Best Hotels & Lodges

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.

See why so many travellers make Mitsui Garden Hotel Sapporo their hotel of choice when visiting Chuo. Providing an ideal mix of value, comfort and convenience, it offers a quiet setting with an array of amenities designed for travellers and holidaymakers alike.

The undeniably glam Dar es Salaam Serena is a perfect short-stay hotel located near both the airport and hub of this coastal city. Once the country's capital, Dar es Salaam is a real melting pot – the people are vibrant, the traffic is predictably busy and the trade is brisk. The 230-bed hotel itself, however, is an oasis of calm, with lush gardens, a palm tree-studded pool area, two restaurants, two bars (including one pool-side) and a coffee shop. Staff are friendly and prompt, their service matching those of other international hotels. And the rooms are spacious and super-comfortable.

Some hotels win you over with design, others with location - and this one does it with dinner. Tucked into the hillside near the village of San Cassiano in South Tyrol's Alta Badia valley, Ciasa Salares has been in the Wieser family since the 1960s, and their obsession with food has turned a traditional alpine lodge into a genuine gastronomic destination. A wine cellar with 24,000 bottles, dedicated cheese and chocolate rooms, and four distinct restaurants sit alongside wood-panelled cosiness and honest Ladin hospitality. Beyond the table, the UNESCO-listed Dolomites are right there (the Armentarola ski lift is practically on the doorstep), and summer opens up some of Italy's finest hiking.