Fine dining, private butlers, magnificent suites – these are the camps which stand out above the merely luxurious. The standards would be admirable in a top city hotel – but done in the wilds of Africa is just incredible.

Zarafa ( tents-en-suite) Arab explorer-themed camp with Zanibari doors is a delight, on a lagoon with sunken viewing hide, built by famed photographers the Jouberts. Plunge pools, gourmet healthy food, great wines. Dhow Suites are a private villa. Exceptional. Selinda Private Game Reserve, Botswana. Member of Great Plains Conservation. Private villa. Child friendly. $$$$$.
Singita Sasakwa (22 suites) You’re looking out over Africa rather than immersed in it - the views are staggering, and it's a grand manor house, with libraries, gym, cellar, tennis courts and fine dining. Amongst the best camps in Africa. Serengeti Grumeti Private Reserves, Tanzania. Member of Singita. Child friendly. $$$$$.

Singita Sasakwa

When we walked onto the lawn at Sasakwa and saw the view, we canceled our game drives. I love a view, and this one is so extraordinary I didn’t want to leave, for a moment.

I’d rate it Singita’s smartest camp – built in the style of a magnificent colonial-style manor house at the edge of a cliff, looking out over lawns and gardens to the Serengeti plains – you literally see thousands of animals, far below, out to the horizon. There are two tennis courts, pools, wine cellar, gym, library etc. Lots of places to idle away time, drink tea or a glass of fine wine (there are some great South African vintages in the cellar). I could’ve stayed for days.

Rooms are in separate villas, furnished in a formal style with lots of dark wood – four poster beds, ball-and-claw bath, lavish lounge, private plunge pool (we were visited by baboons at ours, but they were pretty friendly). Very different to the other camps on the reserve, but that’s part of the experience.

The food is remarkable, I’ve attached a photo of a menu, to give you an idea – zucchini and mint soup, beetroot orange and herb salad with marinated goat’s cheese, honey poached pear with pistachio ice cream were on this one. They make fresh fruit sorbets every day which would rival those of a chef in Rome. The quality and freshness of ingredients is amazing, and a tribute to the work Singita have done in developing suppliers in local communities.

Some friends of mine aren’t fans – they feel it’s too grand and too removed from the wildlife and the feeling of the bush. They have a point – being up on a hill like this, surrounded by such opulence, is quite separated from the savanna below. But I thought it’s one of the best places I’ve ever stayed. I was glad it was our last stop – we’d stayed at other camps which were on the plains and close to nature. At the end of the trip, this was the best treat ever.

 

The polished floors and wood paneling of what feels like endless generous public rooms – library, snooker, wine room etc – spilling onto manicured lawns where waiters silently bring freshly made sorbets and macaroons. It’s seriously decadent, grand colonial style.

Duba Plains ( tents-en-suite) Newly rebuilt camp with private pools, wine cellar and they got it spot-on; spacious rooms aren't pretentious but filled with warm old furnishings and carpets. Cooking over the fire, lovely library for idling away the down-time. Headed up by photographers who have chosen camera equipment for you. Guiding is exemplary. Okavango concession north, Botswana. Member of Great Plains Conservation. $$$$$.
Chief's (11 suites) Contender for Okavango ultimate - supersized pavilions with private pools, top notch dining & wines, superb location with water and land activities. Recently completely refurbished. Close to Mombo. Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana. Member of Sanctuary. $$$$$.
Londolozi Private Granite (3 suites) Londolozi's very best with just 3 OTT grand, boldy decorated suites - have a bath watching animals on the river below. Can be booked exclusive use. Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, South Africa. Member of Relais & Chateaux. Private villa. $$$$$.

Londolozi is one of South Africa’s great safari brands and all their camps are pretty decadent, but this one takes the cake with the biggest plushest suites.

Segera Retreat ( tents-en-suite) Sumptuous villas on a private sanctuary with emphasis on indulgence and relaxation. It's set in well established gardens, with a mix of traditional and contemporary structures, and studded with African artworks from the formidable collection of owner Jochen Seitz. There are 2 private villas. Laikipia Conservancies, Kenya. Member of Wilderness Safaris. Private villa. Child friendly. $$$$$.
Ol Donyo (12 suites) Located on vast Maasai lands between Amboseli & Tsavo, a great conservation success which enables the movements of animals once again across these plains. Views to Kilimanjar from camp. Lots of activities incl mountainbiking & excellent horseriding. Large suites have plunge pools & tar beds on the roof (dry season only!). Chyulu Hills Nature Reserve, Kenya. Member of Great Plains Conservation. Private villa. Child friendly. $$$$$.

