Best of the Bush
Browse every guide
Africa Where to Stay Luxury Safari Lodges

The 13 Best Luxury Safari Lodges in Africa (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 13 picks

The best luxury safari lodges in Africa in 2026 are Singita Sasakwa in Tanzania's Grumeti Reserve, Wilderness Mombo in Botswana's Okavango Delta, Wilderness Bisate and Singita Kwitonda for gorillas in Rwanda, Angama Mara above Kenya's Maasai Mara, and Londolozi and Singita Lebombo in the Kruger area. Each pairs exceptional wildlife with private traversing.

Africa's best safari lodges are judged first on the wildlife and guiding, then on everything else. Every lodge here has exclusive or near-exclusive access to a prime wildlife area — a private reserve, a concession or a park section few others can drive — and is run by an operator with a long record in conservation.

All are $$$$ (over $1,000 per person per night, often far more), and most are reached by light aircraft. We have spread the list across countries, because the best lodge for you depends on what you want to see: the Big Five in South Africa, the Okavango's waterways in Botswana, the Great Migration in Tanzania and Kenya, or mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

1. Singita Sasakwa — Singita Grumeti Reserve, Serengeti, Tanzania

Old-world grandeur on a hill above Singita's 350,000-acre Grumeti Reserve.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples · Families

Sasakwa is Singita's flagship in Tanzania, a manor-style lodge with long rooms of books, photographs and artifacts, looking over the 350,000-acre Singita Grumeti Reserve in the western Serengeti ecosystem.

The Grumeti Fund, a non-profit, runs conservation and community programs across the reserve, and the Great Migration passes through the western corridor, usually from about May to July.

Good to know: Time your stay for the migration's passage through the western corridor; ask Singita for the season's forecast.

Singita Sasakwa Lodge, Grumeti, Serengeti, Tanzania

Google Maps Website

2. Wilderness Mombo — Chief's Island, Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana

The Okavango's most famous camp, with private traversing on Chief's Island.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Photographers · Couples

Mombo lies in the north-eastern corner of Chief's Island in the Moremi Game Reserve, part of the Okavango Delta World Heritage Site, with private traversing rights. Its floodplains are known for big concentrations of plains game and the predators that follow them.

Little Mombo, its smaller sister camp, offers the same area with even fewer guests.

Good to know: Book a year or more ahead; Mombo is among the hardest camps in Africa to get into.

Mombo Camp, Chief's Island, Okavango Delta, Botswana

Google Maps Website

3. Wilderness Bisate Lodge — Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Rainforest villas on a volcano's flank, for trekking to Rwanda's mountain gorillas.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples · Adventurers

Bisate is a lodge of forest villas on the edge of Volcanoes National Park, where guests trek to one of 12 habituated mountain gorilla groups. Wilderness has planted 120,000 trees around it as part of a reforestation project.

Wilderness says Bisate has been voted Africa's top safari lodge; it is one of the defining stays for a gorilla trip.

Good to know: Gorilla permits are separate and limited; book them with your lodge as early as possible.

Bisate Lodge, Volcanoes National Park, Musanze, Rwanda

Google Maps Website

4. Singita Kwitonda Lodge — Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Singita's gorilla lodge on the edge of Volcanoes National Park.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples · Adventurers

Kwitonda is Singita's lodge bordering Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, built for gorilla trekking, with activities that also include working with local craftspeople, planting trees and visiting the lodge's gardens.

It combines Singita's service with one of the world's great wildlife encounters.

Good to know: Pair with Singita's Grumeti or Sabi Sand lodges for a two-country trip.

Singita Kwitonda Lodge, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Google Maps Website

5. Angama Mara — Oloololo Escarpment, Maasai Mara, Kenya

Tented suites 1,000 feet above the Maasai Mara.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples · Honeymoons

Angama Mara is the flagship of the Angama group, sitting about 1,000 feet above the Maasai Mara with sweeping views over the reserve. Activities include game drives, hot-air ballooning, walking safaris and a photographic studio.

Its sister properties are Angama Safari Camp, a light tented camp in the Mara for the migration, and Angama Amboseli, ten suites in a private sanctuary.

Good to know: Book July to October to coincide with the Great Migration in the Mara.

Angama Mara, Maasai Mara, Kenya

Google Maps Website

6. Londolozi — Sabi Sand, South Africa

A century of safari on the Sand River and Africa's most famous leopards.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Photographers · Families

Londolozi sits on the Sand River in the Sabi Sand, next to Kruger, and marks 100 years of safari in 2026. It is famous for its leopards and for its role in pioneering photographic safaris.

Its camps range from family-friendly Varty Camp to the private Granite Suites.

Good to know: Combine with a Cape Town stay; Londolozi is a short flight from Johannesburg or Cape Town.

Londolozi Game Reserve, Sabi Sand, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Google Maps Website

7. Singita Lebombo Lodge — N'wanetsi concession, Kruger National Park

Glass-walled suites on a private concession inside Kruger.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples · Design lovers

Singita Lebombo's glass-walled suites hang above the N'wanetsi River on a 33,000-acre concession inside Kruger National Park, leased exclusively to Singita.

It is the most architectural of Africa's great lodges, and the concession's open plains are rich in plains game and predators.

