There are of course different standards of luxury under the topic of Luxury African Lodges and, of course, the very word “luxury” means different things to different people. For some, just having hot water on safari is a luxury. But we are talking serious bush luxury here: luxury camping safaris (yes it is very possible) where the tented rooms are enormous and the bathrooms fully ensuite (hot and cold water and flush loos) and then, as one works up the scale from the already lovely to the uber-chic, extraordinary lodges complete with double sized bedrooms, air conditioning, hairdryers, shoe shining kits,  trendy toiletries, private lounges, verandahs with enormous vistas, salas, private plunge pools, unrivalled scenery, private butlers and staff and private game drives. All this in the middle of nowhere! Some of our favourite luxury African lodges include the following:

In Rwanda there is the exceptional Sabyinyo Lodge.  Situated amidst plantations the lodge sits in the foothills of the mighty Virunga Mountains with seven volcanoes stretching out into the distance. On each volcano one can trek to see mountain gorillas which is a privilege in itself.

View From Sabyinyo - Luxury African Lodges With AfricanExplorations.com

Just over the border into Uganda is Clouds Lodge, in the Nkuringo area of Bwindi. Again this is a very comfortable haven (only eight rooms) from which to explore the area, and do gorilla trekking. At night one can also see the glow of the active Nyiragongo volcano in the Congo (DRC).

Luxury African Lodges do not come better than in Botswana and Abu’s Camp is an obvious example. Located in a very beautiful sector of the Okavango Delta and surrounded by islands and crystal clear waterways, the camp sits in a private concession covering 180,000 hectares. The camp was named after a bull elephant called Abu and is situated in a grove of magnificent hardwood trees on the edge of a large lagoon with a resident school of hippo. The property features rooms shrouded by canvas, held in place by pale coloured poles in an Afro-Bedouin style. There are elegant furnishings and fittings and the whole is surrounded by sycamore and jackalberry trees. The six tents, which are raised on wooden plinths, have their own private verandahs and high airy ceilings and are simply lovely. What makes Abu’s Camp stand out – apart from its luxury – is the specialist interaction with the elephants and their mahoots.

Abus Camp - Luxury African Lodges With AfricanExplorations.com

Also in Botswana there is Jack’s Camp in the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. A visit to the pans is always a joy and the Colonial-styled tents are furnished with Persian rugs, copper basins and high canopied beds.  One of the highlights is afternoon tea, in the separate tea tent, where one indulges in homemade pastries and cookies whilst lounging on giant cushions and Persian carpets under swaths of creamy canvas and curtains blowing in the wind – something completely special and quite glorious.

But we can only skim the surface in a quick blog – have a look at our “Accommodation Guide” pages for a wider look at Luxury African Lodges.

We’ve discussed luxury and we’ve talked about the fact that Africa can be enormously “grounding”, reawakening many an instinct that lies dormant within us.  After all, staying at a luxury camp in a National Park or a closeup wildlife encounter – maybe whilst you are on foot! – are unforgettable moments in time.

We are always looking to enhance our client’s experience of Africa, wherever it may take place. Given that the one crucial factor that makes or breaks a safari is the quality and, arguably, intensity of the guiding an obvious way to make the absolute most of every day is to ask us to create a Private Safari.

One might argue that a safari-to-oneself is an indulgence, but that really isn’t so when one looks at value and benefit. A private safari for an individual with an over-riding special interest is an obvious case in point, allowing him or her to focus on that speciality with a suitable guide and not be overbearing for others. For a couple, it may be that they simply want to be on their own and take each day as it comes with a guide who is flexible and can tailor each day to their whim.  For a family the argument becomes even more compelling – a guide who is sensitive to adults and children alike can make each day as exciting or as relaxing as the participants require.  All this has value – after all safaris are hardly cheap and one wants to make the most of every pound or dollar spent. The benefit is, surely, obvious.

Riding With a Private Guide - Private Safaris With AfricanExplorations.com

If one wants an example of this particular point then look no further than being guided by Richard Knocker in Tanzania. We’ve known Richard for a Very Long Time Indeed and having him as a private guide is, frankly, a privilege. Utterly knowledgeable and totally at home in his element, Richard is a true gentleman and a superb guide, bringing humour, expertise and enormous fun to the time one spends with him. It is only at the end of the trip that you realise just what a vast ream of information he has shared.  A private safari with someone like Richard is a truly wonderful way to enjoy the bush!

Private Safaris - Mobile Camp With AfricanExplorations.com

People often think that a safari to themselves means a mobile camp or taking a whole property and, sometimes, obviously, this is exactly the point. There are some stunning private houses and lodges (oceanside villas, too, for one’s after-safari relaxation!) which we book for our client’s private use as well as taking entire camps or erecting mobiles in “just the right spot”. But there’s no reason why a private safari cannot mix private accommodation – say a mobile or series of mobiles in Kenya, Tanzania or Botswana or a private lodge such as Mukima House in Kenya – with other camps and lodges that might have “outside” guests staying at the same time. In this way clients can spend part of the safari on their own yet have more social interaction at certain times, thus ringing the changes. This suggests another benefit of private safaris:  the ability to throw the net very wide when one is at the planning stage. This is a hard thing to value – but it is precious!

