Luxury lodges offer high levels of comfort, service, and exclusivity, typically in prime wildlife areas or scenic locations. These properties often feature spacious suites, premium facilities, and highly personalised service, along with excellent guiding in safari areas.
What qualifies as "luxury" varies by destination. In South Africa, this may include a wide range of high-end lodges, while in more remote regions like Botswana, most lodges fall into the luxury category due to their location, limited access, and higher operating costs.
As a result, safari pricing is not directly comparable across countries. A luxury lodge in South Africa may cost the same as a mid-range lodge in Botswana, so these categories should be understood relative to each destination rather than as fixed price bands.
Not sure how luxury lodges compare across different destinations? See our Safari Accommodation Price Guide.
Luxurious Narina Lodge in Lion Sands Reserve, has a prime location in the Kruger National Park, with access to both the Sabie and Sand Rivers. This makes for an abundance and diversity of game viewing guaranteed to give you a superb safari experience. Various activities include offroad, open-vehicle safaris and guided bushwalks.
The magnificent award-winning Lion Sands Ivory Lodge is situated in the south-eastern corner of the Sabi Sand Reserve. This luxury lodge overlooks the Kruger National Park and the Sabie River which flows all year round. Ivory Lodge offers stylish, sophisticated accommodation in nine private and secluded contemporary villas.
Leroo La Tau is a luxury safari lodge set on a clifftop, overlooking the Boteti River and the sweeping grasslands of Botswana's Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. The lodge offers spectacular game viewing over the plains and dry river bed, especially during the migration season. A path leads down to a game-viewing hide, where you can watch hundreds of zebra and other animals coming to drink at the waterhole during the dry season.
Leopard Hills is situated within the Sabi Sand Game Reserve and forms part of the greater Kruger National Park. This luxury 5-star lodge is built on a hill that overlooks a natural waterhole and boasts eight glass-fronted suites with spectacular views.
Last Word Kitara is an exclusive, five-star luxury lodge on the banks of the Klaserie River in the wildlife-rich Klaserie Private Nature Reserve which shares an open border with the world-famous Kruger National Park to the east. Kitara's classically appointed luxury suites with African accents enjoy views of the Klaserie River which often draws wildlife the guests can observe from the comfort of their private patios.
Live amongst the treetops, alive with monkeys and bush babies, in this secluded camp set in an emerald mahogany forest. The only accommodation within Lake Manyara National Park, Lake Manyara Tree Lodge offers luxuriously furnished suites built in the canopy of the trees. The park boasts incredible scenery, fabulous birdlife, tree-climbing lions, plenty of elephant and a huge baboon population.
Opened in July 2018, Splash Camp offers a relaxed, intimate, and friendly safari. Its excellent location offers a range of conditions: permanent and seasonal floodplains as well as extensive dry periods. In high-water season, there are labyrinths of water channels and secret islands to explore. It's said to be one of the best locations in Botswana for both game viewing and activities.
Kwando Lebala Camp is located in the south of the Kwando concession adjacent to the Linyanti marshes in northern Botswana. The name 'Lebala' means open plains, which accurately describes the open grasslands, savanna and seasonal floodplains of this area that teems with wildlife. The camp offers exclusive and intimate accommodation in African safari tents. The area has vast populations of elephant, buffalo, lechwe, lions and other animals. Leopard and wild dog are also often seen in this area.
Kwando Lagoon Camp is on the banks of the Kwando River in the Linyanti Kwando Concession in northern Botswana. It offers luxury tented accommodation and excellent year-round game viewing. In an area where predators are abundant, there are also elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, sable antelope and many other species. The popular Animal Planet programme Mad Mike and Mark was filmed in the Kwando area.
Kulala Desert Lodge and the exclusive Little Kulala are set in the private Kulala Wilderness Reserve, close to Namibia's famous Sossusvlei dunes, Dead Vlei and Sesriem Canyon. Local wildlife is remarkably adapted and endemic, from the stately gemsbok to the tiny 'barking' gecko.
Experience the unique blend of history and luxury at Kruger Shalati: The Train on the Bridge, an innovative luxury accommodation offering in the heart of the Kruger National Park. Permanently stationed on the historic Selati Bridge above the Sabie River, this re-envisioned train pays tribute to the early explorers of the 1920s while providing modern comforts in a remarkable setting.
