Best Hotels & Lodges

Closed for refurbishment - reopening 2027

Voted one of the top 10 hotels on the planet, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is undoubtedly one of the most opulent lodges in Africa. And yet, while no expense has been spared to ensure your every need is catered for, the main attraction is the lodge's setting – on the rim of the famous and archaeologically significant Ngorongoro Crater. Both lodge and crater lie at the heart of an 8,300-square-kilometre conservation area that is home to an astonishing selection of wildlife, including hippo, antelope, buffalo, black rhino, one of the highest carnivore densities in the world and plentiful bird species.

Looking like something out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel, the luxurious Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt sits right on the most iconic avenue of the famed Recoleta neighbourhood. Surrounded by boutiques, exquisite cafés and trendy galleries, this not-so-little gem offers the ideal respite from the urban hustle and bustle. The two-building complex - which spans a Belle Époque mansion and a contemporary building - is surrounded by lush, peaceful gardens, and features a dreamy pool, renowned spa, three fabulous restaurants, a flower boutique… and the list goes on. If you’ve ever wanted to experience living in a palace, look no further. And don’t worry, the charming staff will make you feel right at home.

A lodge that lives up to its name, Namib Outpost lies in a remote location at Sossusvlei, in the southern Namib. If peace and natural splendour are your thing, and if you love sand dunes, then this is the place to come – Sossuvlei's large salt and clay pan is surrounded by some of the highest dunes in the world. The views are spectacular, especially at sunset, when the sand is rosy and you can hear geckos barking and hyaenas calling. Recently renovated, the lodge's atmosphere is relaxed, the accommodation is great and you can explore the desert on horseback.

Baraza Resort and Spa offers stunning facilities for guests to enjoy a range of watersports, a comprehensive spa with a lap pool and tennis court, cooking classes, cultural excursions and all on the most stunning stretch or Zanzibarian beach. Baraza showcases a fusion of Arabic, Swahili and Indian designs and rooms are adorned with beautiful antiques, handmade furniture and intricate brass lanterns. A gorgeous coral reef stretches along the coast, providing safe waters for swimming, snorkelling or kite surfing. This reef also ensures the finest powder white sand beach.

Imagine an exclusive private home in a neighbourhood far removed from your own. Instead, you're in a vast, vast wilderness, and your neighbours are wild – elephant, giraffe, zebra and rhino, and 300-odd bird species. Imagine riding on horseback through hills and savannas. Then make it real. Lengishu is a family-owned estate set in the 13,000-hectare Borana Conservancy in northern Kenya. It sleeps up to 12 in great comfort, attended to by a dedicated staff of chefs, housekeepers, and a private guide. Borana's boundary with neighbouring Lewa Downs Conservancy is unfenced, so there's plenty of scope to realise your dreams.

Kutali Camp is a realisation of the dream of Luke Evans and Kyle Branch, two young men who have spent the past decade guiding travellers throughout southern and East Africa's most sought-after sanctuaries. They've come to know the essential ingredients of a great bush experience. A truly wild, beautiful and productive wilderness – in this case, Zambia's Lower Zambezi National Park. Dedicated, knowledgeable guides – the owners themselves. And the atmosphere – there's certainly little to beat the under-the-stars campfire spirit, with good food and wine.

Ensconced by dramatic, sunbaked desert, Onduli Ridge is a cool and collected part of the Damaraland scene. Practically sculpted into the granite boulders, the camp is seamless in design and fits right in with its surroundings. Every space maximises the views and by night, it's the tapestry of stars that steals the show. Spend your days relaxing by the pool, enjoying some of Namibia's finest food and exploring this sandy playground - which just happens to include Namibia's highest mountain, the Brandberg. Sounds pretty good to us.

Pull up alongside that storied waterway and prepare to be transported to a world where cherubs perch on marble staircases and centuries-old frescoes tell tales of nobility past. This 15th-century masterpiece has earned its status as a National Monument, and rightfully so. Each morning, throw open your windows to watch the theatre of daily life unfold at the historical market opposite, as vendors arrange their wares just as they have done for hundreds of years.

As you might have guessed, Great Plains' latest camp is set on a gloriously private island in the Northern Okavango. On arrival, you'll scarcely believe such a place exists, with every corner providing a front row seat to this startlingly beautiful corner of Botswana. Hosting a maximum of eight guests, you'll have your guide's utmost attention whilst exploring the channels and lagoons, watching hippos wallow, elephant swimming, and the birdlife a-fluttering. And how could we forget the shy sitatunga antelope dwelling in the reeds of the Delta from which the camp takes its name?