Africa's Top Safari Lodges

There is luxury, and then there is the kind of luxury that makes you feel as though a place has been created entirely for you.

An ultra-luxury safari lodge belongs to the second category. It is not simply about a beautiful suite, an infinity pool overlooking the bush, or an impressive wine cellar. The real privilege is something far more difficult to create: space, privacy, time and a level of personal attention that allows the entire safari to move at your pace. In the finest lodges in Africa, the wilderness is not something you observe from a distance. It becomes the setting for an experience that feels remarkably intimate.

Luxury That Is Designed Around You

At a conventional safari lodge, there is inevitably a degree of compromise. Game drives follow a schedule, vehicles are shared, and guides have to balance the interests of several guests.

Ultra-luxury safari changes that equation. At properties offering private villas and dedicated safari teams, guests can have their own guide, tracker, vehicle and hospitality team. At places such as Cheetah Plains in South Africa, an entire villa can be reserved exclusively for one party, with a dedicated guide, tracker, safari vehicle, chef and host team