BLACKBOOK DISPATCH The country with the largest expanses of unpopulated wilderness is Namibia From top: view over Bumi Hills Safari Lodge; playful lions at Mombo Camp; and one of its elegant bedrooms Which partially explains the substantial increase in the number of new lodges across the continent, from Kenya to Zimbabwe and beyond. The country with the largest expanses of unpopulated wilderness is Namibia, which is more than twice the size of Germany, but with only 2.5 million people. Here, amid the stark, rolling desertscapes of the northwest, Natural Selection ( $ naturalselection.travel) will open its Hoanib Valley Camp, an intimate six-tented canvas retreat, as well as Shipwreck Lodge on the windswept beaches of the Skeleton Coast. The urbane Zannier Hotels (zannierhotels.com) will also open its first Namibian properties this year: the hut-style Omaanda, in a reserve rich in game, and Sonop, overlooking vast stretches of the Namib Desert. Farther east, in Botswana, Mombo Camp ( $ wilderness-safaris.com), the grande dame of the Okavango Delta, has recently reopened after a total refurbishment. Situated on Chief’s Island, the game is guaranteed to be as spectacular as the sleek, contemporary interiors. Exploring the highly regarded rhino area can be followed by a visit to Qorokwe Camp, known for its big lion prides. In Southern Africa, though, it is Zimbabwe that has seen the greatest growth in tourism – Victoria Falls has seen more visitors in the first quarter of this year than at any time in the past quarter-century. In the country’s far south, Paul Tudor Jones’s Singita Pamushana (singita.com) has been completely refurbished, offering polished, Shangaan-inspired interiors within 52,600 hectares of wilderness that support healthy populations of rhino, as well as impressive community projects. On Lake Kariba, African Bush Camps ( $ africanbushcamps.com), founded by the respected guide Beks Ndlovu, has taken over the cliffside Bumi Hills Safari Lodge, which is as renowned for its elephant herds as it is for its spectacular sunsets. The revered Great Plains Conservation ( $ greatplainsconservation.com) is expanding PHOTOS FROM TOP: DOOK, CROOKES & JACKSON (2) 20 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM FOR THE LATEST OUT OF AFRICA, GO TO: CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
PHOTOS FROM LEFT: CROOKES & JACKSON, RUPERT PEACE into Mana Pools with a new camp called Mpala Jena, and offering expeditions into a private concession where guests can sleep in raised star beds. In Hwange National Park, meanwhile, Botswana’s renowned Machaba Safaris (machabasafaris.com) is transporting its bush knowhow to a 10,000ha private concession at the newly opened Verney’s Camp, while in Victoria Falls, the polished More group (more.co.za) will relaunch the Stanley & Livingstone as a modern boutique hotel whose interiors will reference both the colonial explorers who “discovered” the great waterfalls and contemporary African design. Up in East Africa, regular visitors to Bateleur Camp (www.andbeyond.com) in Kenya should be pleased with its reincarnation after a six-month closure. As well as offering spectacular game viewing, for which the Masai Mara is renowned, the refurbished camp will now feature bigger tents with both classic safari antiques as well as contemporary treats such as outdoor tubs. In Tarangire, the accomplished Chem South Africa is always at the forefront of cutting-edge design and wildlife experiences Chem (chemchemsafari.com) will open a new exclusive-use Forest Chem Chem, for those wanting the privacy of a bush home in one of Tanzania’s most populated elephant corridors. And in Rwanda – one of Africa’s great success stories – two One&Only lodges (oneandonlyresorts.com) will open their doors: the first in Nyungwe Forest, a refuge for diverse monkey populations, and the second, Gorilla’s Nest, in the foothills of the Virunga Mountains in 2019. For a beach experience after the heady heights of the Virungas, guests might be tempted by the refurbished Zuri Zanzibar (zurizanzibar. com), with villas overlooking one of the island’s prettiest white beaches. South Africa is always at the forefront of cutting-edge design and wildlife experiences, and this year, for the first time, luxe properties – by both Natural Selection and Morukuru (morukuru.com) – will open in De Hoop Nature Reserve, renowned for its spectacular long beaches and views of migrating southern right whales. In the leopard-rich Sabi Sands, andBeyond will launch Tengile River Lodge on a spectacular curve of the Sand River – to add to its revamped Phinda Vlei Lodge further south. And for those who like to experience Africa from the air, the operator Roar Africa (roarafrica.com) will offer the country’s only gourmet heli-safari trip to the foodie town of Paternoster, flitting from foraging seaside excursions to feasts at the heralded Wolfgat restaurant. It is indeed a whole new era for exploring Africa. A living room in Nyungwe House; zebras at Mombo Camp, left CONTACT CENTURION SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 21
