Plan My Journey
Open African plain with acacias and a watercourse in early morning light

The portfolio

Safari

Camps and lodges whose quality rests first on the land, then on the house.

On safari the concession decides the journey, not the fittings of the room. A private area means no twenty vehicles at a sighting, drives after sunset, and access on foot.

The camps below sit in some of the most rewarding country in southern and eastern Africa — and are run by guides who have worked there for years.

01

Singita Ebony Lodge

Sabi Sand, Südafrika

Why we chose it

Singita's first lodge, opened on the Sand River in 1993 and carefully renewed since. The Sabi Sand is among Africa's most reliable leopard country; the animals are used to vehicles, not to people.

Best for

A first safari, families, and photographers who want to be close.

Our favourite room

Suite one or two on the riverbank, overlooking the crossing.

When to go

May to September: dry, cool mornings, game at the water.

Pure Voyage note

Three nights minimum, four is better. At two nights you lose half a day to transfers.

02

Singita Boulders Lodge

Sabi Sand, Südafrika

Why we chose it

The same land as Ebony, a different house: built among granite boulders, more open, quieter, with very large suites. Those who know both choose Boulders the second time.

Best for

Couples and returning guests who want more space and less movement.

Our favourite room

Suite twelve at the end of the path, the most private in the lodge.

When to go

May to September; February brings thick bush but the best birding.

Pure Voyage note

Ebony and Boulders combine well — one concession, two very different rhythms.

03

Singita Sasakwa Lodge

Grumeti, Serengeti

Why we chose it

An Edwardian manor on a hill above the Grumeti concession, looking across thirty kilometres of plain. The land is private, and the migration passes through between June and July.

Best for

Families and travellers who want the migration without convoys of vehicles.

Our favourite room

A cottage with its own pool at the hill's edge — the view from the bed is the reason to come.

When to go

June and July for the migration; December to March for calving further south.

Pure Voyage note

Pair Sasakwa with lower-lying Faru Faru; mornings on the river start faster from there.

04

Royal Malewane

Thornybush, Südafrika

Why we chose it

Known for its guiding: the lodge employs some of the few highest-qualified trackers and guides in South Africa. If you want to understand what you are looking at, this is the place.

Best for

Travellers with some experience who take game viewing seriously.

Our favourite room

A suite in the Africa House villa when travelling with family or friends.

When to go

May to September.

Pure Voyage note

Ask about master-tracker availability when booking. They are what sets this house apart.

05

Cottar's 1920s Camp

Masai Mara, Kenia

Why we chose it

Run by the fifth generation of the same family, in a private concession on the edge of the Mara. Twenties-style tents, but real safari craft: tracking, walking, time.

Best for

Travellers who value history and guiding above contemporary fittings.

Our favourite room

The family tent at the forest edge, or the Bush Villa for longer stays.

When to go

July to October for the migration, January to March for the green months.

Pure Voyage note

The private concession allows night drives and walking safaris — neither is possible inside the reserve.

06

Zarafa Camp

Selinda, Botswana

Why we chose it

Four tents in a concession of some 130,000 hectares — you share an area the size of a city with seven other guests. The Selinda Spillway draws elephant in numbers.

Best for

Couples and small groups seeking maximum seclusion.

Our favourite room

Tent one or four at the ends of the walkway, over the lagoon.

When to go

May to October; in July and August game concentrates at the water.

Pure Voyage note

Each tent keeps camera equipment for guests to use. Ask at the arrival briefing.

07

Mombo Camp

Okavango-Delta, Botswana

Why we chose it

Set on Chief's Island at the heart of the Delta, in country of rare game density. The camp stands on stilts above the floodplain; animals pass beneath the walkways.

Best for

Travellers who want, once, the most concentrated game viewing in southern Africa.

Our favourite room

Tent three, facing the open plain rather than the treeline.

When to go

June to October, when the flood is high and game gathers.

Pure Voyage note

Mombo is Botswana's most expensive camp and often full a year ahead. If it does not work, Vumbura Plains is the quieter choice.

And then

Which house suits you is best settled in conversation.

Between two very good addresses, the decision usually comes down to season, length of stay, or what comes before and after.

Speak with the conciergeAll regions of the portfolio
Pure Voyage NoteDestination Note

What decides whether a safari works?

The guide and the number of nights, not the camp. Three nights per area is the minimum for anything beyond luck. The dry season brings more reliable sightings; the green season better value and young animals. Private concessions allow night drives and off-road tracking — in national parks both are usually prohibited.

Noted by Pure Voyage

Common questions

What guests ask us about this

How does Pure Voyage choose its houses?
We only recommend houses we can judge — from our own experience, from research and from what guests tell us afterwards. Location, character and everyday reliability decide; not stars or lists of facilities.
Does booking through Pure Voyage cost more?
No. You pay the house's own rate. Through our partner programmes many houses add value — breakfast, a credit, later check-out or a better room when available.
Which room should you book?
Almost every house has one category worth far more than its supplement, and one that isn't. Each house page says which we would take under “our favourite room”.

Continue through Pure Voyage

Where to go from here

Not a catalogue, but a next step: the houses, routes, countries and essays we would mention at this point in a conversation.

An Invitation

Once a month: hotels, new openings and travel ideas

One hotel that convinced us, with our advice on suite and season. The openings that actually matter. And a destination at its best right now. No offers, no advertising.