Best Hotels & Lodges

Tucked away on its own private island in the eastern reaches of the Lower Zambezi, Chula is where safari purists go to disappear. Just five mesh-walled tents beneath towering Natal Mahogany trees offer front-row seats to one of Africa's last true wildernesses. This is owner-run, passion-fuelled safari at its most authentic – think bucket showers under the stars, breakfast around a crackling campfire, and guides who paddle these channels like they were born to do just that. It's deliberately simple, refreshingly remote, and completely captivating; the kind of place where hippos provide the morning alarm and elephants might just wander through camp for afternoon tea.

Perched beneath ancient winterthorn trees where the Chongwe meets the mighty Zambezi, these two exclusive suites deliver pared-back luxury with a side of butler service. The Cassia Suite pampers honeymooners with river-facing romance, while the two-bedroom Albida welcomes families who fancy their own slice of wilderness. With private plunge pools, clawfoot bathtubs under the stars, and dedicated guides who'll paddle you past hippo pods at dawn, this is safari refinement without the stuffiness. Elephants regularly wade through the channel right in front of your suite – entertainment courtesy of nature while you sip coffee from your canopied lounge.

With terraced hills, organic gardens, waterfalls and cobblestoned pathways, Inkaterra Machu Picchu Pueblo feels like an intimate village of its own. A 5-hectare mountainside reserve, the pristine cloudforest setting is a dream for all travellers, but even more so for nature enthusiasts and birdwatchers, with over 210 bird species and 370 orchid species (making it the world’s largest native orchid collection) recorded in the exact area. Amazingly, the hotel’s sustainability efforts have helped preserved hectares of Amazonian forest and native fauna, while also striving to make stays 100% carbon neutral. Staying here for the full Machu Picchu experience just feels right.

Camp Kipwe is a unique place, built in crevices between giant boulders stacked one above the other – a feature typical of this part of northwestern Namibia. You have to admire the ingenuity of the camp's designers, who have managed to combine intimate accommodation with sweeping views across the Aba Huab valley. From this eco-friendly camp, you can explore Damaraland – take an early morning game drive to look for the country's famously elusive desert-dwelling elephants, hike the ancient Aba Huab River or travel back in time at Twyfelfontein, Namibia’s first World Heritage Site.

In the heart of Bumthang's incredible valleys, this family-run retreat is all about honest hospitality without the price tag of its luxury neighbours. Founded by the late Karma Tobden, a beloved local engineer and community leader, the lodge stays true to its roots with a beautifully tranquil Bhutanese atmosphere. The spacious rooms are warmed by traditional Bukhari wood-burning stoves and are a cosy base to return to after a day of temple-hopping, whilst the rooftop hot stone baths are truly special. There's also hearty regional cuisine (including the family matriarch's legendary Bumthang Pizza), exceptional views of the valley, and easy access to ancient monasteries like Kurjey Lhakhang. It's Bhutan, just as it should be.

Explore the pristine isolation of Golfo Dulce, kayaking through the hushed mangroves of Los Mogos where wildlife reigns supreme, and plunging into the crystalline depths surrounding Punta Adela and Isla del Caño—a marine sanctuary rarely experienced by outsiders. Venture deep into the verdant, wild embrace of Corcovado National Park, where the untamed rainforest pulsates with life, or conquer the exhilarating rapids of the Savegre River, a true wilderness challenge.

This is your chance to disconnect from the ordinary and immerse yourself in the raw, unparalleled beauty of a Costa Rica few ever witness.

Hidden away in Fez's ancient medina, this former pasha's palace has been lovingly transformed by a Provençal antique dealer with an eye for the extraordinary. Michel Biehn didn't just restore this 1906 summer retreat, he also filled every corner with carefully curated antiquities from Central Asia to Africa. From the Royal Suite with its soaring glass dome to rooms inspired by Marco Polo's silk road adventures, each space feels more like a private collection than a hotel suite. The magnificent Andalusian garden – complete with Isfahan roses, jasmine, and a tranquil swimming pool – provides a blissful escape from the medina's bustling souks.

Zaria Court is located in the heart of Kigali's Sports City, Rwanda's premier sports and entertainment district, within five minutes of BK Arena and Amahoro Stadium. Kigali International Airport is just 10 minutes away. Guests are offerred two distinctive event rooms, a heated outdoor pool, fitness center, co-working space, kids’ playground, and on-site dining that all complete your authentic Rwandan experience.

Named after Ernest 'Papa' Hemingway – who famously survived not one but two plane crashes in this very stretch of wilderness – this intimate tented camp channels the romance of golden-age safaris. Tucked beneath towering fig trees on the south bank of the Nile, it sits within a 350-square-kilometre low-use zone of Murchison Falls National Park, shared with no other camp. Lions are prolific here (a recent census counted over 45), and a habituated hyena den near camp offers extraordinary viewing. The roar of the rapids drifts through at night, elephants and buffalo roam the riverbanks, and the thundering falls themselves are an easy game drive away. With only five tents, exclusivity is guaranteed.

Forget everything you think you know about beach lodges. On a secluded section of powder-white sand north of Vilanculos, Italian couple Elena and Fabio have crafted something rather extraordinary. Their eight-suite retreat feels more like staying with impossibly stylish friends than checking into a hotel. With every suite boasting its own private pool and the Bazaruto Archipelago shimmering on the horizon, this fully inclusive hideaway strikes that perfect balance between barefoot luxury and genuine warmth. From the home-grown vegetables in your five-course dinner to the daily spa treatments, every detail whispers, "we've got this sorted".

Tucked within a boutique estate that's devoted entirely to the art of Cap Classique, this exclusive-use villa puts you in the heart of Franschhoek with your own chef, butler, and very generous pours of some of South Africa's finest bubbles. Award-winning designer Etienne Hanekom has worked his magic on the interiors, and the result is a refined sanctuary that feels every bit as polished as the wines in the cellar. Blending sessions, vineyard picnics, and helicopter flights are all on the cards – though simply sinking into the heated pool with a glass of Blanc de Blancs works too.

Venice's Dorsoduro district is the city's arty, quieter side that the Venetians prefer to keep for themselves. And right at its southern tip, where the Grand Canal opens into St Mark's Basin, sits this top-tier palazzo with one of the most enviable waterfront positions in the city. Built in 1892 for the Genovese family on the site of a medieval monastery, its Gothic facade now conceals boldly contemporary and fabulous interiors. With the Peggy Guggenheim Collection next door and the Basilica della Salute as a neighbour, the location alone is worth the visit... But the food and the staff seal the deal.