The Orient Hotel and Restaurant Mosaic

Arabian nights in the Gauteng countryside. There really is no other hotel in Gauteng quite like this one. Set in a 280ha conservancy in the Crocodile River valley (about 20km west of Pretoria), this Moorish-styled castle makes you feel as if you are walking onto the film set of Casablanca in vivid living colour.

All the furniture and fittings are original, and the rooms are exotically themed. In the Constantinople suite you can sleep on a real Maharaja’s four-poster bed, while in the Gujarat suite you’ll find all kinds of Indian treasures such as old manuscripts and photographs hanging in intricately carved frames.

The Oriental theme continues throughout the hotel from the shaded Palm Court with its slender porticoes to the vintage-styled private Alhambra Cinema. After you’ve finished admiring the decor and antiques, visit the hotel’s art gallery to see an extensive collection of bronze sculptures by renowned South African sculptor Tienie Pritchard and to view paintings by the likes of Eugène Delacroix and JH Pierneef.

Chef Chantel Dartnall For most visitors, The Orient’s biggest drawcard is its fine-dining restaurant Mosaic, widely considered to be one of the best restaurants in the country. The kitchen is led by the much-awarded chef Chantel Dartnall. A meal here is a real experience, with multi-course tasting menus paired with outstanding wines from the well-stocked cellar.