Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1546381
C O U R T E S Y C H E E TA H P L A I N S ; S P I E R H OT E L ; E L L E R M A N H O U S E ; N I C H O L A S A I R far South African art has traveled since the country's rebirth in the 1990s. About 40 minutes inland, in the Stellenbosch wine region, Spier Hotel offers a different lens on that same cultural shift. The Spier Arts Trust was founded in 1996, a decade into South Africa's democracy, when newly invigorated creative energy needed a home. Since then, they've amassed a collection of thousands of works that turn up everywhere on the farm: mosaics along the garden paths, ceramics on the restaurant tables, and a striking Mieliepap Pietà sculpted from resin and mealie (maize) meal. The 76-room Spier reopened this past March after a year-long renovation, its rooms now arranged village-style around rewilded fynbos gardens. Guests can take a piece home, too, through the Trust's Creative Block program: Small-format panels made by more than 250 artists the Trust supports are sold on-site as an easy entry into collecting local art. No South African trip is complete without a stop in the bush. Cheetah Plains, an ultra-chic, exclusive-use safari lodge in Sabi Sands Nature Reserve, has partnered with Goodman Gallery, the South African institution with outposts in London and New York, to bring the work of the country's most celebrated artists on safari. Three low-slung villas rise out of the savanna as if carved from it, each with a culinary team, butler, and expansive pool deck. The property runs on solar, with silent electric Land Cruisers gliding out for twice-daily game drives. Each villa doubles as a private gallery, with a rotating selection of works by some of the continent's most collected artists hanging alongside the owners' personal collection; a gallerist is on hand between drives to walk guests through it all. If something catches your eye, inquire about its sale and the Goodman Gallery will arrange white-glove transport to your home anywhere globally. Three very different properties, three distinct vantage points on the same phenomenon: South Africa was once a country cut off from the art world and is now one of the richest places to explore it. Pack a little light, you might need some extra room in your suitcase. PRIVATE BY DESIGN For travelers accustomed to flying private, the ultimate luxury may no longer be access, but knowing exactly what awaits. NICHOLAS AIR has built its nearly 30-year reputation around consistency, owning and operating its fleet rather than relying on third-party aircraft. Its jets average 5 years old or newer, while dedicated Personal Travel Representatives learn members' preferences down to the smallest details—from favorite onboard touches to birthdays and anniversaries. That personalization reflects a broader shift in luxury travel, as guests increasingly seek seamless, highly curated experiences from departure to destination. And as more aircraft owners trade the complexities of ownership for flexible jet-card programs, Nicholas Air is betting that control, familiarity, and thoughtful service will remain the real currency of private flight. Go2Africa, the Cape Town–based travel curator behind some of the continent's most thoughtfully designed journeys, can build a bespoke South African itinerary around the country's art scene. Its Art of Safari package is fully customizable and can include private studio visits, exclusive gallery access, and stays at art-forward properties. Every journey is planned to support Africa's people and ecosystems. FROM LEFT Cheetah Plains, in the Sabi Sands Nature Reserve, and its Mvula Villa with a chandelier by lighting artist Martin Doller. FROM LEFT The Spier Hotel's Creative Block program; Large Malay Girl, by South African artist Lionel Smit, at Ellerman House. 152 152 BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M