Best Hotels & Lodges

Previously known as Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp, &Beyond Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge offers relatively exclusive access to a park well known for its swarming game and its popularity with wildlife lovers. The sustainably-designed lodge, tucked into tall evergreen woodland on the banks of a Grumeti River tributary in the Serengeti's remote western corridor, combines an earth-bound design with a sophisticated edge. The location is excellent for game and bird viewing, and its guides have an impressive knowledge of their surroundings. Add to those attractions, faultless service levels and great accommodation, and you're looking at one of the best camps in the vast Serengeti.

This five-day trip has it all. Based at their main camp, Kujwana, on the banks of the Xudum River, the safari takes you deep into the western Okavango on horseback – expect around six hours in the saddle on riding days, interspersed with scenic picnic lunches and camp beds for midday siestas (or a dip in the river if you fancy it). But it's not all about galloping across floodplains. Game drives, mokoro trips through the peaceful waterways and leisurely sundowners round out the days, striking a balance between adventure and total relaxation.

Skydance is a delightfully modern family home in Bishopscourt, an exclusive neighbourhood near one of Cape Town’s oldest wine-growing regions. With sweeping panoramas of Table Mountain’s slopes and the vineyards that climb them, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens nearby, and the ocean in the distance – and only a 20-minute drive from Cape Town’s city centre – the location is exceptionally well-placed. The home is stylish but unpretentious, with superior fixtures, large open-plan interiors, and perfect outdoor entertainment areas. Book a stay for a family retreat or a celebratory getaway, Skydance will spoil everyone, with oodles of space and views for days.

The Central Serengeti, home to a dizzying array of wildlife, big cats galore, those quintessential rippling grass plains and the rather lovely Nyikani Camp. A relative newcomer to the Serengeti safari scene, the camp is perched atop a small hill, the bush views stretch endlessly from your tent door and the high season crowds seem a distant memory. Nothing is too much trouble here and the experienced team will spoil you from the moment you leap off the Jeep. It may be fresh-faced, but Nyikani is all about old-school hospitality and game viewing that you will never forget.

Chundu Island is the perfect African getaway. It offers all the right elements of a truly African experience. Guests to the island can expect complete peace and privacy. The camp is intimate and serene, with just eight comfortable and elegant rooms lining the river bank. Chundu Island is located 21km from Zimbabwe’s majestic Victoria Falls. The island is only accessible by boat. It is superbly positioned on the Zambezi River, allowing guests to experience Africa in its purest state. It is peaceful, serene and beautiful. But at the same time, guests have the opportunity to experience the best Zimbabwe has to offer. Peace and quiet combined with excitement and adventure. With Victoria Falls on its doorstep, Chundu guests have the option of participating in some of the town’s most exciting adventure activities, from bungee jumping and white water rafting to fishing expeditions and helicopter rides.

Closed for renovations. Opening January 2027.

Set a few streets back from Camps Bay beach, a favourite of Cape Town’s rich and beautiful, Sea Five is blissful in every way. From the palette of earthy African tones and soothing Mediterranean blues and the sweeping views of the mountains and sea to the divine lavender scented gardens, you can’t fail to feel utterly zen after a stay here. But with private transfers to the bustling city, easy access to the hip bars and restaurants of Camps Bay Strip and the spectacular coastline of the Western Cape only a few minutes away, there’s plenty to keep you feeling lively too.