Best Hotels & Lodges

Perched directly above Osaka's main train station like a city within a city, Hotel Granvia Osaka has a staggering 726 rooms across a towering complex that's equal parts convenience and controlled chaos. With the Shinkansen just minutes away and underground shopping labyrinths at your feet, you can quite literally plug straight into Japan's famously efficient transport network - both Kyoto and Kobe are a direct 30-minute train ride away. The hotel itself splits its personality between the practical Standard Floors and the rather more polished Granvia Floor suites at the top. Eight dining venues span everything from teppanyaki theatrics to French-Italian fusion, whilst the executive lounge offers a breather from the station buzz below.

Hamiltons Tented Camp overlooks the seasonal Nwaswitsontso River, within one of the original private concessions in the western Kruger Park. This unique camp harks back to turn-of-the-century colonial safaris, and gets the balance of vintage elegance and modern comforts just right. Predator sightings are a feature in this region, with excellent all-round game viewing across scenically diverse landscapes. Guided bush walks, plus special treats like champagne breakfasts, bush dinners and spa treatments offer a well rounded safari experience with fine hospitality and a generous helping of luxury.

Where a curve of the bay hugs the sandy shoreline, Kizingo Lodge nestles, tucked into the dunes and surrounded by beachside scrub. A short boat ride from Shela village and main town Lamu, it’s located right on a spectacularly-deserted 12-kilometre beach and it’s almost absurd not to kick your shoes off and run wild in the sand. Considering the more remote location, food is exceptionally good, and much of the ingredients are sourced from the lodge gardens. Enjoy your morning coffee on your private veranda that has views right over the sand and into the waters, admiring the fishing dhows as they sail past.

Okonjima Reserve serves as a convenient stop-over for families en-route to Etosha National Park as it sits halfway between there and Windhoek, Namibia's capital city. This private 55,000 acre reserve is home to top-quality luxury accommodation and the much reputed AfriCat Foundation. Here, you'll have the opportunity for up-close encounters with some of Africas most iconic felines in a relatively natural environment. For those interested in engaging with the important and difficult work of rehabilitation, this is one of the best places to do so. But besides all that, the Okonjima Villa is a stunning, four-bedroom, top-quality offering that comes complete with your own chef and private safari vehicle.

A tranquil mountain hideaway with a colonial air, Camp Figtree lies the folds of the Zuurberg mountains and overlooks Addo Elephant National Park, home to the world's highest density of elephants. This pretty setting allows for a dynamic experience of South Africa's Eastern Cape Province, with its highly underrated wilderness areas – and no concerns about malaria. With refined hospitality, great cuisine, rooms with every comfort, big views, and flawless attention to detail, Camp Fig Tree is a treat-yourself destination that will not disappoint.

Perched at the end of the Nagano Railway line, Yudanaka, a compact hot spring village, has been drawing visitors for over 1,300 years - and Hotel Tsubakino makes a thoroughly likeable base from which to soak it all in. A modern ryokan steps from the station, it pairs traditional Japanese hospitality with rooftop onsen overlooking the Northern Alps, seasonal kaiseki dinners starring Shinshu beef, and easy access to the famous macaques of Jigokudani.

Ithumba Hill Camp is owned by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. It is their newest self-catering retreat and was created to offer increased luxury for guests exploring Tsavo East’s remote northern area whilst visiting the Trust’s Ithumba elephant orphans. The luxury tented camp was opened in 2015. It has an elevated position halfway up Ithumba Hill, and enjoys breath-taking views across Tsavo’s vast landscape. Like the trusts two other properties, it has been designed for the more intrepid traveller who enjoys travelling off the beaten track.