Best Hotels & Lodges

The only Relais & Chateaux hotel in Puno, Titilaka is a boutique hotel of dreams. A re-modelled getaway lodge, it's totally off the beaten path on its own private peninsula, surrounded by nothing but ethereal Titicaca lake views. Here, your only companions are infinite skies, snowcapped mountains and the shimmering waters of the pristine lake and in the hotel, an indulgent experience awaits. Enjoy world-class facilities, exquisite food and a range of enlightening activities, designed to offer a taste of the lake dwellers’ traditions and way of life. A magnificent feast for the senses in every way.

Leadwood Lodge sits in the fork of the Sand and Mabrak Rivers, in the exclusive Sabi Sand Game Reserve, famous for outstanding game viewing (particularly leopards!). Just four private suites make this lodge an excellent choice for a secluded safari, and perfect for small groups of up to eight guests travelling together. The suites are well placed along the granite-strewn river banks for complete privacy. Classy design incorporates smooth stone interiors, chunky wooden décor, classic thatch and wide expanses of glass to blend and flow with the natural surroundings. Expect the best hospitality and plenty of decadent touches all round.

Tucked behind Piazza della Signoria, practically leaning on the Uffizi, the Hotel Bernini Palace is a 15th-century palazzo with hospitality in its bones. Back when Florence briefly served as Italy's capital in the 1860s, parliamentarians and senators would pile in for backroom dealings over dinner – and you can still feel that buzz of importance today. Now a polished five-star with 74 rooms adorned in antiques and Murano glass, it's elegant, un-showy and thoroughly Italian. The concierge team (Les Clefs d'Or, no less) know every cobblestone in the centro storico, and the location genuinely couldn't be better for getting to know Florence on foot.

The South China Sea stretches out in front of you on a leisurely stroll down the platinum sands of Ha My Beach, before cobblestone pathways lead you back to a sanctuary of your own. The Four Seasons takes your serenity very seriously with tranquil ponds to stop at and reflect on a walk through the tropical garden, hammocks swaying in invitation and blissful moments spent at the overwater spa suites. It wouldn't be a holiday by the ocean without an abundance of water sports and kayaking down the coast is a spectacular way to start. So, kick off your shoes, grab a lychee martini and toast to another glorious sunset.

The solar-powered King Lewanika Lodge is the only permanent safari lodge in this region, and is situated in splendid isolation in Zambia’s untouched Liuwa Plain National Park. Stunning landscapes are characterised by vast seasonally-flooded plains and wooded islands, and the camp is designed to make the most of the incredible sense of space and total immersion in this wildlife hotspot. Just six open-fronted super-luxury tented villas on raised platforms are spread out along the fringes of the floodplains, with far-reaching views. Liuwa is famous for its thriving lion population, abundant predators, and the second largest annual wildebeest migration south of the Serengeti.