Luxury safari destinations outside Africa for those wanting to escape the crowds

Traditional African safaris remain iconic, but discerning travellers are now seeking more exclusive wildlife experiences away from the usual game drives. With demand for ultra-private adventures on the rise, luxury travel designers are curating safaris that go beyond Africa–offering intimate encounters with leopards in Sri Lanka, red kangaroos in Australia, and pumas in Ecuador’s cloudforest.

360 Private Travel’s expert designers craft bespoke, off-the-beaten-path itineraries, ensuring a truly unique and luxurious safari experience. Discover the world’s most extraordinary wildlife destinations, where breathtaking landscapes meet unparalleled luxury.

Going on a safari is on many people’s bucket lists, a travel experience that many dream of doing if time and budget allow. Once something for only the more affluent, seeing the Big Five has now become more attainable for the masses with cheaper flights and more budget accommodation.

Nowadays, around 6 million people visit Africa for a safari every year, with figures revealing that more than half of all wildlife tourism takes place in an African country. It’s perhaps unsurprising then, that finding new and exclusive experiences is becoming increasingly important for luxury travellers, who once may have had the vast Plains all to themselves.

In fact, as many as 89% of luxury travel advisors have seen an uptick in requests from high-net-worth individuals for exclusive use or exceptionally high-end experiences, according to research.

Supporting this, 360 Private Travel Club has shared that their travel designers have experienced an increase in interest in ‘off the beaten track’ safari experiences. Specifically, they’ve seen a 15% decrease in traditional game drive safaris over the last year, with their luxury travel members wanting more intimate wildlife experiences instead.

James Turner, CEO of 360 Private Travel said: “This is where the close relationship between our 360 Private Travel Designers and our members comes into its own. Privacy and discretion are front and foremost, of course, and our people always keep that in mind while researching exceptional new destinations.”

“So when clients say ‘hey, I really want to try something different’, our travel designers are ready with captivating new experiences – and they can all be tailored to the individual. It’s the kind of subtly shifting trend we really thrive on.”

360 Private Club is an exclusive membership designed for those seeking the extraordinary, blending bespoke itinerary planning from the world’s most accomplished travel designers with unparalleled benefits, including luxury upgrades and personal touches at the world’s top hotels.

So for anyone yearning for a completely unique wildlife experience, the luxury travel designers have shared a round-up of their favourite camps that aren’t in Africa – perfect for those looking for a safari away from the crowds.

Watch majestic leopards roam the Yala National Park in Sri Lanka

Where the edge of the Yala National Park meets the Indian Ocean, you will find a haven of cocoon-like tents that offer the utmost safari luxury.

Wild Coast Tented Lodge offers luxury tents in a dome-like shape, crafted from thick French canvas. The structures are inspired by the egg-shaped boulders strewn across the beach on which it sits and are designed to ensure harmony with its surroundings.

Their interiors blend expedition chic with contemporary innovations such as freestanding copper bathtubs and four-poster beds. The Cocoon Pool Suites are possibly the most indulgent, boasting a private plunge pool that overlooks the pristine Indian Ocean.

The open-air bar and restaurant are wrapped around a free-form swimming pool, which offers the perfect setting for enjoying authentic Sri Lankan cuisine and sundowner cocktails.

For those drawn to the wildlife of South Asia, Yala National Park is particularly renowned for its dense leopard population, which can sometimes be seen drinking in the watering holes near the camp.

Guided forays will take you to the most remote parts of the Yala wilderness to observe the incredible biodiversity. Seeing spectacular birdlife and elephants is a given, and spotting one of the many leopards is a strong possibility.

Conservation is taken very seriously at Wild Coast Tented Lodge too, with the camp building a Leopard and Climate Change research station next to the property to track the big cats and ensure their preservation in the face of ongoing poaching attacks.

Prices start from £2,700 per person for seven nights and include a roundtrip airport transfer, all-inclusive board and a resort ranger-guided safari per night stay. More information can be found here.

Spot red kangaroos amongst the dusty dunes of Australia’s Central Desert

Among the red-rust dunes of Australia’s Central Desert sits a luxury camp with direct views of the area’s most impressive rock formations.

Longitude 131° offers tented pavilions in the wilderness of the Northern Territory, located just outside the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Each of the elevated tents nods to an early Australian pioneer or explorer. The draped fabrics and white dome roofs create the illusion of camping, but modern luxuries make for a more glamorous experience with rain-fall showers and a complimentary in-suite bar.

Those looking for the height of luxury should look no further than The Dune Pavilion, Australia’s only accommodation to offer views of both Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcase the outback frontier from every position and the private plunge pool provides a more personal nature-meets-luxury experience.

At the heart of the camp sits The Dune House. Enjoy an outback sundowner at the open bar and the camp’s restaurant serves world-class cuisine that celebrates a fusion of modern and Indigenous flavours.

One of the highlights of staying at Longitude 131° is guided sunrise and sunset tours. Experts will lead you through the wilderness, detailing the geology, flora and fauna, and cultural significance of the iconic landmarks you’ll get to walk alongside. Although appearing uninhabited, the desert around Longitude 131° is very much alive – birds feed from bright flowers, frogs croak from the base of Uluru and Desert Goannas lie in the shade of the rocks. The wildlife highlight is undoubtedly catching a glimpse of a red kangaroo, Australia’s largest land mammal. Keep your eyes peeled to see the iconic animal hiding in the trees and rocks at the base of Uluru.

It doesn’t get more authentically Australian than that!

Prices start from £7,120 per person for seven nights and include a roundtrip airport transfer, all-inclusive board and daily guided tours of the national park.

Watch stealthy puma roam in the misty depths of Ecuador’s Chocoan cloudforest

Mashpi Lodge is an eco-friendly safari retreat hidden within the misty depths of the Chocoan cloudforest. The modern structure – made from recycled steel, tropical wood and glass – lies in a private 3,000-acre reserve, just three hours from the Ecuadorian capital of Quito. Vertical lines and height have been used to mirror the surrounding forest.

Its two-storey restaurant is something to behold, with dramatic windows creating an immersive dining experience and a menu created with herbs, spices, leaves and fruits from the reserve you sit and look at.

For the ultimate rainforest safari experience, stay in one of the lodge’s three suites, which each boast panoramic floor-to-ceiling glass walls with unparalleled views of the surrounding rainforest. Spend time soaking up the views in your freestanding bathtub, admiring the leaves, birds and clouds all around.

And when it comes to wildlife, Mashpi Lodge is an enthusiast’s dream. The little-visited wonderland is home to over 400 species of birdlife, monkeys and innumerable other animals, with some 35 registered as endemic.

Perhaps the most exhilarating animal to catch a glimpse of is the majestic puma that live in the rainforest. The lodge has installed cameras to catch sightings of the stealthy creatures, which you can watch in its Life Centre while learning about the reproduction work taking place.

Other activities here include early morning bird-watching in the Hummingbird Garden, visiting the Butterfly Farm to marvel at the array of colours and patterns, and venturing into the cloudforest on night treks to spot nocturnal creatures.

Prices start from £4,130 per person for seven nights and include a shared roundtrip airport transfer and all-inclusive board. More information can be found here.

360 Private Travel is an esteemed club for international luxury travel professionals who are committed to curating exceptional itineraries for their clients. The company offers a supportive network of like-minded individuals by bringing together the best global travel specialists who are united by their shared values, interests and expectations of planning extraordinary experiences.