Top 8 luxury safaris in Africa: with lavish accommodations, exciting adventures, and plenty of wildlife around

One of the most fantastic adventures that stir the hearts of travelers is the African safari. Over the past hundred years, this incredible adventure experience has come a long way - from dusty tents to chic eco lodges - and has lost none of its romance. Today, this thrilling journey into the heart of the wilderness is enriched with historical, cultural and ecological details.

But planning a luxury African safari requires many important tasks. First, you have to choose your destination. The different countries and regions of the continent have a vibrant personality. From the lush jungles of Madagascar to the terracotta dunes of Namibia, Africa is not only culturally diverse (Africa is home to over 3,000 different tribes), but also geographically diverse. And the range of luxurious additions to the itinerary also dictates the rules: gorilla expeditions draw the eye to Rwanda, amazing wildlife attracts tourists to national parks, and sound therapy is offered in the South African bush.

You'll also get to choose among an abundance of game reserves, private and public lodges, and camps thoughtfully woven into the environment yet equipped with the latest technology to oversee the preservation of natural treasures for generations to come.

So if you're in for an exciting journey in search of adventure and inspiration, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of these 8 of Africa's most luxurious safaris.

South Africa

If you are heading to the hot continent to observe leopards, elephants and lions in their natural habitat, as an option, make Londolozi Game Reserve, which is part of the Great Kruger National Park, your destination. Apart from the superb nature that will provide you with the most gorgeous safari experience in Africa, various innovative projects are constantly being introduced here. This could be the creation of digital centers dedicated to modern education for children from remote villages, or for example, the launch of the progressive nature spa Healing House, where you can go on foot for therapeutic animal tracking in the wild.

The reserve has great places to stay, such as the recently renovated Founders Camp. It is located two minutes from Healing House in the shade of old ebony trees and resembles a modern stylish African home. The camp has 10 spacious chalets with small pools, four of which are suitable for families. In addition there is a dining terrace, a beautiful communal lounge and a bar overlooking the river.

A six-day trip to Londolozi Founders Camp costs from £9,600 per person, not including flights to Johannesburg.

Rwanda

Luxury hotel chain One&Only has graced Rwanda's hotel scene with two great hotels in 2018. Each creates a unique experience for its guests to interact with wildlife, and they are both perfect for the best luxury safari in Africa. Already following from the name, it is clear that the activities of the One&Only Gorilla's Nest resort are focused on gorilla encounters. It is located in the foothills of the Virunga Range, which will be your base for tracking these amazing animals. The second hotel One&Only Nyungwe House with the most beautiful suites is located on a working tea plantation. This in itself is already a great experience for travelers, but hotel guests come here to observe another member of the primate troop, the chimpanzees.

Especially for those nature lovers who can't choose one destination, an exclusive 6-day OneEscape package has been launched. Its owners can visit both sites via helicopter transfer, which will be another scenic addition to the best safari in Africa. The package includes luxury accommodation and participation in community projects like school building and tree planting. It costs from £12,000 per person for 6 nights, on top of an international flight and gorilla and chimpanzee trekking fees.

Madagascar

Specializing in family adventures, Stubborn Mule Travel creates great programs for traveling families by taking into account the ages of children and adults, the interests of the group members and the budget. In this way, he has created a formula for the perfect safari in Africa for families. His latest program focuses on exploring Madagascar and includes two itineraries. They are centered in the east of the country and start from Andasibe National Park in Tana. Here, travelers hike through the rainforest and make night forays to see endangered chameleons and long-toothed aye-aye lemurs. Also part of such an amazing African safari is the opportunity to interact with the locals. The trip ends at a beautiful beach where snorkeling and other water activities are available to observe the local marine life up close. Traveling families can choose the beautiful new Mantadia Lodge cottage in Andasib or the fantastic Princesse Bora resort as a base.

A two week itinerary from Stubborn Mule will cost from £14500 for a family of 4 with accommodation and international flights.

Botswana

If you're looking for an unforgettable, fully immersive African safari experience, take in Sitatunga Private Island Camp, which opened in July 2023 in Botswana's upper Okavango Delta. It owes its name to the rare aquatic antelope that can be found in the area. It is a birdwatcher's paradise and also a great spot for hippos, crocodiles and elephants.

The camp is surrounded by water on almost all sides and is created entirely from recycled materials, with some decking made from former railroad ties. The creator of the camp is Great Plains Conservation CEO Derek Joubert. The organization funds the protection and restoration of threatened environments in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Kenya. It executes its program through small-scale, low-impact tourism. The camp consists of just 3 suites on stilts. One of them has two bedrooms. It is a good place for a small company or family vacation as there are always no more than 8 guests on the property. The experience of the stay consists of excellent African land and boat safaris, guided walks, canoe tours, scenic helicopter flights and fishing.

