Best Hotels & Lodges

Located in Entebbe, directly on the shore of Lake Victoria, Protea Hotel lies just six kilometres from the airport, so it's the ideal place to start or end your visit to this lovely country. Once the scene of great drama, Entebbe is now a pretty and peaceful contrast to the surge and heave of humanity in the capital, Kampala. The tranquil atmosphere extends to the hotel, where the service is streamlined, the accommodation is modern and comfortable and the food is very good.

A farm on the hill above Honfleur became an inn in the 1820s, and by the sixties Boudin, Monet, Jongkind, Courbet and Bazille were all trooping up here to paint the Seine estuary. The landlady ran tabs, and the story goes that several of them settled up in canvases. Monet painted the road to the farm more than once, and those pictures now hang in Paris, Boston and Tokyo. Seven hectares of garden still face the water, and the view has not changed all that much. Sound inspiring?

This eco-designed luxury lodge, one of the world's first, is centrally positioned in Phinda Private Game Reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Each of &Beyond's lodges in Phinda have been positioned in a different type of location. Phinda Rock Lodge, for example, is built into a cliff; Vlei Lodge overlooks a wetland. At Phinda Forest Lodge, the setting is a tranquil sand forest. Raised off the ground, with wooden decks and huge floor-to-ceiling windows, the lodge offers incredible views of the torchwood trees and other delights hidden in this unique ecosystem. Expect enthusiastic guiding, lion, rhino, cheetah and excellent birding.

Towering imperiously over the rippling tea plantations of north-eastern Tanzania, Mount Kilimanjaro is worthy of just about every superlative imaginable. The highest mountain in Africa, and the highest freestanding mountain in the world, it can actually be climbed without a great deal of technical know-how and is open to most people with a relative level of fitness. For the ultimate bucket list trip, scale the slopes of Kili before flying to the Serengeti or the beaches of Zanzibar for a dose of iconic Africa… and a very well-deserved reward!

In the countryside beyond Fasano, where silvery olive trees stretch toward the horizon, sits this exquisitely renovated 16th-century masseria. The thoughtful redesign by Olga Polizzi brings together cool stone floors and whitewashed walls with chic contemporary elements, creating an atmosphere that feels both authentically Pugliese and utterly luxurious. The property's historical character provides the perfect backdrop for leisurely afternoons by the pool or romantic sunset cocktails on the rooftop, while the surrounding countryside beckons with opportunities for golf, hiking or horseback riding. When the Adriatic calls, a short shuttle whisks you to the private beach club for a day of Mediterranean bliss.

Deep in the Kiso Valley, a centuries-old farmhouse perches on a hillside above rice paddies and thick forest, looking much as it has since samurai walked the trails below. This is Zenagi, Japan's first 'expedition hotel', and it operates on a beautiful, simple premise: one group at a time, with a private chef, butler and guide dedicated entirely to you. The restored kominka is filled with black lacquer floors, washi-paper walls and furniture carved by locals, turning the whole place into a living gallery of Kiso craftsmanship. By day, former Olympic athletes lead you through gorges, along ancient samurai trails and into forests that are otherwise off-limits. It's deeply personal, wildly adventurous and utterly unlike anything else in Japan.

Discover the place where the nature of the Sierras Chicas of Córdoba merges with history to offer tailor-made experiences. Nestled in a stunning natural setting, Scratch House is the perfect place to relax and escape from your daily routine any time of year. A great option for your getaways.

Recently refurbished, Camp Okavango now offers some of the most beautiful and elegant accommodation available in this pristine region of the Delta. This part of the private Shindi concession has a wide range of habitats but is dominated by permanent channels and shallow floodplains, making activities primarily water-focused. There is no vehicle traffic to disturb the peace. This camp suits a traveller whose priority is relaxation and experiencing the stunning landscape surrounding this private, luxurious camp. It offers an altogether different experience of the wilderness, where seeing big game is not the sole focus.

Discover the superlative sights of the Galapagos Islands, the world's 'laboratory of evolution' on board this luxury catamaran. You'll sail from one fascinating shore to another, dolphins gliding beside you and scarlet frigatebirds soaring overhead, each day bringing renewed amazement as the naturalist guides share their encyclopaedic knowledge of the islands' wildlife. Do a little discovery of your own with treks through the forest, volcanic excursions and otherworldly snorkelling. The 102-foot-long vessel is adept at navigating these waters and its size makes it possible to drop anchor in hidden, shallow bays.

On a grain of land off Thailand's coast, Pimalai combines the best of jungle escape and high-brow resort. Translating as, 'a little patch of heaven', Pimalai certainly lives up to its name. Drink in views of the shimmering Andaman Sea from a shaded lounger on the beach and listen for the calls of macaques in the garden, which happens to be 100 acres of cashew, palm and coconut trees. It's hard to beat cocktails at the Horizon pool, which, at 200 feet above sea-level, feels like it's floating on air. The island of Koh Lanta is is just perfect for adventures from the seat of a motorbike and the ocean never has to call twice.

Take a step back in time at the 200-year-old Horathapola Estate, a gorgeous, antique-filled bungalow with a focus on rural life in a glorious setting. Food is a way of life on the estate and mealtimes are a tasty foray into Sri Lankan cuisine with the likes of coconut rotis, homemade buffalo curd and fruit picked by your own hands for breakfast, and curries bubbling in clay pots for dinner. Save space for a scrumptious afternoon tea, served in the fragrant gardens surrounded by cinnamon and mango trees, and then explore on a buffalo cart ride through the plantations.