Ol Donyo

The Kenya of my imagination has vast plains, forested hills and Kilimanjaro in the distance. Ol Donyo is perhaps unique in having all this.
It’s a really spectacular landscape. Kilimanjaro peaks out usually early in the morning, and is later obscured by clouds.
There’s a great conservation story behind what you see, where the Big Life Foundation has done some remarkable interventions to enable wildlife to live alongside the Maasai and their herds (you’ll see cattle on the plains), and to expand the range for wildlife. This is an important area, between Tsavo,
The lodge is slightly elevated on a low hill (the main Chyulu Hills range is directly behind. There’s a thatched main building, open to the fresh air on the side, quite old fashioned (in a nice way) with a great little wine cellar.
The rooms are big, simply styled (white walls, dark wood furniture) with plunge pools in front of the bathrooms and fabulous views over the plains to Kilimanjaro from wherever you are. There’s even a rooftop space for sleeping under the stars.
We visited in one of the wettest summers on record, the landscape was magnificently green with beautiful cloud formations moving over it. However it meant there wasn’t much game. In the dry season the scene is very different, and the plains draw wildlife in big numbers. Ol Donyo has the only waterhole for miles, and you can sit at one of the two hides in front of camp and the animals all come to you.
Activities here are top notch; as you can see for miles on the plains it’s safe for walking, riding etc. Ol Donyo has the best horses, stables and riding setup I’ve seen an any game reserve. You can take a gentle walk on horseback past giraffe and other plains game, or take an outride for half a day. We also had great rides on their mountain bikes, and walking was a pleasure on the open landscape.
The food deserves a special mention. Ol Donyo is a member of Relais & Chateau, so one expects it to be good, but sometimes that can mean overly fancy for safari. Here it’s healthy and light, lots of fresh ingredients, served quickly so meals don’t drag on. I think they got it spot-on.

 

Thorntree River (12 suites) Just been redone by top designers Fox Browne & looks very chic - solid stuctures fused with canvas in contemporary style. 12 miles from Vic Falls. Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, Zambia. Member of African Bush Camps. Child friendly. $$$$.
&Beyond Ngorongoro Crater (30 suites) OTT grandeur with OMG views; unlike anything else - fireplaces, antiques, red roses, opulence. It's a big camp though and  you need to drive down into the crater though for game viewing, in a public reserve. Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania. Member of &Beyond. Child friendly. $$$$$.

The combination of antiques, chandeliers, African treasures abd red roses makes this &Beyond flagship camp feel completely indulgent.

Little Ongava (3 suites) Atop a mountain, the super exclusive sister to Ongava Lodge - the views are stupendous, plus plunge pools and those things which make it hard to tear yourself away from your suite. Ongava Private Game Reserve, $$$$.
Mwiba ( tents-en-suite) Magnificent camp in warm copper colours with electronic sliding windows & other indulgences. Protects a vast reserve far from crowds, game isn't that great. Spa treatments, cultural interactions and sleep-outs. Private vehicle. Mwiba Wildlife Reserve, Tanzania. Member of Classic Portfolio. $$$$$.
Singita Boulders (12 suites) Tops in the Sabi Sands with sister camp Ebony, contemporary take on everything safari, dramatic décor, remarkable wine cellar. Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, South Africa. Member of Singita. $$$$$.

Singita Boulders

This is where the Singita empire started – on founder Luke Bailes’ family land in the middle of the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, famed for its amazing ability to deliver Big 5 sightings, especially of the elusive leopard.

I once stayed at Boulders and a French family was on a repeat visit, staying for 2 weeks this time. They were only interested in leopards. They had booked a private Land Rover and guide and each morning and evening they were out photographing those beautiful spotted cats. One of them even walked around our suite while we were dressing. As this family had learned, if you have the budget and want to see the Big 5 and be completely pampered, you can’t beat these 2 camps. They’re also easy to reach by scheduled Airlink flights from Joburg or charter your own plane.

Boulders and Ebony are next to each other; both are typical of South African lodges in that they’re under thatch and make use of natural colors and rock surfaces. But they stand out for their contemporary design interpretation, and Singita’s style guru Boyd Ferguson gives them regular refurbs so they’re always fresh.

I wouldn’t worry too much about which camp is better for you. Boulders has been completely redone since I was last there, and both camps offer a magnificent experience of dining, fine wines, large suites with plunge pools, and a casually warm but highly professional staff manner which Singita has somehow perfected. They’re heavily booked up, so it might be more a case of which has availability for your dates.

If you’re looking for a private villa, Castleton is really in its own league. It’s away from Boulders and Ebony in a more open grassland setting, and it’s Luke’s old family home. It manages to mix just the right levels of comfy homeliness with a very grand experience that will leave you feeling immensely well taken care of. Having your own team – chef, ranger etc – means being able to plan your own daily routine, which creates an extra sense of freedom.

This and sister camp Ebony redefined the luxury safari experience, and designer Boyd Ferguson has refreshed them again – top marks for elegantly furnished suites, food & wines.

&Beyond Sossusvlei Desert (10 suites) The serenity! Isolated, elegant camp in desert colours, lots of activities including stargazing. 45 minute drive to the gate to Sossusvlei. Large suites have a/c and fireplaces for the desert extremes. Namibrand Nature Reserve, Namibia. Member of &Beyond. Child friendly. $$$$$.
Tswalu Tarkuni (5 suites) The Oppenheimer family’s own house on this vast reserve, recently redesigned, private and elegant - and share their love of horses by riding out amongst herds of sable and other antelope. Tswalu Private Game Reserve, South Africa. Private villa. Child friendly. $$$$$.

