Tranquillity Lodge is situated in Nature's Valley at the eastern end of the Garden Route about 30km from Plettenberg Bay and 150m from the pristine Nature's Valley beach. Part of the Tsitsikamma National Park, this small hotel is built entirely from yellowwood - South Africa's national tree - and staying here is as much an ode to nature as it is an escape from modern life.

Keeping it small and intimate, Tranquillity Lodge has just four en suite rooms (including the honeymoon suite), decorated with a modest contemporary style. The honeymoon suite on the upper level has a fireplace, comfortable indoor seating and a private deck overlooking the pool. The dining room and lounge are a cosy haven of warmth and comfort; the canopy-level balcony is a wonderful place to relax and on warm nights a special place to dine as well.

A new addition to the Lodge is the self-catering villa called Tranquil House, which is a modern triple-tiered beach house perfect for families, small groups or couples seeking total privacy and complete luxury.

Facilities at Tranquillity Lodge include two pools - one heated - and a lush indigenous garden with rock pools and water features attracting a large chorus of birds. A short walk from the lodge will take you to the lagoon, the estuary and the beach.

Nature's Valley is, surprisingly, a tiny valley of Edenic qualities: inside the Tsitsikamma National Park and bounded by forest-covered mountains, a lagoon and estuary and the Indian Ocean.