Top 10 Best Safari Lodges in South Africa

Founded in 1926 by the Varty family, Londolozi pioneered the luxury safari concept in South Africa. Set in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, it offers five distinct camps and is renowned for its habituated leopard population, providing some of the best big cat photography opportunities in Africa.

Bordering the Kruger National Park across 14,700 hectares of classic African bushveld, &Beyond Ngala offers both a Safari Lodge and a Tented Camp experience. The reserve is home to all Big Five species and features exclusive traversing rights, ensuring intimate game drives with minimal vehicle congestion.

Nestled in the Greater Kruger region within the Thornybush Game Reserve, Royal Malewane is celebrated for extraordinary leopard sightings and Big Five encounters. The lodge features Africa's most awarded spa and offers bush walks led by expert trackers alongside traditional game drives.

Perched above the N'wanetsi River in the far eastern reaches of Kruger National Park, Singita Lebombo features bold contemporary architecture with floor-to-ceiling glass walls framing panoramic wilderness views. The 33,000-acre concession offers exceptional Big Five viewing and striking modern design.

Built almost entirely underground in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Earth Lodge is a masterpiece of eco-luxury design that blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. The lodge features sculpted walls, ambient lighting, and a meditation garden, while offering all Big Five on daily game drives.

Operated by &Beyond in KwaZulu-Natal, Phinda spans seven distinct ecosystems including the exceptionally rare dry sand forest. The reserve supports all Big Five species and offers unique conservation experiences including black rhino tracking and ocean safaris along the nearby iSimangaliso coast.

South Africa's largest private game reserve at 114,000 hectares, Tswalu offers a completely different safari experience in the Southern Kalahari. Home to desert-adapted species including pangolin, aardvark, and brown hyena, this Oppenheimer family-owned reserve guarantees exclusivity with never more than 30 guests.

Set in the dramatic Cederberg mountains 270km north of Cape Town, Bushmans Kloof combines luxury accommodation with over 130 ancient San rock art sites dating back 10,000 years. While not a Big Five destination, the reserve offers unique fynbos flora and Cape mountain zebra.

Located in the malaria-free Eastern Cape along the Great Fish River, Kwandwe spans 22,000 hectares of restored wilderness offering Big Five viewing without the health concerns of tropical reserves. The reserve operates four intimate lodges and is celebrated for its community-focused conservation model.

Founded in 1926 by the Varty family, Londolozi pioneered the luxury safari concept in South Africa. Set in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, it offers five distinct camps and is renowned for its habituated leopard population, providing some of the best big cat photography opportunities in Africa.

Bordering the Kruger National Park across 14,700 hectares of classic African bushveld, &Beyond Ngala offers both a Safari Lodge and a Tented Camp experience. The reserve is home to all Big Five species and features exclusive traversing rights, ensuring intimate game drives with minimal vehicle congestion.

Nestled in the Greater Kruger region within the Thornybush Game Reserve, Royal Malewane is celebrated for extraordinary leopard sightings and Big Five encounters. The lodge features Africa's most awarded spa and offers bush walks led by expert trackers alongside traditional game drives.

Perched above the N'wanetsi River in the far eastern reaches of Kruger National Park, Singita Lebombo features bold contemporary architecture with floor-to-ceiling glass walls framing panoramic wilderness views. The 33,000-acre concession offers exceptional Big Five viewing and striking modern design.

Built almost entirely underground in the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Earth Lodge is a masterpiece of eco-luxury design that blends seamlessly into the surrounding landscape. The lodge features sculpted walls, ambient lighting, and a meditation garden, while offering all Big Five on daily game drives.

Operated by &Beyond in KwaZulu-Natal, Phinda spans seven distinct ecosystems including the exceptionally rare dry sand forest. The reserve supports all Big Five species and offers unique conservation experiences including black rhino tracking and ocean safaris along the nearby iSimangaliso coast.

South Africa's largest private game reserve at 114,000 hectares, Tswalu offers a completely different safari experience in the Southern Kalahari. Home to desert-adapted species including pangolin, aardvark, and brown hyena, this Oppenheimer family-owned reserve guarantees exclusivity with never more than 30 guests.

Set in the dramatic Cederberg mountains 270km north of Cape Town, Bushmans Kloof combines luxury accommodation with over 130 ancient San rock art sites dating back 10,000 years. While not a Big Five destination, the reserve offers unique fynbos flora and Cape mountain zebra.

Located in the malaria-free Eastern Cape along the Great Fish River, Kwandwe spans 22,000 hectares of restored wilderness offering Big Five viewing without the health concerns of tropical reserves. The reserve operates four intimate lodges and is celebrated for its community-focused conservation model.