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

Africa, by its sheer size and the convoluted nature of the countries that make up this fascinating continent, can be slightly daunting when one is thinking of planning a safari or a vacation. Of course one wants to see as much as possible on what may be the “trip of a lifetime” but balancing activities and locations with the logistics of travelling around and making sure that the lodges, camps or hotels in which one might stay are “just right” can be a real task and a huge responsibility without essential first-hand knowledge of the destination.

I Left A Footprint In Africa - Africa Custom Vacation at Chada Katavi With AfricanExplorations.com

That’s where a long-established specialist like African Explorations comes to the fore. With over 20 years of trading as a specialist tour operator based in the UK, dealing with clients worldwide, we are experts in Africa custom vacations. Put simply: we know what we are doing. Our small team of dedicated, highly knowledgeable, professionals have all lived, worked in or otherwise have vast in-depth knowledge of the countries in which they create safaris and holidays for their clients. It is this knowledge, constantly updated, that is the anvil on which we forge your loose ideas into a gorgeous-but-workable end product that offers the correct balance of value and experience to ensure a superb vacation, whether it be a couple, a family, a single traveller or a specialist group. And there’s no downside for our clients because it costs no more to use us than it would if one was able to create the same trip oneself!

Camp Overlooking The Zambezi - Africa Custom Vacation With AfricanExplorations.com

An Africa custom vacation can engage with almost any client interest, be it wildlife, culture, a specialist activity or maybe some other reason for travelling to these fabulous destinations. We are proud to create vacations that are completely tailored to our client’s requirements, down to the last small detail to the extent that it is almost unknown for us to send two different clients on exactly the same vacation. This may seem surprising but every individual on this planet is different; ergo each safari – if truly personalised – will be unique and cater for differing desires and personalities!

Samburu - Kenya - Africa Custom Vacation With AfricanExplorations.com

Africa custom vacations are, simply, our life. Our only requirement is that the vacation we create is exactly right for you, our client!

This is a big subject but, on balance, if one had to choose one’s best African safari it would probably be to the south of Tanzania which is, in effect, one vast eco system.

This broad swathe of Africa encompasses the huge Selous Game Reserve which, at some 55,000 sq. kms., is the size of Ireland and one the largest reserves in Africa. The Selous’ eastern border lies on Tanzania’s Indian Ocean coastline but the whole ecosystem then runs westards to include Katavi NP and then the tiny Mahale which lies on Tanzania’s western boundary on lake Tanganyika. This whole area remains virtually unvisited due to distance (and therefore cost) but is, essentially, a superb area for a safari as it is the absolute essence of the bush condensed into a luxury Tanzanian safari.

I would start in the Selous which is, simply,  primaeval.  Mainly a riverine environment surrounding the Rufiji River and its environs and not “game rich” like, say, the Serengeti the Selous offers a glimpse into an area that is  unspoiled wilderness whilst having adequate and exciting game viewing opportunities> Ther are also a range of activities such as game drives, river safaris, walking and flycamping and some really great camps.

Sand Rivers Selous - Best African Safari With African Explorations.com

After at least four days in the Selous our finest African safari would fly westward to Katavi NP.  Katavi is heaven! Here is wilderness that excited the first explorers and, situated in the mid south west of Tanzania, it is (and feels) utterly remote. Another sub-ecosystem that is based on a river – the Ruaha – which runs through the Park, the walking is superb as is the mix of eastern and southern African species. Katavi’s pristine wilderness is home to spectacular pods of hippo and huge herds of buffalo. Add to this mix a genuine, remote, yet excellent bushcamp with the best guiding possible makes Katavi a “must”!

Chada Katavi tent exterior - Best African Safari With African Explorations.com

Finally, only a short light aircraft flight from Katavi, we’d end our “best safari” with an eclectic, lovely, camp set right on the shores of Lake Tanganyika – the second deepest lake in the world. With the verdant Mahale Mountains as backdrop, Mahale is a wonderful, remote (again! Perfect!), “bush and beach” location to end a safari. Mahale is a tiny park by African standards and yet this is one of the few places for genuine viewing of habituated chimpanzees, one of man’s closest relatives.

Mahale - Greystoke Camp - Best African Safari With AfricanExplorations.com

Mahale - Chimps and Beach - Best African Safari With AfricanExplorations.com

It’s a long 4 hour flight from here back to “civilisation” but, surely, this must be a serious contender for the title “best African safari”!

How often do you hear the words: “not like it used to be”? More to the point, what emotions and memories does that sort of phrase invoke? For, in our modern world, life races by at speed and the basics are forgotten . The children’s day is full of school, after school clubs, extra lessons, swimming, Stagecoach, music, riding or whatever their interests (or their parent’s interests!) may be.  The parents, too, are equally busy rushing around earning  a living or seeing friends. This may or may not be such a bad thing but there’s a question – how much time do we really get to spend together, properly, as a family unit and together experiencing the world in which we actually live? And how often do we get to do – and appreciate – real things in a world where the DS, TV, IPOD, PC and the good old phone are constantly-pervasive influences and distractions?

I allude to “connection”, not only with one’s family (although that has to be the ultimate point) but the actual world which spins beneath our feet. Not a world where everything is seen through a glazed window, on a screen or bought from a supermarket but a world where things are real – where the land, animals, culture and life all there to be lived, enjoyed and, crucially, experienced together at first hand and without barriers.  This is the joy of a Child Friendly African Safari – it brings families together in one, huge, ongoing and never-to-be-forgotten, life-enhancing adventure.

Enthralled - Child Friendly African Safari with Experts AfricanExplorations.com

Connection comes from simple things: The sigh of the wind through a whistling thorn bush; the roar of a lion; the stellar clarity of a Serengeti night; the smile of a child seeing his or her first giraffe; the complete assurance of a nomadic tribesman alone on vast plains; a game of cards in camp; messing about in a mudhole where no-one cares about being covered in mud; the smell of breakfast cooked over an open fire after an early morning walk; the determination of a dung beetle; a genuine grin of welcome; the midnight rustle of “something” moving through the bush just a few metres from your bed…….the list is endless but the theme is the same: simplicity, raw connection to the world around you and of which you are now truly a part.

Children naturally understand all this, of course. Preparation for adulthood erases much of the basic instict with which we are born but, if one takes children to Africa and allows them to free their sense of adventure and fun, and, at the same time, allows adults to reconnect with simple enjoyment and the instincts that live on in all of us what a holiday that becomes! What an experience! What a homecoming! What enormous fun! And how fabulously bonding the whole experience can be.

An Ol Malo Moment in Kenya - Child Friendly African Safari with Experts AfricanExplorations.com

A child friendly safari in Africa can achieve all this. However (or in whatever country) one might “do” Africa – and the possibilities are almost endless so long as one leaves electronics and preconceptions behind – the people you meet will be welcoming and fun, the places you see and stay will be awe inspiring and the experience will be real. This is magic for children and adults alike and is,  surely, not only how things should be – even if just for a short while – but also, perhaps, just a little, “like it used to be”…….