Arniston was never on my bucket list of places to visit, just because I hadn’t really thought about it and if not for an invitation from Cape Country Routes to the Arniston Spa Hotel — the only hotel in the village — I may never have discovered this gem of a place at all.

With more and more South Africans opting for staycations as the cost of living soarsand travelling overseas is punitive, a couple days stay at Arniston is as good as a holiday gets...