Good to know: Fly into the lodge's airstrip; driving from Satara is long.

Singita Lebombo Lodge, Kruger National Park, South Africa

Google Maps Website

8. Tswalu Kalahari — Northern Cape, South Africa

South Africa's largest private reserve, in the malaria-free Kalahari.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Families · Photographers

Tswalu covers 1,200 square kilometers of the southern Kalahari, the largest private reserve in South Africa. It is known for black-maned lions, meerkats, pangolin and wide-open red dunes.

It is malaria-free, which makes it a top luxury choice for families.

Good to know: Ask about a night on a sleep-out deck in the dunes.

Tswalu Kalahari Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa

Google Maps Website

9. Time + Tide Chinzombo — Luangwa River, South Luangwa, Zambia

Six tents with private pools on the Luangwa River, the home of the walking safari.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples · Walkers

Chinzombo has six large safari tents, including a two-bedroom family tent, under ancient msikizi trees on the Luangwa River opposite South Luangwa National Park. Each has a private pool and soaking tub looking over the river.

Time + Tide runs walking safaris through the park, the experience South Luangwa is famous for.

Good to know: Combine Chinzombo with Time + Tide's walking camps for a full South Luangwa itinerary.

Time + Tide Chinzombo, South Luangwa, Mfuwe, Zambia

Google Maps Website

10. Matetsi Victoria Falls — Zambezi River, Matetsi Private Game Reserve, Zimbabwe

River suites with plunge pools on a private stretch of the Zambezi near Victoria Falls.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Families · Couples

Matetsi sits on a private section of the Zambezi in the Matetsi Private Game Reserve near Victoria Falls. Its river suites have private plunge pools, and family suites suit groups.

The reserve holds big herds of elephant and buffalo, lion and leopard, so you can combine the falls with a proper safari.

Good to know: Use Matetsi as both your Victoria Falls base and your safari; it saves a flight.

Matetsi Victoria Falls, Matetsi Private Game Reserve, Zimbabwe

Google Maps Website

11. Wilderness Vumbura Plains — Okavango Delta, Botswana

Water's-edge suites with plunge pools in the northern Okavango.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples · Photographers

Vumbura Plains sits in the northern Okavango Delta among waterways, island woodlands and golden grasslands. Its suites are raised on decks along the water, each with a plunge pool and a sala for siestas.

The concession offers both game drives and water activities, depending on the flood levels.

Good to know: Visit between June and August for the highest flood waters and mokoro trips.

Vumbura Plains Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana

Google Maps Website

12. Cottar's 1920s Safari Camp — Olderkesi, Maasai Mara, Kenya

A 1920s-style tented camp on a private conservancy bordering the Mara.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Couples · Families

Cottar's runs a 1920s-style safari camp on the edge of the Maasai Mara, working in partnership with the Maasai community to protect wildlife corridors.

Its colonial-era styling, private conservancy and walking options make it a different kind of Mara stay.

Good to know: Ask about walking safaris and night drives on the conservancy, which are not allowed in the main reserve.

Cottar's 1920s Safari Camp, Maasai Mara, Kenya

Google Maps Website

13. Wilderness Linkwasha — Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Nine tents on a private concession in Hwange, Zimbabwe's biggest park.

$$$$ SplurgeBest for Families · Groups

Linkwasha has nine tents mixing contemporary design with Ndebele culture, with exclusive access to a private concession in Hwange National Park as well as the full Hwange game-drive circuit.

Wilderness suggests it for families and larger groups; Little Makalolo, its six-tent sister, suits couples.

Good to know: Combine with Victoria Falls, a short flight away.

Linkwasha Camp, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

What is the best safari lodge in Africa?

There is no single answer, but lodges that appear on almost every shortlist include Singita's lodges in South Africa and Tanzania, Wilderness Mombo in Botswana, Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda, Angama Mara in Kenya and Londolozi in the Sabi Sand.

Which country is best for a luxury safari?

South Africa for reliable Big Five viewing and easy access; Botswana for the Okavango Delta's water-based safaris and low-density camps; Tanzania and Kenya for the Great Migration; Rwanda for gorilla trekking; Zambia for walking safaris.

How much does a luxury safari lodge in Africa cost?

The lodges on this list typically cost well over $1,000 per person per night in high season, and the top Okavango and gorilla lodges cost several times that. Rates usually include meals, drinks, activities and sometimes park fees; light-aircraft transfers are extra.

When should I book a luxury safari?

Nine to twelve months ahead for the dry-season peak (roughly June to October across southern and East Africa), and earlier for the Great Migration river crossings and gorilla permits.

Related lists

Africa · Safari Destinations

The 10 Best Safari Destinations in Africa (2026)

Read the list Africa · Gorilla Trekking

The 7 Best Lodges for Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda and Uganda (2026)

Read the list Sabi Sand · Luxury Safari Lodges

The 13 Best Luxury Lodges in the Sabi Sand (2026)

Read the list Kruger National Park · Luxury Safari Lodges

The 8 Best Luxury Lodges Inside Kruger National Park (2026)

Read the list Greater Kruger · Luxury Safari Lodges

The 10 Best Luxury Lodges in Greater Kruger (2026)

Read the list

More in Africa · More Luxury Safari Lodges across Africa · All Where to Stay