52 FEATURE
luxury african lodges
is fl agship Victoria Falls Safari Lodge property. If luxury means spas, Wilderness Collections’
Segera Retreat in Kenya offers the ultimate health and wellness retreat for guests committed to the conservation of nature as well as mind, body and spirit. Mantis will also be feauturing Finch Hatton’s in Kenya when it opens later this year with 17 luxury tented guest suites, wellness centre, yoga studio, spa pool and airstrip transfers. The challenge when booking trips within Africa is getting your clients from A to B. Fly-in fl y-out is ‘the norm’ for luxury lodges in Africa with many sharing a private airstrip. South African Airways (fl
ysaa.com) is rapidly
expanding its regional fl ights within Southern Africa and these can link with domestic airlines such as Profl ight in Zambia and Ulendo in Malawi (both are well-versed in landing on grass or dirt airstrips.) Air Botswana (
airbotswana.co.bw) fl ies into Maun and Kasane linking with light aircraft into the Okavango Delta. For the very ultimate in luxury, Abercrombie and
Kent (
abercrombiekent.co.uk) is offering a private jet safari departing February 2015 spanning Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa for a little under £50,000. For those who would rather take the train, a 21-
day rail journey from Dar es Salaam to Cape Town on the iconic Pride of Africa is on offer with Great
Okavango Safari Lodge is serene and organic.
The new nest-like suites are raised among the trees becoming private cocoons at night and gazing over the lagoons of the Delta by day”. Top of the league when looking for luxury
in Africa has to be Botswana, with private retreats such as Zafara Camp in the Selinda Reserve with its new Dhow Suites which come complete with a private chef and staff for just four guests. Close behind are Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. Up and coming with some stunning and unusual properties are Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and more recently, Rwanda and Uganda. In Rwanda, luxury tends to mean the experience rather than the accommodation and Volcanoes Safaris (
volcanoessafaris.com) has unveiled two deluxe eco-bandas at Virunga Lodge where visitors pay high prices to get close to the gorillas in the region. Gorilla trekking in Uganda is also offered by Sanctuary Retreats. Robin Pope Safaris (
robinpopesafaris.net) offers the perfect two-centre combination with South Luangwa in Zambia and Pumalani Lodge beside Lake Malawi or Mkulumadzi in Majete Wildlife Reserve, one of the outstanding success stories of
Left: A view from the hide at Great Plains’ Ol Donyo Lodge, Kenya; Dipping toes into the Zambezi at Royal Zambezi, Zambia; Robin Pope’s Mkulumadzi Lodge, Malawi; Above: on safari with andBeyond’s Sandibe in the Okavango; Imvelo’s Bomani Camp, Zimbabwe; Under the stars at Wilderness’ Savuti in Botswana
African conservation. Nkwichi Lodge is nestled on the Mozambican side of Lake Malawi featuring just six lodges and two private houses for the ultimate hideaway. Luxury in Malawi also comes in the form of privately-owned Kaya Mawa (kayamaya. com) where guests are assured a total escape on Likoma Island. Co-owner Susie Lightfoot will take guests to her unique textile workshop and for those with a passion for African textiles, the exlusive Tongabezi (
tongabezi.com), on the Zambian banks of the Zambezi, exudes African-infl uenced personality. Its new Nut House follows a Moroccan theme complete with hand-made tiles.
New direct fl ights now link the Royal Zambezi Safari Lodge on the Lower Zambezi with
Livingstone, saving hours of travel via Lusaka. Free fl ights are being offered to launch the route. For a safari with a difference, Zambezi Voyager (
zambezivoyager.com) is a luxury houseboat that cruises the confl uence of the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers on the border of Botswana and Namibia. Zimbabwe is slowly seeing a resurgence of tourism numbers and lodges such as Chilo Gorge (
chilogorge.com) by Ghonarezhou National Park and Wilderness’ Little Makolo in Hwange National Park offer the highest quality experiences. The Hide in Hwange is offering four nights for the cost of three in deluxe tents on most dates in 2014. The high-end choice is also growing at Victoria Falls where Mantis Collection (mantiscollection. com) features the Stanley and Livingstone with its own private game reserve and Africa Albida (
africaalbidatourism.com) has opened six new suites at
www.sellinglonghaul.com
Rail Journeys (
greatrail.com) priced from £9,995. Now that really could improve the next dinner party conversation!
What’s new
↸ Accommodation/Lodges: For a stunning view of Mount Meru from your window, Classic Portfolios’ Northern Tanzania circuit now features Legendary Lodge in Arusha. Situated in Southern Serengeti, Mwiba is an isolated aerie built among boulders and ancient coral trees and described as a
‘benchmark for future developments’ in the country. Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp is an exclusive Wilderness Safaris property in the remote Kaokoveld in northern Namibia with access to the Skeleton Coast by air or 4WD. In Botswana, Wilderness Explorations, the guided division of Wilderness, has opened the intimate Gomoti tented camp for a maximum of eight guests.
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