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SMART NEW SAFARI STAYS
CHISA BUSANGA, ZAMBIA
BEST FOR: Quirky modern design
Causing chirps of excitement ever
since the first details were released
in 2020, Chisa Busanga’s charming
bird’s nest-like treehouses set
deep in Kafue National Park,
received their first guests in July
- Woven out of branches,
canvas and aluminium, there are
just four treehouses in a spacious,
grassy landscape where wild
dogs, lions and elephants roam.
Activities at this solar-powered
camp include walking, e-biking
and drives in Green Safaris’
trademark electric safari vehicles.
greensafaris.com
EDEN NAIROBI, KENYA
BEST FOR: Urban birdwatching
and contemporary African art
You needn’t travel far to feel close
to nature in the Kenyan capital.
Relaunched with a cool new
restaurant in 2021 , this upmarket
suburban guesthouse in the
Langata suburb has a large, lush
garden adjoining a 100 -acre forest,
making it the perfect place to
acclimatise before a safari or wash
off the dust at the end. Birders love
it, as do art aficionados — created by
fashion designer Anna Trzebinski,
it’s packed with paintings,
sculptures and ethnographic books.
eden-nairobi.comSANCTUARY TAMBARARE,
KENYA
BEST FOR: Keeping in shape
It’s easy to over-indulge on safari,
and if your days are dominated
by drives, you’ve little hope of
burning those delicious calories
off. Set to open in June 2022 , this
swish, contemporary luxury camp
in Laikipia’s Ol Pejeta Conservancy
breaks the mould by focusing on
fitness instead. As well as wildlife-
watching in rhino-rich Laikipia, it
offers cycling, horse riding, rockclimbing, bushwalks, 5-7km runs
and one-hour coach-led workouts.
sanctuaryretreats.comKHWAI LEADWOOD
CAMP, BOTSWANA
BEST FOR: Black African
leadership
Khwai Leadwood, which opened in
2021 inside the Khwai Concession
bordering the Moremi Game
Reserve, is the latest in a collection
of camps founded by Beks
Ndlovu, a dynamic Zimbabwean
safari guide with an exemplary
commitment to hyperlocal
craftsmanship, employment,
training and community
development. With contemporary
tents decorated with basketware
and mid-century touches, the
design gives classic safari styling
a refreshing reboot. Wildlife-
wise, you’re utterly spoilt: this
is the Okavango Delta, after all.
africanbushcamps.comTHE CAPANNE PROJECT,
RWANDA
BEST FOR: Indigenous
architectural heritage
This imaginative village lodge on
Nkombo Island, preparing to open
at the time of going to print, offers
a chance to stay out on the waters
of Lake Kivu and learn about the
Rwandan-Congolese islanders’
cultural traditions. Inspired by
ancient dwellings, each of the
two guest huts is built of sweet-
smelling straw and furnished with
handmade mats and mattresses.
Funds from stays here help
support the islanders, who are
both isolated and marginalised.
sextantiorwanda.comTHE SAFARI SERIES, KENYA
BEST FOR: A youthful vibe
Since 2019 , adventure-loving
young Land Rover enthusiast
Ed Hough and his wife Moon have
been shaking up the traditional