The Best Destinations for Luxury African Safaris

Kenya:

The Classic Safari Experience

All the hallmarks of a classic African safari are found in Kenya: sweeping savannahs punctuated by flat-topped acacias, the annual migration of wildebeests, gazelles, and zebras running a thrilling gauntlet of predators across the Masai Mara (Kenya’s portion of the Serengeti), and the vibrant culture of the Maasai people. To witness the Great Migration in Kenya, it’s best to travel between July and October. However, Kenya’s national parks and reserves are alive with extraordinary wildlife encounters year-round. A typical day could include sightings of lion prides basking in the heat, cheetahs sprinting across the plains, elephants at play, and giraffes silhouetted against a fiery savannah sunset.

Beyond game drives, Kenya is a brilliant choice for experiential activities: soar over the Maasai Mara at dawn in a hot-air balloon, and share an evening meal of roasted goat in a traditional Maasai manyatta, where elders weave stories under skies glittering with starlight.

Stay: Mahali Mzuri, Maasai Mara, Kenya

Mahali Mzuri, Sir Richard Branson’s Kenyan safari camp, has an incredible location on the path of the Great Migration. It’s a 12-tented luxury camp in the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy, set on the edge of a valley, offering an immersive front-row seat to the migration as well as abundant year-round wildlife viewing. Each tented suite combines African authenticity with modern indulgence, and a 2025 refurbishment has enhanced the interiors marvellously. Expect sweeping private terraces, soaking tubs with romantic views, and bush barbecues paired with champagne.

Your days in Mahali Mzuri are balanced between adventure and relaxation: daily game drives led by expert rangers, cultural visits to Maasai villages, and the opportunity to see everything from lions to rare black rhinos. Between safaris, you can sink into the infinity-edged pool overlooking the valley or indulge in a deep tissue Orinka stick massage, all while knowing your stay supports local conservation efforts and community initiatives.

Why Kenya? For travellers seeking an iconic safari, this is the classic starting point. The Great Migration and the Masai Mara are highlights, but so too are the human stories of the Maasai.

South Africa:

Sabi Sand Safaris

South Africa has the big five, of course, but the diversity of South Africa’s game is staggering: black and white rhinos, elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, cheetahs, and the spiral horns of the kudu, to name a few. We recommend the phenomenal Sabi Sand Nature Reserve, which shares an unfenced boundary with the legendary Kruger National Park, one of Africa’s most rewarding regions for wildlife encounters. Expect to see the big 5 and more, with up close views of the nature reserve via fascinating, professionally-guided bush walks that bring you closer, not just to the animals, but to the finer details of life in the bush: tracking animal prints, learning about medicinal plants, the scuttling insects, and the stories and legends whispered throughout the bushveld.

The dependability of the game viewing in the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve makes it a year-round safari destination, but thinning vegetation between May and October often drives the wildlife to waterholes, making sightings easier.

Stay: Singita Castleton, Sabi Sand, South Africa

Enviably situated in the privately owned 45,000-acre Singita Sabi Sand, the charming Singita Castleton is an exclusive-use villa within the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve. Originally a family farmhouse, it has been brilliantly reimagined as a private safari retreat, evoking the comforts of a rustic country house with nostalgic finishings like faded botanical prints, antiques, wicker furniture, and verdant gardens that overlook a busy watering hole. Guests enjoy a dedicated guide, tracker, and chef, ensuring a highly customisable safari experience.

Days begin with early morning game drives, slowly unfolding to afternoons by the pool, massages in the spa, or tennis on the private court. Evenings at Singita Castleton are spent around a communal table or an outdoor fire, with meals tailored to your preferences, made with locally sourced produce, paired with wines selected from the impressive cellars.

Why South Africa? South African safaris offer easy access, with impressive wildlife viewing and some of the best private reserves in Africa, making it a good choice for family safaris. There are huge malaria-free reserves, and it’s simple to combine safaris with city and beach trips.

Madagascar:

Unmatched Biodiversity

Madagascar is just a few hundred miles off the eastern coast of the African continent. But its extraordinary biodiversity, separated from the mainland by 165 million years of evolution, is a world apart. Madagascar is home to species found nowhere else on Earth: unique lemurs leaping through forest canopies, the world’s biggest and smallest chameleons, thousands of species of butterflies, some with 20cm wingspans, and orchids thriving in stunning, saturated clarity. Madagascan landscapes range from lush, moss-coloured rainforests to volcanic highlands and thousands of miles of pristine beaches framed by crystalline waters. The Malagasy people are no less fascinating, with a dual origin of Southeast Asia and East Africa. They grow rice on terraced paddies akin to their Southeast Asian ancestors and hold ancient beliefs that incorporate mystery-laced rituals and distinct cultural practices.

For truly immersive luxury safari experiences, Madagascar calls for exploration on both land and sea. Guided treks introduce you to enthralling wildlife, while offshore, snorkeling (or diving if you prefer) pulls back the curtain on cinematic swathes of coral gardens and masses of marine life. You’ll enjoy lemur sightings at Lokobe National Park and turtles at Nosy Sakatia whenever you visit Madagascar. Fishing is best from April to September, while July to November is good for spotting Humpback whales.

Stay: Time + Tide Tsara Komba, Nosy Komba, Madagascar

Stay at the sublime Time + Tide Tsara Komba, a luxurious beach and forest lodge nestled on the volcanic island of Nosy Komba. Suites conjure the best of island romance, overlooking the glittering ocean expanse from private terraces shaded by the lush jungle that embraces the lodge. Days are spent discovering Nosy Be’s coral reefs, trekking along rainforest trails searching for lemurs, and savouring Malagasy cuisine (including the fresh catch from local fishermen) on a beach set for two.

Why Madagascar? Madagascar boasts vivid biodiversity, and is an excellent choice for a luxury African safari that flirts between the ancient rainforests and the prismatic wilds beneath the sea.