10 Best-value Luxury South Africa Safari Lodges & Camps

By Philip Briggs

Looking for luxury safari accommodations in South Africa? Well, you’re spoilt for choice. Greater Kruger, which comprises Kruger National Park and bordering private reserves, is home to more than 100 lodges that would meet most people’s definition of luxurious. And for those who want to avoid any risk of malaria, Madikwe and Pilanesberg Game Reserves are serviced by several dozen equally splendid lodges.

Wherever you stay in South Africa, its safari lodges generally offer stylish accommodations, fine wining and dining, and expertly guided game drives in search of iconic wildlife, including, with a bit of luck, all the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino).

The accommodations below are not ranked in a specific quality order.

1,151 South Africa Tours

1. Kapama River Lodge (Kapama Game Reserve)

Elephant drinking from the pool at Kapama River Lodge All-suite Kapama River Lodge combines elegant luxury with great wildlife viewing

This deluxe lodge accommodates guests in 55 airy suites with air conditioning and private decks looking out into the bush (natural, uncleared land, home to wild animals). It is the largest lodge in the 150km²/58mi² Kapama Game Reserve, which forms part of Greater Kruger but does not share open borders with other reserves in the ecosystem. This isolation means that there is little seasonal wildlife movement, and game drives are productive year-round. Most visitors will see the Big Five, and Kapama is also good for cheetah and African wild dog.

32 Kapama Tours

2. Umkumbe Safari Lodge Riverside (Sabi Sand Game Reserve)

Pool area facing the Sand River at Umkumbe Safari Lodge Riverside Owner-managed Umkumbe is an exclusive safari retreat on the bank of the Sand River

Umkumbe is one of the best-value safari lodges in South Africa’s legendary Sabi Sands, a private game reserve renowned for quality leopard sightings. Sabi Sands shares open borders with Kruger National Park, so the Big Five and other wildlife can move freely between the two. The lodge itself is relatively intimate, sleeping up to 20 guests in 10 rooms, and the owner-managers are dedicated to offering an enjoyable and exclusive safari experience. Aside from the superb wildlife viewing, Umkumbe has a lovely riverside setting, and the starlit alfresco dinners are a real highlight.

26 Umkumbe Tours

3. Arathusa Safari Lodge (Sabi Sand Game Reserve)

Large waterhole nearby Arathusa Safari Lodge Let the wildlife come to you at Arathusa, which overlooks a large waterhole

Arathusa is a premier safari lodge with a setting to die for. It overlooks one of Sabi Sands’ largest waterholes, which means that guests are often treated to a steady stream of passing animals coming to quench their thirst. In addition to 12 colorfully decorated thatched suites, this exclusive lodge has a great in-house spa, a tempting infinity pool and a cellar stocked with some of the Cape’s finest wines. And when it comes to game drives, you’re unlikely to go wrong in Sabi Sands, which is home to large numbers of all the Big Five and especially good for leopard viewing.

16 Arathusa Tours

4. Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge (Kruger National Park)

Lounge area at Hoyo Hoyo Safari Lodge Afro-chic Hoyo Hoyo offers an exclusive experience in South Africa’s most famous park

Hoyo Hoyo is one of the most exclusive safari lodges in South Africa’s world-famous Kruger National Park. It stands on the well-wooded bank of the Mluwati River as it flows through the private 100km²/39mi² Imbali Concession in the park’s rewarding central region. The design of the six circular suites, with their earthy walls and tapered thatched roofs, is influenced by the traditional huts built by the local Tsonga people. More present-day touches include air conditioning, modern bathrooms and folding glass doors that open out to the surrounding wilderness.

Mornings and afternoons are spent looking for wildlife, but you’ll enjoy lazing around the lodge in the heat of the day, sipping a cocktail or enjoying a relaxing massage with birdsong all around.

Hoyo Hoyo Tours

5. Madikwe Safari Lodge (Madikwe Game Reserve)

People in a pool with the view of the park at Madikwe Safari Lodge Swim a few meters from drinking elephants at luxurious Madikwe Safari Lodge

Nudged up against the Botswana border northwest of Johannesburg, Madikwe Game Reserve is arguably the most alluring malaria-free safari destination anywhere on the continent. It is also home to some of the finest safari lodges in South Africa. A favorite with many is Madikwe Safari Lodge, which stands at the forested base of a rocky hill that’s alive with barbets, robin-chats and other colorful bush birds. The stone-and-thatch chalets here are superb and come with a private plunge pool, but the lodge’s best feature is undoubtedly its swimming pool, which stands right alongside a waterhole that’s regularly visited by thirsty elephants.

