmore Guest Farm, Drakensberg

For the weekend warrior

Some places make you feel like a guest. Dalmore makes you feel like family.

Situated in the foothills of the Drakensberg, this working guest farm has earned a loyal following among hikers, mountain bikers and anyone who appreciates genuine country hospitality.

Owners Andrew and Pippa Blackburn have created something special here. Not flashy. Not overcomplicated. Just authentic.

Mornings begin with mountain air and endless views. Days can be spent exploring trails, cycling through the countryside or simply doing absolutely nothing at all — a surprisingly underrated holiday activity.

The charming rondavel accommodation remains our favourite option. There’s something undeniably satisfying about falling asleep in a traditional rondavel while the Drakensberg mountains stand watch outside.

A nearby dam provides opportunities for picnics, fishing and summer swims, while the communal spaces encourage the kind of easy conversations that often become the best part of any getaway.

Damlore Guest Farm
Damlore Guest Farm
www.dalmoreguestfarm.co.za

#HelloRecommends: Skip The Airport

The older we get, the more we appreciate weekends that don’t begin with airport security queues and delayed departures. South Africa remains one of the world’s most rewarding road-trip destinations, and these four getaways prove you don’t need to travel far to feel like you’ve escaped. Fill the tank, load the playlist and point the bonnet towards the mountains. Sometimes the best adventures are hiding just three hours from home.

For more travel inspiration, click here.

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