Tswalu Kalahari

Meerkats. That’s the main reason I want to go here. And the epic, vast semi-desert Kalahari landscape which I yearn to go and paint. Kathy Bruggeman. who helps put together itineraries for my friends and clients, can’t stop raving about Tswalu. And she’s fussy and been to a lot of safari camps. It’s next on my list.

Tswalu is an unusual and remarkable place. It’s the biggest private reserve in Africa, put together from former farmland by an English millionaire with a passion for conservation. He left it in his will to South African mining heirs, the Oppenheimer family, knowing they would care for it.

And they have, with 2 beautiful camps offering pampered luxury to just a few, very discerning guests at a time.

It is a semi-desert, the marketers call it the “Green Kalahari” to differentiate it from the stark main Kalahari. So this means small numbers of animals, and there are no elephants.

But on the upside, there are extraordinary things to see which you get in few other reserves – my meerkats, aardvarks, aardwolf, desert black rhino, gemsbok.

It’s also malaria free and very kid-friendly, and not your standard safari experience. Expect to spend time in the spa, walking, on horseback. The main camp is The Motse, or choose the private villa called Tarkuni, which is the Oppenheimers’ home. Both are intimate camps, with fabulous accommodation and dining.

I wouldn’t recommend driving there, it’s a very remote location. The Oppenheimers run regular shuttles in their planes from Joburg – that’s your best bet.

If you’re choosing the first safari, I’d advise combining Tswalu with a more conventional Big 5 reserve. If you’ve done a few safaris and looking for something extraordinary, this is your place.

PS Thanks to Kathy for the pictures

Molori (6 suites) These suites set new standards in size, plus private infinity pools, absolute privacy, exceptional attention to detail. Some find it too much for a safari camp, but if you like your luxuries laid on thick you'll love it. The 2 presidential suites can be used as private villas. Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa. Private villa. Child friendly. $$$$$.

New levels of decadence for South Africa’s Madikwe with supersized suites –  even the viewing hide incorporates a whiskey bar.

Lion Sands Ivory (10 suites) The more sumptuous sister camp next door to Lion Sands River Lodge - really big suites are more like small homes, looking straight out onto the river through big windows. Clean and contemporary design, private pools. Fish Eagle is their very glamorous private villa. Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, South Africa. Member of MORE. Private villa. $$$$$.

Lion Sands Private Game Reserve

Rob More’s family have owned the land on which the Lion Sands camps stand, since the 1930s. Rob and I were at school together, and we were in our 20s when he asked me to join him in building a cultural village near there. We did it, a crazy idealistic project that used our youthful energy, but it was fun and we created a place called Shangana, which won many awards.

Rob and I would stay in their old family camp, walking the reserve at daybreak, drawing up our plans during the hot days, and driving into the bush in an old Land Rover for sundowner beers later. We got surrounded by lions, walked into buffalo, sat on the grass while elephants moved quietly past in the moonlight.

I got to know the land really well. The Sabi Sands is a reserve made up of privately owned pieces of land, with no fences between them or their famous neighbor, Kruger National Park. It’s famous land because of the density of animals, how close you get to them (they’re very relaxed with land rovers around) and because guests see the elusive leopard often, the trickiest of the Big 5 to see.

The More’s land is one of the largest, and they don’t share it with other camps (which many smaller camps do). And they have something special – miles of frontage on the Sabi River, the main river in the area, with Kruger on the other side.

In the year 2000 their wonderful old camp and its neighbor were swept away by floods. Rob’s late brother Nick and I went picking through the debris, finding pieces of furniture far downstream. It was time for the brothers to set about rebuilding, and they created the Lion Sands camp, and it’s ultra lux sister Ivory next door. Both have enviable locations on the river (it was a 100 year flood, so don’t worry about it coming down again in a hurry).
When Rob needed a new logo, and he called to say he’s always loved my handwriting, so please would I write the name down on a piece of paper. I did, and that became their logo.
Rob is a stickler for design and detail. The camps use lots of white in their interiors, especially at Ivory, which give them a clean and fresh feel. The staff are very warm, the food fresh and healthy. Raised wooden decks look out over the river, perfect for lazing away the hours between game drives with a good book and a pair of binocs.

If your budget extends to it, Ivory is really magnificent, among the best in South Africa. Vast suites, very private, looking out over the river. I haven’t yet been to the new villa, but it looks extraordinary. Fish Eagle Villa is the more recent addition, a very indulgent private camp-within-a-camp, with its own vehicle and own entrance.

The larger River Lodge is right next door on the same stretch of Sabi River, although the camps are kept completely separated and you won’t be aware of the neighbouring camp.

Marina Lodge and Tinga Lodge are on a private concession within the Kruger National Park, on the other side of the river. They weren’t built by the Mores, but taken over later and redecorated.

You’ll understand my fondness for the place after all this history. Very sadly, Rob’s inspirational wife Britt passed away but the two of them built up remarkable camps which I recommend very highly.