Game drives are always rewarding; indeed, Madikwe is one of the few places where you stand a high chance of seeing all of southern Africa’s largest carnivores (lion, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyena and brown hyena) over the course of a couple of days.

Madikwe Safari Lodge Tours

6. Black Rhino Game Lodge (Pilanesberg Game Reserve)

Room interior at Black Rhino Game Lodge Black Rhino Game Lodge offers luxury chalet accommodations in northwest Pilanesberg

Black Rhino Game Lodge stands in a private concession in the northwest of Pilanesberg, a malaria-free wildlife reserve located less than three hours’ drive from Johannesburg. Accommodations are in airy chalets with tall, thatched roofs, air conditioning and private decks. If it’s pure luxury you’re after, book into one of the four premier suites, which come with a large sitting area, private plunge pool and smart TV. Game drives take place in a part of Pilanesberg that sees relatively little traffic, so they have an exclusive feel.

Black Rhino Lodge Tours

7. Baobab Ridge Lodge (Klaserie Nature Reserve)

Pool area at Baobab Ridge Lodge Baobab Ridge is a luxury boutique lodge with a wonderful wilderness setting

Klaserie is the least crowded of the private reserves in Greater Kruger, and the one with the most compelling wilderness character. There is no better place from which to explore it than Baobab Ridge, an exclusive lodge whose elevated location offers sweeping views over a permanent waterhole and the surrounding savannah (mixed woodland-grassland ecosystem). Accommodations are in seven large open-plan suites whose stylish decor complements the African bush setting, while amenities include a swimming pool with a view.

All the Big Five can be seen in Klaserie, which shares open borders with Kruger, but game drives tend to emphasize quality sightings over quantity.

Baobab Ridge Tours

8. aha Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge (Pilanesberg Game Reserve)

Pool area with a nature backdrop at aha Shepherd’s Tree Game Lodge Shepherd’s Tree is a well-run modern lodge offering great wildlife viewing in Pilanesberg

Set in a private concession in the southwest of Pilanesberg, Shepherd’s Tree consists of 32 luxury rooms strung for a full 1km/0.6mi along a pretty, well-wooded ridge. The comfortable modern rooms all have air conditioning, walk-in nets, and large bathrooms with twin basins, standing tubs and outdoor showers. There’s also an attractive swimming pool, imaginative fusion cuisine and, because distances within the lodge grounds are considerable, a fleet of golf carts waiting to ferry guests around.

Guided game drives come with a very good chance of spotting all the Big Five over the course of a couple of days, with white rhino and elephant being particularly common.

Shepherd's Tree Tours

9. Lukimbi Safari Lodge (Kruger National Park)

Lukimbi Safari Lodge illuminated by the lights at dusk Lukimbi is a stilted riverbank lodge set in Kruger’s rewarding Lwakahle Concession

Lukimbi Safari Lodge has exclusive access to one of the largest private concessions within Kruger National Park. This is the 100km²/39mi² Lwakahle Concession, which also happens to be one of the most productive parts of southern Kruger when it comes to wildlife viewing. The lodge is raised on stilts and the 16 comfortable suites are connected to each other and common areas by wooden walkways that snake between ancient trees. Don’t miss out on cooling down in the sparkling pool overlooking the Lwakahle River; you never know what might wander past during the heat of the day.

Lukimbi Tours

10. Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge (Balule Nature Reserve)

Room interior at Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge offers top wildlife viewing, fine accommodations and pretty grounds

Mohlabetsi Safari Lodge gets rave reviews from travelers, and not only for its excellent location. The lodge sits inside the fantastic (but little-known) 500km²/193mi² Balule Nature Reserve, which shares an unfenced border (and lots of wildlife) with Kruger National Park. The lodge’s accommodations occupy circular bungalows with tiled floors and thatched roofs, and the safari-colored rooms have plenty of space. The wildlife possibilities start right outside the door of your bungalow.

Other highlights include an inviting swimming pool with a poolside bar, and an expansive garden with a restaurant under plentiful shade-giving trees. On a long, hot afternoon, there’s no better place to relax than in one of the hammocks in a quiet corner of the garden.

Mohlabetsi Tours