Try it sometime! Private safaris are fantastic!

Private Safaris With African Explorations.com - Mukima House - An Excellent Private Base From Which To Explore

What is being “at peace”? A series of gentle-but-fleeting impressions or experiences that linger to make a lasting, more integrated, whole? Quietly sharing a special moment with family, wife, husband, partner, parent?  Being able to spend time doing what you wish in an environment that takes one back to one’s evolutionary roots? How and where to find “Peace” is, of course, a variable feast for all of us with a million-and-one possibilities but a luxury African holiday can provide this sought after, overlooked and (regrettably) often-ephemeral spiritual commodity.

Luxury African Holiday - Simple Happiness With AfricanExplorations.com

And, then, how to define luxury?!? To me, as I sit writing this, it would be luxury to just be in the bush; flycamping in Katavi or, perhaps, at Sosian knowing the camels are safely “done” for the night. Or to sit and watch Wild Dog for an hour that might stretch to several. Cantering down a sandy track in South Africa or (yes, I know, off subject on an African website but why not?) to be camped by a river in Canada with the call of the loon and wolf nearby are also, to me, simple, effervescent, life-enhancing luxuries. Thus, to myself (I hear my colleague, the wonderful Hashim, agreeing) the “luxury” is obtained from the experience per se rather than the accoutrements of where I stay. Again this is (and can only be) a highly personal opinion and I fully accept that, to many, “luxury” is Egyptian cotton sheets and towels in the middle of the bush or champagne for sundowners. Make no mistake about my own motives here, either, I’d say “Why not, indeed!” to such luxury and I certainly wouldn’t turn it down; we all have differing ideas and I have no axe to grind at all with whatever your own definition of “luxury” may be. But I do think that there is a peace that comes from being somewhere you really want to be, in an environment with which you connect, that gives you an inner feeling of luxurious satisfaction that is common to all these experiences.

Luxury African Holiday - Surrounded By Africa With AfricanExplorations.com

There’s a point to these musings and I’m not going to even elaborate here on excellent food, great guiding (crucial) or super-comfortable beds in huge en suite tents in the most extraordinarily lovely locations, let alone stunning wildlife. That’s for other blogs and my point is this: I often get asked – sometimes in roundabout ways – to create a “luxury” African holiday.

Luxury African Holiday - Experiences of a Lifetime With AfricanExplorations.com

But we know that luxury is different things to different people so, in order to do my duty to you, oh esteemed client, I need to know who you are! What makes you tick? What is it about Africa that entices you – perhaps for the second, third or fourth time? Can I empathise with your own feelings, desires and passions so that I can create exactly the right safari or holiday for you, with all the right nuances? For this, to me, is another luxury; in the process of creating exactly the right balance within a holiday I have the privilege of conversing with (and, sometimes, getting to know rather well) a wide range of very special, often talented, individuals. Most have skills I can only dream of and all are totally different yet have a single unifying desire: to go to Africa. What a luxury…….

Luxury African Holiday - Life's Special Moments With AfricanExplorations.com

What is a Luxury African Safari? It is many different things to many people! Perhaps this clip defines it in more detail!

An Africa Safari Vacation is one of the most amazing and rewarding types of holiday that one can ever imagine! With magnificent wildlife in abundance, incredible walking, scenery and top class guiding – as well as having such a variety of first class accommodation – all this contributes to having the perfect safari!See the video below to get an idea of which country might be right for you! We come from Africa and have been arranging bespoke safaris for our clients for 21 years – so, if only the very best will do – we would love to assist you in arranging your safari of a lifetime!

Safaris in Zambia are incredibly rewarding!

From the north and south luangwa which are some of the finest wildlife regions in Africa and also home to the best walking safaris in Africa, to the magnificent Kafue and the Busanga Plains, this country has it all! The Busanga is renowned for its concentration of wildlife unlike anywhere else in the country – and is affectionately referred to as the mini Serengeti with its open  plains and fantastic wildlife.

Safaris in Zambia with AfricanExplorations.com

Zambia boasts some of the best game viewing in Africa including endemic species such as thornicroft’s giraffe as well as being home to the rare shoebill stork. The camps range from simple  to luxury tented camps. The guiding is considered to be some of the finest in Africa. Then you have the upper and lower Zambezi – two completely different area offering very different experiences. Again, there is lovely walking in the lower Zambezi, but the river offers the most stunning backdrop imaginable! Livingstone is just lovely and the perfect place to end ones safari and we have some real gems for you to stay at.

Safaris in Zambia with AfricanExplorations.com

Perhaps combine Zambia with Malawi for some sailing or beach at the end of your safari and one has the holiday of a lifetime! Call our Expert from Zambia, Katharine Tetley now to design a gorgeous tailormade safari just for you.