The best safari lodges and camps for a high-end, luxury African safari
Explore Africa in style! If you are looking to experience and enjoy all that Africa has to offer in the ultimate comfort and luxury, then look no further. There are numerous safari lodges and bush camps in Africa that offer world-class, 5-star safari experiences. From lavish tented suites out on the plains of the Mara, to opulent chalets in the heart of South Africa‘s lowveld, there is a luxury African safari that is perfect for you.
Singita Ebony Lodge is located on the renowned Sabi River in the world-famous Sabi Sands Game Reserve in South Africa‘s game-rich Kruger Lowveld region. The lodge is made up of 12 luxury units, including two family suites. The lodge’s world-class facilities include a health spa offering a range of beauty and health treatments, a spectacular wine cellar boasting over 10 000 wines, a gym, pool and a business centre. The rooms have private pools and outdoor showers. It is the perfect lodge for a luxury Big 5 safari.
Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge is found on the legendary Sabi Sands Game Reserve in the Kruger Lowveld of South Africa. The lodge is beautifully designed with natural features and materials, and blends seamlessly into the surrounding environment. Its spacious, luxurious suites are built into a slope, and each have en-suite facilities, private splash pools, and outdoor showers. Earth Lodge features an award-winning spa, which includes a meditation garden and a wildlife art gallery. The lodge also has a swimming pool with a natural feature, as well as a remarkable wine cellar. Besides Big 5 game drives, activities offered include helicopter flights, golfing, cultural tours and hiking.
Royal Malewane is located in the Big 5 Thornybush Game Reserve in South Africa‘s Kruger Lowveld region. The 5-star lodge is made up of standard luxury suites, royal suites, and a lavish villa. Each suite has a private plunge pool, both indoor and outdoor baths, freestanding baths, and are air-conditioned. The dining at Royal Malewane is superb, with meals served in various locations and complemented by excellent wines. Facilities include a gym, spa, pool and business centre, while activities include traditional game drives, elephant-back safaris, helicopter flights, stargazing evenings and cultural tours.
Abu Camp is a unique, unforgettable camp that looks out over a lagoon in Botswana‘s spectacular Okavango Delta. The camp is made up of six canvas luxury en-suite tents, each featuring both outdoor showers and baths, as well as outdoor copper baths for a thrilling experience. The camp also has a swimming pool, gym, and library, helping to keep guests entertained in between the safari activities, which include canoe safaris, game drives and walking safaris. However, Abu’s drawcard is its elephant safari activities, which allow guests to feel as if they are part of the camp’s resident elephant herd. Guests can get to know each elephant in the herd and will leave feeling a special connection to these majestic creatures.
Mombo Camp is located on Chief’s Island in the breathtaking Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. The camp consists of nine airy luxury en-suite tents, each raised above the ground to provide stunning views of the surrounding plains, which teem with wildlife. The camp has two plunge pools, a bar and a swimming pool, while the tents have both indoor and outdoor showers. Guided game drives bring guests into close range with the region’s abundant wildlife.
Bateleur Camp is an elegant, charming camp set on the edge of the Maasai Mara plains in Kenya. It exudes olden-style charm, combined with the wilderness of one of Africa’s most famous game-viewing regions. Each tented suite features en-suite facilities, private butlers, and every other comfort you could need. Guests can relax and enjoy the sweeping views of the plains in between game drives, where they can get up close to the wildlife, which includes the Big 5. Other activities include balloon safaris and Masaai cultural tours.
Angama Mara is a spectacular tented camp located in the famous Maasai Mara of Kenya. The camp is named for the Swahili word that means “suspended in mid-air”- and true to its name, provides breathtaking views across the plains of the Mara, one of the world’ most game-rich regions. The camp’s stunning suites are outfitted with all of the most luxurious modern fittings, including outdoor baths, and there are a host of unique and thrilling activities on offer. These include hot-air balloon trips over the Mara, visiting the Maasai people in their homes, and walking on the edge of the Great Rift Valley.
Singita Lebombo is found within a private concession in South Africa‘s Kruger Lowveld region, and provides the ultimate in luxury and style. The camp is certified as “green” and has a minimal impact on the environment. Its architectural design flawlessly combines modern urban styles with the surrounding natural features. Its fifteen luxury suites are perched at random points along a craggy ridge, with glass walls to provide breathtaking views of the valley and river below. The rooms each have private balconies with second beds, for those wishing to sleep put in the open air. The lodge’s facilities include a swimming pool, gym, spa, wine cellar and a business centre.
Shamwari Game Reserve is found in South Africa‘s Eastern Cape, and provides some of the best game-viewing in the province. This 25 000-hectare Big 5 reserve is malaria-free, and is made up of a blend of savannah woodland, open plains, thickets of thornveld, and riverine habitat. Besides the famous Big 5, it is home to a superb variety of other wildlife species, and is also abundant in birdlife. Even the hard-to-spot leopard is seen quite regularly. There are a number of super-luxury lodges on the reserve, offering guests the best in activities, service, facilities and accommodation.
Phinda Private Game Reserve is a 23 000-hectare private reserve found in South Africa‘s KwaZulu Natal province. Its combination of savannah woodland and sand forest is home to a plethora of wild species, including the Big 5, as well as a sizeable cheetah population. There are 6 super-luxury lodges on the reserve, each unique, but all offering the very best in service, facilities and accommodation. Expertly guided safaris in open vehicles make for a thrilling experience.
