Boutique accommodation includes smaller, independently run properties such as guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, and boutique hotels. These typically offer a more personal and characterful experience than larger hotels.
While facilities may be simpler than full-service hotels or lodges, boutique properties often stand out for their atmosphere, attention to detail, and local charm.
Set on the top of a cliff in Botswana's Mashatu Game Reserve amongst euphorbia succulents, Mashatu Euphorbia Villas is an eco-friendly, 5-star safari camp that enjoys sweeping views of the Majale River and endless plains below. Eight secluded luxury villas and four guests per safari vehicle ensure an exclusive safari experience.
With comfortable thatched permanent tents set along the white sands of Lake Tanganyika, Mbali Mbali Mahale Lodge (formerly Kungwe Beach Lodge) is the perfect base for exploring the beautiful emerald forests of Mahale Mountains National Park. Quietly observing the chimpanzees who live there, in their natural habitat, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Located 230 metres above the Tsitsikamma coastline, Misty Mountain Reserve offers a wide range of accommodation options. From standard, honeymoon and self-catering Ocean View Lodges and Lakeside and Forest View Tented Lodges to three unique outdoor living experiences, the secluded Stargazing Cube, Ocean Dome and Tsitsikamma Pyramid, Misty Mountain is perfectly positioned for both adventure seekers and those looking for an affordable tranquil escape on the Garden Route.
The Morukuru "Family" consists of three luxury safari villas available for exclusive use - each with your own dedicated team of staff taking care of your every need. Children are especially welcome. Morukuru specialises in making your safari an individual, luxurious and personal experience. The Morukuru Family of upmarket lodges offers an exceptionally high standard with a fantastic position in Madikwe Game Reserve, with one of the best traversing areas – besides Madikwe itself, you'll have access to Morukuru's exclusive, private traversing area.
Located at the foot of the Korannaberg Mountains in malaria-free Tswalu Kalahari Game Reserve, The Motse is an elegant luxury safari camp overlooking the endless grasslands of the Kalahari that can accommodate a maximum of 18 adults in nine spacious suites.
Nicol Street Heritage Cottages (formerly More Quarters Hotel Apartments) offer the best of both worlds: discreet five-star service and the independence of beautifully restored heritage cottages. Set just off Kloof Street in Cape Town's leafy Gardens neighbourhood, these elegant, private cottages combine space, privacy and a strong sense of place, with easy access to the city centre, Table Mountain and Cape Town's best restaurants, cafés and boutiques.
Recently rebuilt after fire damage, this luxurious, sole-use safari villa is perfect for families, corporates and small groups who wish to spend some quality time away from it all and enjoy each other’s uninterrupted company. You’ll be spoilt with your own dedicated ranger/host, tracker, butler and chef. You’ll also have a private open safari vehicle at your disposal to enjoy looking for the Big 5 and a wide variety of birds and wildlife.
Almost like a small-scale exotic castle, Phinda Rock Lodge seems to cling to its steep cliffs, giving you excellent views across the valley. It’s a small, intimate lodge, ideal if you’re looking for a romantic, unhurried safari with excellent game viewing.
andBeyond Phinda Vlei Lodge is an intimate, romantic and exclusive safari lodge, offering you privacy, peace and quiet. The lodge is set on the edge of a sand forest, overlooking a wetland system; you can watch the daily goings on of a huge variety of visiting wildlife from wherever you are at the lodge: the viewing decks, your bedroom or even your shower.
Consistently getting rave reviews, Phinda Zuka Lodge is the perfect safari venue for groups and family get-togethers to celebrate special occasions. Zuka can accommodate up to eight guests in exclusive luxury, with your own butler, chef and staff, your own dedicated open safari vehicle, driver and personal guide who’ll happily show you some of the best game viewings in southern Africa.
Set just 12 km from the entrance to Ngorongoro and with easy access to the spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife of Ngorongoro Crater, Plantation Lodge is the perfect spot to lay your head. With a range of different rooms set in a tranquil garden on a coffee plantation, it's hard not to relax here. Go game viewing in Ngorongoro, meet the local people, go for walks both in and around the Ngorongoro Conservation Area; the options are endless.
