More often than not, it is where you end up staying that makes a big difference to the overall travel experience. It does not have to be swanky, but just right for your tastes and needs. In this month's newsletter, we wanted to feature some interesting properties that may not be your ordinary place to stay in Africa. We like these places for what they offer: style, location, views and one-of-a-kind experiences that will pique their curiosity.
Please enjoy some recommendations of our top accommodations in Africa that we book for our guests.
In South Africa's wine region...
Babylonstoren (Franschoek) is one of the oldest Cape Dutch farms still producing wine. Guests also enjoy deluxe stays in the farm cottages, walks in their gardens, and their amazing cuisine and wine pairings. For anyone visiting Cape Town, a few nights in the wine lands will rejuvenate their soul. Guests can visit their gardens that are designed by French architect Patrice Taravella. Every one of the more than 300 varieties of plants in the garden is edible or has medicinal value. They are also grown as organically as possible and in a biologically sustainable manner. Guests who dine at the restaurant are treated to a true "farm-to-table" experience with produce from the garden.
Find Your Zen on the Atlantic coast…
While you are in South Africa's Western Cape, one must experience Grootbos Forest Lodge (Gansbaai, South Africa). Tucked between the Atlantic Ocean, the forest and the Table mountain range is the 2,500 hectare ecological wonderland, Grootbos Private Reserve on which sits the spectacular lodge. This is a restored wilderness area and a melting pot of biodiversity including home to over 100 endangered plant species. Your stay at Forest Lodge in Western Cape of South Africa is exactly what you may need to find calm, Zen and the ability to unclutter your mind amid sweeping vistas, hikes, or simply savoring a glass of wine on your patio. One can also go on whale watching excursions, shark diving and wine tasting tours from Grootbos.
Shipwrecked in Namibia…
One of the most scenic destinations in Africa, Namibia's open skies and endless horizons allows guests to enjoy unparalleled and unobstructed views as far as your eyes can see. On the Skeleton Coast (named because of the dangerous currents and lost lives) is the funky Shipwreck Lodge. Designed to look like wrecks, this is one place where you can experience the impossibly raw, eerie and remote part of Africa along the Atlantic Coast. Your stay in Shipwreck Lodge of Africa includes wildlife excursions to look for seals, desert-adapted elephants, hyenas, baboons and if lucky, a pride of lions.
A Community Affair...
Where can you hang out with an elephant but at Zaina
Lodge! Located in the far northern part of Ghana (West Africa) in Mole National Park, Zaina is Ghana's first luxury safari lodge. Built on a high escarpment that brags of spectacular sunsets, Zaina was designed and built with participation from the local community that surrounds the park. The extravagant and spacious entry and public areas have design motifs are from the historic Larabanga Mosque (built circa 1400) while the airy tented chalets feature all the modern amenities. Your stay at Zaina includes safari game drives, walks, community visits, canoeing or simply hanging by the pool savoring a chilled beverage.
An Intimate African Experience...
Imagine waking up to this view. The endless wilderness plains at the foot of Mount Kenya. The Loisaba Starbeds is always a major hit for our guests. Located on the 57,000 acre Loisaba Conservancy, handcrafted four-poster wooden beds sit on raised wooden platforms jutting out from a thatched-roof accommodation and are rolled out each night for guests to enjoy the most memorable sleep under the endless African sky. Rising early to watch sunrise from your Star Bed with a comforting hot beverage, the day ahead promises adventure, with a myriad of activities by which to experience Loisaba. A day of fun is rounded off with drinks by the log fire in the Star Beds lounge, sharing tall tales of the African bush, with the tale-telling continuing over a delicious shared dinner. For those guests who normally spend 3 nights at the main Loisaba Tented Camp should experience at least one night under the African skies at the Starbeds. Call us to book your Loisaba Starbed experience.
Ready to try something new?
We've spent a lot of years honing our knowledge on interesting lodges, camps, farms and other properties in African countries of Tanzania, Kenya, Ghana, Namibia, Cape town, South Africa,, etc. Oftentimes, we experience it ourselves before offering them to you.
All the properties above have strong ties to local communities that surround them. These communities provide the local knowledge, staffing and guiding skills that cannot be taught by any outsider. So the next time you start planning a trip to Africa, think of the many ways you are supporting these communities, but also learning about their relationship to the land where you are their guest.
To find out more about the best places to visit and stay in Africa with your family, contact us!
