LUXURY AFRICAN LODGES
LUXURY AFRICAN LODGES
Bush lodges across Africa offer ever-more luxurious and refi ned ways to experience wildlife, privacy, space and personal service, says Emily Bamber
with style O
Bush
n safari the day starts before dawn, with a tray of steaming tea delivered to your door. Pulling on
layers you follow your butler’s torchlight to a waiting 4x4 and, with a basket of refresh- ments creaking comfortingly in the boot, you set off into the darkness. From leading national parks and reserves such as Kruger in South Africa, Kenya’s Maasai Mara, South Luangwa in Zambia and the Okavango Delta in Botswana, to small private concessions, luxury lodges are continuing to cater for a growing number of holidaymakers keen to meet animals in style. Industry A-listers have long led the way –Sir Richard Branson opens a lodge in Kenya this year (
mahalimzuri.virgin.com). Four Seasons (
fourseasons.com) is opening three luxury hotels in Tanzania; Relais and Chateaux (
relaischateau.com) has partnered Great Plains Conservation (greatplainsconservation. com) at lodges in Kenya and Botswana, and leading African hoteliers Sun International (
suninternational.com) and Serena Hotels (
serenahotels.com) continue to expand. Lisa Fisher, Programme Manager at
Rainbow Tours, comments: “We are still seeing a steady fl ow of new exclusive, luxury lodges and safari camps opening, particularly in East Africa now and some in Zimbabwe. We are really noticing a huge amount of investment in luxury product in these areas.” At the top of the market properties tend
to be small, some with just a handful of units, and in increasingly remote locations. Individual cottages or tents complete with butlers, deep beds, sumptuous bathrooms and
28 January 2013 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
private plunge pools are now standard, as are on-site spas, fi ne dining and extensive cellars. Robin Pope Safaris (
robinpopesafaris.net) Managing Director Ton de Rooy says: “Many people fret about safaris as they imagine messy camping and a rustic lifestyle; they aren’t always aware of the luxury on offer!” Chris McIntyre, Managing Director of Expert Africa (
expertafrica.com), says space is as appealing as the wildlife. “Often the real reason people love safari is the sense of wilderness: vast amounts of natural space around you where there are few other people – that’s a luxury experience too.” Demand for privacy is seeing a trend for
new exclusive-use-only camps such as Singita Serengeti House (
singita.com), which opened in November in Tanzania, and Selinda Explorers Camp (greatplainsconservation. com) in Botswana, opening in August. While South Africa, Botswana, Kenya and
Tanzania continue to lead the pack, less- visited countries are making their way into the upmarket programmes – Robin Pope Safaris opens its third property in Malawi this year, Wilderness Safaris has a new luxury complex in The Congo and Mozambique is becoming popular not just for its Bounty-ad beaches, but for wildlife-viewing, too. Events to mark the bicentenary of David Livingstone in March should bring more attention. For agents, luxury bush bookings may
come around less frequently than a week in the Med, but they are certainly worth it –
From top: Garonga Safari Camp, South Africa, and Hemingways, Nairobi
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68