Rouge on Rose is centrally located in Cape Town, within walking distance to the city centre, De Waterkant, Green Market Square and the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC). Comfortable, chic and welcoming, Rouge on Rose Boutique Hotel offers a choice of deluxe suites or self-catering units.
Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge is a unique, luxury 5-star lodge situated within the famous Sabi Sand Game Reserve, one of the oldest and largest proclaimed private reserves which make part of the greater Kruger National Park and is known as South Africa's top safari destination, offering outstanding game viewing. Sabi Sabi Earth Lodge was chosen by National Geographic as one of the "Unique Lodges of The World".
Sabi Sabi Selati Camp is an award-winning safari lodge situated between the Sabie and Sand Rivers and lies within the game migration path from the Kruger National Park. Located on the banks of the Msuthlu riverbed, the lodge offers expansive bush views and rewarding game viewing all year round. Accommodation varies from luxury suites to the romantic honeymoon suite to an exclusive presidential suite.
Set in the starkly beautiful Hartmann Valley in the remote north-western corner of Namibia, Serra Cafema Camp is luxurious, intimate and peaceful. It offers guests authentic interaction with the fascinating Himba – one of the world's few remaining semi-nomadic peoples.
Simbavati Hilltop Lodge is an exclusive, river-facing luxury lodge set in the private Timbavati Game Reserve which shares unfenced borders with the Kruger National Park. This allows the Big Five and many other animals to move freely over more than 20,000 km² of pure wilderness.
Somalisa Camp is reminiscent of bygone heydays ... luxury and elegance coupled with untamed, pristine Africa. It offers sweeping views out over the grassy plains and overlooks an ancient, seasonal floodplain with a perennial pan where animals often congregate. As part of a concession, flexible game viewing activities are allowed, including night drives with huge spotlights and bush walks with a knowledgeable, expert ranger.
Sossusvlei Desert Lodge lies in the heart of Namibia’s ancient Namib Desert, where it offers guests serene silence and romantic luxury in an extraordinary, dramatic landscape. It’s a place of endless space, broad horizons and some of the most fascinating desert-adapted creatures on the planet.
Tanda Tula Safari Camp offers bygone-era luxury in 12 East African-style tents. Situated in lush riverine surrounds, Tanda Tula overlooks the Nharalumi river bed in the Timbavati Game Reserve, which shares unfenced borders with the famous Kruger National Park. It's a game-rich area famous for the White Lions of the Timbavati.
Located in a secluded valley in the foothills of Korannaberg Mountain Range in Tswalu Kalahari Game Reserve, Tarkuni is a luxurious exclusive-use, private homestead that was once the Oppenheimer family's private Tswalu residence. Tarkuni Homestead is ideal for families with children and small groups of friends who want to reconnect and soak up the tranquillity of the green Kalahari.
With beautiful panoramic views of the towering column of spray rising from the Victoria Falls, The Elephant Camp is the ideal intimate, peaceful retreat. Situated 10 km from the Falls on its Zimbabwean side, The Elephant Camp offers 12 exclusive, luxury tented suites and plenty of opportunities to get up close with the Wild Horizons elephants.
A 45-minute drive from Nairobi's main city airports, The Emakoko is a lodge built into the steep slopes of the Mbagathi River valley. All 10 rooms face the river and the Nairobi National Park which is home to the Big 5 and a great variety of wildlife and birds.
The 12 Apostles Hotel & Spa in Cape Town is an award-winning, 5-star, luxury boutique hotel located against the dramatic backdrop of the Twelve Apostles Mountain Range which forms the back of Table Mountain and offers sweeping views of the Atlantic Ocean. The hotel offers a tranquil respite located an easy 20-minute drive away from Cape Town's vibrant and colourful city centre.
Tintswalo Atlantic is a secluded, award-winning, 5-star boutique lodge in Cape Town located on the Atlantic Ocean shoreline at the base of Table Mountain National Park. Surrounded by nature, guests can enjoy panoramic mountain and ocean views that include Sentinel mountain peak and Hout Bay Harbour. Tintswalo Atlantic's nine luxury suites are beautifully decorated, each one taking inspiration from a different island.
Why not chat to one of our safari experts who can answer all your questions and help you design your dream trip to Africa.
