9 of the best South African safari lodges

South Africa is a top safari destination, and its lodges are some of the best in the world. You’ll find everything from unique treehouse stays and intimate wildlife-viewing decks to luxury lodges that blend seamlessly with their natural surroundings.

With many lodges set deep within private reserves and national parks, the hardest part is choosing where to base your safari. So, whether you’re planning a vacation of a lifetime, an epic honeymoon or an unforgettable family trip, we’ve put together a list of the very best South African safari lodges to inspire you.

Hi! I’m Alex. I’ve picked out my favourite South African safari lodges below. If you have any questions, just ask!

Interior of a luxury suite at Royal Malewane with a white canopied bed, red-patterned rug and armchairs. Sunlight streams through the large window illuminating the terrace. A woman sits on a white sofa in front of a white canopied bed. A red. rug is underneath her. This is one of the suites at Royal Malewane, one of the best safari lodges in South Africa. It's opulent with vintage decor and warm wood features.
The lounge at Singita Boulders. A pool at Singita Boulders. Two sunloungers sit in front of an oval pool with trees in the background.
A woman sits in an outdoor bathtub on a terrace overlooking a herd of elephants walking beside a watering hole. This is the Private Granite Suites at Londolozi Lodge. A woman stands on a semi open air terrace beside a bar looking down at the watering hole below. There are tables and chairs. The bar and space are stone and wood.
A private deck with a pool lit up in the evening light and surrounded by trees. This is a suite a Lion Sands Ivory Lodge, one of the best South African safari lodges. The exterior of a luxury lodge lit up in the early evening light. It's wooden and glass-fronted with a deck featuring a private pool.
View of a tented camp lit up in the evening set within a desert. A bedroom at Tswalo Loapi. A white canoped bed bathed in sunshine with a terrace visible in the corner of the photo and the savannah beyond through the window.
An opulent jungle themed dining room with dark wood ceiling and green leaves on the wallpaper. There is a long table in the centre of the room and a lit fireplace. A white canopied bed stands in a natural and dark wood room. There is a haning green chair and large sliding doors with views of the green savannah through them.
Sunbeds line a a smooth grey terrace beside a long blue swimming pool. At the far end, there is a TV screen and sunloungers with a roof overhead. A long open concrete lodge stands in behind a watering hole. It's lit up in the early evening with a silhouette of a person standing by the entrance.
Inside the lounge at Kapama Kaurla. It's an open air space with a natural wooded roof. There are white sofas on either side of the space and a table with vases. The terrace in one of the Kapama Karula suites. The floor is varnished a warm colour. There is a table laid for breakfast with orange juice. In the far coner is a swimming pool.
The lounge in Tintswalo Safari's presidential suite. Colourful comfy armchairs overlook a terrace with views of the pool and surrounding trees. It's warm, homely and inviting. A lounge area in Tintswalo Safari. A high wooden roof features a decadent chandelier. Below it is a patterned sofa in front of an antique table overlooking the terrace with trees surrounding it.

It's time you discovered the best South African safari lodges

South Africa’s lodges and camps are calling! Ready to plan a South African safari? We are here seven days a week to answer your questions and give you our recommendations.

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