Rebecca Mottram Travel Agent

Offering five-star service and epic wildlife encounters, these luxury lodges ensure you have all the creature comforts while in the heart of the African Bush.

1. Bushtops Serengeti
   Home to 12 luxury lodges, each with its own hot tub, private decking, indoor/outdoor shower and an unobstructed view of the Serengeti, this lodge in Tanzania is a luxurious oasis that blends into its surroundings seamlessly. You can enjoy wildlife encounters from their own private hot tub or use the swimming pool in the heart of the camp.
2. Thanda Safari
   Located in South Africa’s northern KwaZulu Natal, Thanda Safari Big Five Private Game Reserve spans over 14,000 hectares and features four unique safari accommodation options to choose from. For larger groups, the Villa Izulu accommodates up to 10 guests in five luxury suites. The villa comes fully equipped with a private boma, library, wine cellar, heated swimming pool, jacuzzi, viewing deck and its own helicopter pad! With easy road access to southern Mozambique, Thana offers a rare bush-to-beach experience.
3. Kamba Africa
   For guests dreaming of seeing gorillas, Kama Africa set in Odzala-Kokoua National Park is the place to go. The park is home to endangered species of gorilla. With only 2,920 tourists visiting the Republic of Congo annually compared to 30,000 in other popular gorilla-trekking destinations such as Uganada and Rwanda, Kamba Africa offers an exclusive experience. Guests can choose from a lodge hidden in the rainforest or stay in the heart of the savannah.
4. Onguma Camp Kala
   Opened in 2022, this lodge in Namibia consists of just four suites. The whole camp is elevated on wooden stilts, linked by raised walkways, offering a great vantage point of the floodlit waterhole below. there’s also a water-level photographic hide, gym, spa and toga deck. The suites each have a wood-fired hot tub and seating area with a fire pit.
5. Chobe Game Lodge
   This is the only permanent structure inside Botswana’s Chobe National Park, allowing guests to be the first to enter the park every morning and the last to leave too. The lodge has one of Africa’s first all-female guiding teams, electric game vehicles, solar-powered boats and is home to the largest population of elephants in the world.
6. Kibale Lodge
   Specialising in chimpanzee viewing, Volcanoes Safari’s newly-opened Kibale Lodge in Uganda is located in Kibale Forest – the ‘Primate Capital of the World’ with a community of 1,500 chimps. The Lodge offers both chimpanzee and gorilla trekking programmes to guests.
7. Lemala Wildwaters Lodge
   Perched on Kalagal Island on Uganda’s River Nile, Lemala Wildwaters Lodge incoporates its water-based location into its safari offerings. Accessible only by boat, this private island retreat features 10 suites with views of the Nile’s rapids. Each has an open-air bathrub and two have private plunge pools. Guests can enjoy white-water rafting, bungee jumping and jet boating, or unwind by the pool overlooking the river watching otters enjoying the rapids
8. Chisa Busanga Camp
   Guests looking for something unique will love the four ‘bird nest’ suites elevated above ground, with spectacular views. Inspired by weaver bird nests, the rooms are 100% solar powered. Accommodating only 8 guests at a time, the camp offers hot air balloon safaris and night drives to spot elusive nocturnal wildlife.
9. Zambezi Sands
   Situated along Zambezi River, minutes from the thundering Victoria Falls, Zambezi Sands in Zimbabwe is the first black female-owned safari lodge in Africa. It features 10 private Bedouin-style tents with river views, each with its own private viewing deck, en-suite bathroom, outside shower and some have a private plunge pool.
10. Grootbos Private Nature Reserve
    Set on a private nature reserve in South Africa, this luxury eco-reserve offers experiences such as horseback riding, flower safaris, hikes and even whale-watching. There are also two private villas, complete with private chef, butler and nature guides.

Did one of those take your fancy? Are you ready to plan a luxury safari in Africa for next year?

I’d love to speak to you (perhaps not tomorrow) and hear more about your epic plans ahead.

Merry Christmas to all!