Best Hotels & Lodges

Skydance is a delightfully modern family home in Bishopscourt, an exclusive neighbourhood near one of Cape Town’s oldest wine-growing regions. With sweeping panoramas of Table Mountain’s slopes and the vineyards that climb them, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens nearby, and the ocean in the distance – and only a 20-minute drive from Cape Town’s city centre – the location is exceptionally well-placed. The home is stylish but unpretentious, with superior fixtures, large open-plan interiors, and perfect outdoor entertainment areas. Book a stay for a family retreat or a celebratory getaway, Skydance will spoil everyone, with oodles of space and views for days.

The Zambezi National Park stretches upstream from Victoria Falls, and Batoka Zambezi Sands is in its western reaches, about 25 kilometres from the roar of the Falls where the soundtrack is the birdsong and not much else. Bedouin-style tented suites are strung along the riverbank, ensconced by riverine fig, ebony, and mopane woodland, each perfectly positioned for uninterrupted views across the broad, khaki-green water. Refurbished in 2022 by South African interior designer Yvonne O'Brien, the lodge is run by the female-founded Batoka Hospitality group, solar-powered and Beyond Green-certified. Wonderful. Surrounded by epic wilderness, game drives, bush walks, and river drift cruises fill the days.

Ol Malo is a privately owned game sanctuary and working ranch in northern Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau, spanning 5,000 acres of rugged hills and valleys overlooking Mount Kenya. Once an overgrazed cattle farm, Ol Malo has been transformed into a conservation area, literally teeming with wildlife. Ol Malo House is a stunning six-bedroomed homestead perched on a rocky outcrop with sweeping views of the valleys and hills beyond. With a range of fabulous (and some totally unusual!) activities, this is the perfect bush break for anyone looking for excellent game-viewing and a whole lot of fun. For families and groups of friends, the house can be booked exclusively.

The long, narrow waters of lake Muhazi snake through lush vegetation and terraced farms. From the lake shores rise the free-standing, rammed earth structures of UMVA Muhazi, the first of their kind in the region. Whether you’re seeking a weekend retreat from Kigali, a mid-week remote working destination, or a stop over on your journey to/from Akagera National Park, UMVA Muhazi is the right place. More than just a stop, UMVA Muhazi is a destination centered around the natural beauty, outdoor adventures, and insatiably delicious food.

You could not be further from the madding crowd than in a tented camp in the wide-open plains of the Serengeti. During the Great Migration, expect breathtaking wildlife sightings as the grazing animals move as one in search of new pastures, their every move monitored by their tireless followers – lion, hyaena, leopard, cheetah and lesser predators. Your accommodation is simple but comfortably stylish, as tents have en-suite bathrooms, spacious bedrooms and great food. Nasikia Mobile's sister camp, Nasikia Central, is in the central Rongai area.

Tune out from the rest of the world and connect to the natural beauty of Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park. This exceptional UNESCO site is home to one of the largest waterfalls in the world and a wildlife park. Relax in this magical setting or find an adventure – their hotel offers locally-inspired restaurants, a spa and fitness center, a river cruiser, and a sports pavilion. They also offer a conference center with five rooms. Host a unique event for up to 250 people with the spectacular Victoria Falls nearby.

Il Ngwesi is one of Kenya’s most pioneering bush camps. Lying within a vast community conservation and livestock region north of the wildlife-rich Lewa Conservancy, the lodge is one of the first of its kind to be entirely owned and staffed by members of the local Masai tribe. This small camp, with just six rooms, sits on the thickly forested slopes of a hill in a remote corner of the conservancy. We appreciate the authentic, all-round Kenyan experience, and the focus that's equally weighted between the region’s traditional culture and heritage and the abundant plains game and birdlife.

The private Nxabega concession in Botswana's Okavango Delta is ideally situated to experience the diversity of this vast wetland wilderness. The scope of activities on offer maximises one's exposure to wildlife and scenery, whether it's from the perch of an open 4x4, the frog-eye level of a silent mokoro, or the bird-eye-view of a helicopter. Beautiful old world safari-style tents and a well-considered camp layout create a luxurious and private experience. This is the best a safari has to offer, without going over the top.

Step into the private corner of the Sabie Game Reserve, where humans and nature coexist in harmony. You’ll have a front-row seat to the untamed African wilderness at Umkumbe Bush Lodge, an unassuming yet luxurious tented camp. Enjoy breathtaking views of a drainage basin, watering hole, and open plain right outside your doorstep. From listening to the hyenas from your tented suite to venturing through the canopy of Tamboti trees, at Umkumbe Bush Lodge, you'll be part of the incredible habitat that surrounds you.