Kirkman's Kamp is a colonial-style, 5-star lodge reminiscent of the 1920s era, with its origins as a traditional South African homestead. It is situated in the Sabi Sand Reserve, famous for its excellent Big 5 game viewing. Kirkman's occupies one of the most elevated sites in the Sabi Sands Reserve, ensuring endless views of pristine wilderness and the Sand River, which flows most of the year round. The area is reputed to have the greatest diversification of animal species on the African Continent.
Kings Pool Camp is a premier luxury safari lodge overlooking the Kings Pool Lagoon and the Linyanti River in northern Botswana. The accommodation is spacious and elegant, combining exclusive luxury with beautiful surroundings, welcoming home comforts and superb service. Kings Pool is in big elephant country, with an excellent chance of seeing lion and wild dog.
Kings Camp is a luxury lodge situated in the Timbavati Game Reserve in South Africa. The lodge lies on the boundary of the Kruger National Park and is known as one of the top safari destinations in South Africa. Kings Camp offers luxury accommodation, world-class cuisine and various game activities.
This luxury safari camp is set at the edge of riverine forest, overlooking the sweeping plains of the Maasai Mara, and it lies within the path of the incredible annual Great Migration. At Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp, you can expect an authentic African safari experience with legendary Kenyan hospitality.
Kicheche Laikipia Camp is a small, luxurious, tented camp set at the foot of Mount Kenya at the edge of an indigenous forest near an active waterhole. Enjoy game viewing from the comfort of your private verandah overlooking the water, with wildlife activity throughout the day.
Khwai River Lodge is a luxury safari lodge on the banks of the Khwai River overlooking its floodplain. It's situated on a private concession just outside the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana. It is one of the few luxury tented lodges in Botswana that has air-conditioning, and the game viewing in the Khwai River area is absolutely superb.
Set on the banks of the Mara River in Kenya's Mara North Conservancy, Karen Blixen Camp is a luxury tented safari camp that echoes back to the bygone days of the original safari adventurer. From the comfort of their private veranda, guests can watch elephant, giraffe, zebra and impala gather at the Mara River to drink.
Nestled on the banks of a perennial river, Kambaku River Sands offers an affordable yet luxurious safari experience in the Timbavati Private Game Reserve. Unfenced and sharing borders with Kruger National Park, the camp allows wildlife to roam freely, bringing safari enthusiasts right into the heart of nature.
Wherever you are at Jamala Madikwe, you'll have front-row seats to all the action at the expansive and highly-frequented waterhole that stretches the length of the lodge. In Madikwe's eastern section, Jamala offers a luxuriant safari experience in exquisite surrounds.
Situated in one of the best locations in the Madikwe Big 5 reserve, Jaci's Safari Lodge is built on the banks of the Marico River, in arguably the best game-viewing area of the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve: its eastern Lowveld section. There are eight luxurious en-suite rooms and two exclusive family suites. Jaci's Safari Lodge is very family friendly (the owners have brought up their own 3 children here) and its 'homely' feel is very evident and welcoming.
Inyati Private Game Lodge is situated in the western sector of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, one of the largest and most prestigious conservancies of Greater Kruger National Park. Its superb river frontage attracts a great diversity of wildlife. Guests are accommodated in 11 luxury thatched chalets with spectacular views of the surrounding, unspoilt bush.
Situated on a rocky ridge in malaria-free, Big 5 Madikwe Game Reserve, family-friendly Impodimo Game Lodge offers fabulous views and good value for money. Qualified safari guides, Shangaan trackers and 7-seater game-viewing vehicles give you a personalised safari experience. The lodge has tailored child-friendly programmes for kids, including 'bush bumble' game drives.
Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp sits in scenic, wide valley where two tributaries of the Hoanib River meet. It straddles two wilderness areas: the private Palmwag Concession and the iconic Skeleton Coast National Park, in one of Namibia’s most remote areas. Dramatic scenery, sightings of remarkable desert-adapted wildlife and huge seal colonies are just some of its attractions.
Not sure where to go or which safari is right for you? One of our Africa Safari Specialists can help you work it out.
