Travel & Tourism Awards 2020

Page 8 www.lux-review.com LUX Travel and Tourism Awards 2020 In some ways, luxury is in the eye of the beholder. After all, luxury can be found in the most obscure of places. It can be found in a favourite hot drink on a cold winter’s morning, clutched between numb fingers. It can be found in the feeling of a lost item found again. Luxury can be found in the rare, the treasured, the hard to attain and the out of the ordinary. Yet, naturally, there are some things that can be considered universally luxurious. An agreement that certain things are innately special. Cast your mind to master artisans showcasing their honed craft – objects of exquisite detail- the result of years of work and experience, of countless failures and moments of joyous learning. Each attempt a work of art in their own right. Or, perhaps, a gastronomic delicacy, creating culinary journeys that guide the taster through an adventure of flavours and textures. Or, maybe, this luxury is an experience that shakes your worldview and leaves you breathless. A moment, a day, or a week (or more) that offers something almost unspeakable, as words simply fail to capture it. Occasionally, an offering comes along that combines all of the above and looks to redefine the luxury paradigm. Cheetah Plains is, by all regards, one such offering. It is a passion project through and through, confident in its ability to maintain an undisputable position as one of the finest luxury experiences on earth. It’s a place that somehow looms much larger than life and lingers long on the mind after departing. It From the outset, Cheetah Plains Private Houses exceed every expectation, redefining the luxury paradigm and firmly setting the pace for others to follow. As LUXlife Magazine’s Best Luxury Eco- Tourism Accommodation in Mpumalanga, we endeavoured to take a deep dive into this extraordinary location. Cheetah Plains Private Houses Showcasing South African Excellence is often described as “magical”, though the word has become abused to mean something lesser than this. Again, the word somehow seems lacking, despite the connotations. Indeed, this is a place that is otherworldly, a perfect private idyll that manages to encompass the very best of its host country. Make no mistake, as magical as Cheetah Plains may be, it is very much engrained with the spirit of South Africa. Despite the luxury embellishments and the clean modern lines of the private houses, there’s a history here. A celebration of heritage and of the past, present and future. This history marks a poignant juxtaposition to the physical elements of Cheetah Plains, which deliver on what might be expected for an ultra-luxury experience. This experience starts from the outset and makes for an incredible first impression. Nestled in its own corner of typical South African bush and picturesque rolling hills lies Cheetah Plains’ three exclusive-use houses. There’s an immediate sense of ‘belonging’ in these houses, for, as modern as they appear to be, they blend seamlessly into their surroundings. There are no gaudy extensions here, or awkward constructions, just nature symbiotically meeting with the man-made. The colour palettes are neutral: all beiges, creams, warm browns and mahogany, The almost-silent zero-emission Land Cruiser Electric Vehicles deliver a practically unparalleled game viewing experience, allowing for an approach that is as close to undetectable as modern technology allows.