A 7-day tailor-made trip with an all-inclusive package from Natural World Safaris, including three nights at Sitatunga Camp, costs from £13,000 per person, excluding international flights.

Namibia

One of the chicest bases for the best safaris in Africa is in the Puros Game Reserve in northwest Namibia. Elephant Okahirongo Lodge is tucked beneath a terracotta escarpment amid mystical sand dunes. The exquisite hotel underwent a refurbishment by Abercrombie and Kent's Sanctuary Retreats in April 2023 and is now equipped with solar-powered technology and the pool is filled with borehole water. It is one of the most remote camps in Namibia.

Its centerpiece is a lodge under a massive white dome. Around it are a network of self-contained suites and one two-bedroom family suite. The decoration of all rooms uses neutral, calm hues that harmonize with the palette of the surrounding landscape. Travelers will be able to get to know the local population, as most of the staff in the camp are Himba tribesmen. Among them are experienced guides, with whom guests will embark on morning treks and the best day safaris in Africa. You will have every chance to observe desert elephants, giraffes, lions, antelope and mountain zebras.

A five-day all-inclusive trip from Abercrombie & Kent with accommodation at Elephant Okahirongo Lodge costs from £8,450 per person, including international economy class flights.

Zambia

Quite often a safari vacation consists of moving between camps or lodges, which requires extra time and effort. So it's nice when you can find good and longer options for safari vacations in Africa, such as 10 days in the middle of the wilderness in South Luangwa National Park. It is great for small groups. Travelers will spend seven nights at the exclusive and cozy Chikunto Safari Lodge campsite overlooking the Luangwa River. It is a year-round water source, so you will be lucky enough to see a wide variety of animals around.

The park is located in the southeast of Zambia. It is home to many of the large mammals that are on the classic list of expected experiences on a stunning African safari: Thornicroft's giraffes, wild dogs, lions, large herds of elephants and one of the largest leopard populations on the mainland. You will have one base for the entire trip and the group will not exceed 10 people. This way you will avoid having to pack and pack several times per trip at each new location, get to know your fellow travelers and be able to immerse yourself more deeply in the environment.

A 10-day trip from Naturetrek will cost from £6,695 per person, including international economy flights.

Kenya

Some of the most exclusive safari options in Africa will provide travelers with the country's first public park, Kiman, which spans 5,700 acres. In its heart, the cozy Angama Amboseli Lodge has recently opened, surrounded by an incredible wealth of wildlife. It was created in collaboration with Big Life Foundation, an organization that supports charitable conservation initiatives in East Africa.

The Lodge consists of 10 deluxe tents overlooking snow-capped Mount Kilimanjaro. All suites are decorated in contemporary African style and have private terraces with outdoor showers, rocking chairs and seating areas. There are two connecting suites for families. The attraction of this lodge is the landscaped upland pool overlooking the elephant drinker, and the 'highlight' of the stay is the exclusive rights to roam and watch wildlife. This provides guests with some of the most intense safaris in Africa with the opportunity to encounter lions, elephants, leopards, giraffes, rhinos, etc.

A 4-day stay in Angama Amboseli with Journeysmiths costs from £5,650 per person, including light aircraft flights within Kenya and international economy flights.

Tanzania

Wilderness, which specializes in beautiful conservation safaris in Africa, has opened a cozy Wilderness Usawa Serengeti mobile camp in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park in the summer of 2023. If you've been dreaming of traveling to the hot continent to observe the Great Migration, this is your perfect chance.

The camp consists of 6 solar-powered mobile tents that can accommodate up to 12 people. With its full autonomy, this scaled-down version of a typical camp can travel alongside the herds to 9 different locations throughout the national park.

The reduced scale has no impact on the luxury of accommodations. In the tents, travelers are provided king-size beds with white linens and stocked minibars. At the camp itself, you can view local artwork and handmade items such as quilts, chandeliers or baskets. Each camp stopover point is in designated areas where you can take guided walks around the Serengeti directly from the camp. It's also worth putting interesting safaris and stargazing and bird watching sessions in Africa into your schedule.

A 6-day trip to Tanzania with 4 nights at Wilderness Usawa Serengeti and 2 at Entamanu Ngorongoro with Wilderness Destinations will cost from £7115 per person. This price includes international economy class flights, domestic flights, transfers, all-inclusive accommodation and on-camp activities.