Four Extraordinary African Safari Lodges
For this edition of our "Personal Picks," we're highlighting four extraordinary African safari lodges in unique, lesser-known parks and reserves that offer an excellent overall guest experience.
Magashi – Amalinda – Mashatu Safari Lodge – Shipwreck
These areas don’t make it on many bucket lists, but they offer a superb safari with an uncrowded, exclusive feel at a great value.
Amalinda Lodge – Matobo Hills – Zimbabwe
Each of these lodges promises personal service, a wide variety of activities and a solid 4-night stay so you can settle in and appreciate their distinctive settings. They pair nicely with more well-known safari destinations, and all four would make a great extension or centerpiece for a longer itinerary.
Magashi Safari Camp – Akagera National Park – Rwanda
Magashi is the newest camp in the Wilderness Safaris family located in the northeastern corner of Akagera National Park in Rwanda. This camp is opening on the 1st of December, resulting from many years of public/private partnership and local collaboration.
We see it as an excellent example of what’s on the horizon for new destinations where governments, communities, conservation and tourism work together to rehabilitate a wilderness area. Pair this with gorilla trekking experiences from the stunning Bisate Lodge.
Amalinda – Matobo Hills National Park – Zimbabwe
Amalinda is a stunning lodge built in the granite wilderness outside Zimbabwe’s Matobo Hills National Park. It is a wild and historic place full of rocks and rhinos and overlooks the stunning landscape. Through decades of hardship and instability, this family-owned and operated lodge has sustained a commitment to this unique place.
There is a huge variety of activities, from hiking and biking to tracking rhinos on foot and exploring pre-historic rock art, and the area is known for its sense of tranquility, rejuvenation and spirituality. This pairs with other destinations in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and there’s a great combo with Mashatu, especially for those seeking spa experiences after game drives!
Mashatu – Tuli Block – Botswana
Mashatu is also a family-owned and operated lodge located in a truly singular landscape where Botswana, Zimbabwe, and South Africa meet, and it is unlike any of them with grand baobabs, spectacular vistas, and a host of rare and unusual wildlife.
It’s perfect for multi-generational families with a variety of accommodation options from lightweight fly-camping to tented camps and a luxury lodge, and there’s a huge variety of activities including horseback riding, walking, biking and elephant toe-nail photography from a waterhole hide! Mashatu works well with other destinations in Botswana and South Africa, and there’s a great combo with Amalinda.
Shipwreck – Skeleton Coast – Namibia
Shipwreck is one of the most remote and far-flung luxury destinations in the world, and it’s an example of a bold statement in architectural design and conservation impact. This dramatic lodge was designed to match the stark, intense beauty of Namibia’s Skeleton Coast, with its extreme environment and fascinating history.
The experience at Shipwreck is all about dunes, whale bones and wildflowers, discovering shocks of improbable life, and visiting a place very few people have ever been. Shipwreck is on the edge of the world, and it pairs well with other destinations on a dedicated Namibia itinerary.
There are plenty more places we love that few people have heard of. Get in touch to learn more about these four African safari lodges and how Next Adventure can build your perfect safari itinerary.
