Our top 5 favourite sustainable lodges

Travel is not just a joy, it can also make a positive difference to the people and places you visit. We’ve picked out five of our favourite lodges in Africa, where guests can be sure of an exceptional safari experience and the satisfaction of knowing their stay is helping to support conservation efforts and community projects.

1. Grootbos Nature Reserve, South Africa

When it comes to sustainable luxury tourism, award winning and family owned Grootbos is very much a shining light. Set across a 2,500 hectare stretch of protected fynbos overlooking the broad sweep of Walker Bay, the reserve is home to two distinct lodges – the family friendly Garden Lodge and the more contemporary Forest Lodge – together offering a collection of breathtaking suites immersed in nature.

Guests can explore the landscape in a variety of ways, from botanical walks and 4x4 safaris to trips out into the bay to spot the Marine Big Five or even take in the views from above on a scenic flight.

When the Lutzeyers set up the Grootbos Foundation in 2003, their aim was not only to preserve this precious wilderness, with its rare plants and ancient milkwood forests from which it takes its name. They were also keen to benefit local communities through imaginative initiatives that have gone from strength to strength, from indigenous horticulture training to daily sports programmes for young people. The Foundation also supports a cooperative farm, with produce helping supply local community initiatives.

2. Governors’ Mugie House, Kenya

A small and charming member of the highly regarded Governors’ Camp Collection, Mugie House has an enviable setting at the northern end of a 50,000-acre private conservancy in Laikipia. Its varied habitats, from savannah and bush to olive forests, harbour a rich mix of wildlife, including several rare northern Kenyan species such as the reticulated giraffe – one of which, rescued as a baby and named Tala, has been known to pop her head in at windows to greet new guests.

There’s a strong focus at Mugie on managing the delicate balance between conservation, local engagement and responsible tourism. Projects include a conservation-led cattle-grazing programme that supports local pastoralist communities, as well as regular outreach health clinics via the Moyo Foundation. Mugie House itself is fully solar-powered, while guests can take part in behind-the-scenes activities, including heading out with the Mugie bloodhounds and their handlers as they track down the culprits behind crimes against both wildlife and livestock.

3. Chobe Game Lodge, Botswana

The luxury Chobe Game Lodge is the only permanent property inside the wonderfully biodiverse Chobe National Park, with an enviable riverside setting that makes it a superb base for game-viewing on both land and water. Part of the Desert & Delta Safaris collection, it’s a long-time trailblazer in environmental responsibility, with impressive eco credentials to match.

The park’s varied landscapes support a wide range of wildlife, from elephants and hippos to lions, leopards and wild dogs, which can be explored using a fleet of electric 4x4s and solar-powered safari boats. As well as being emission-free, they’re almost silent – ideal for close encounters that don’t disturb the animals. Other eco initiatives include an efficient recycling plant, a closed-loop water system and a biogas facility.

Support for local communities is also central to the lodge’s philosophy, reflected in everything from its pioneering all-women guiding team – designed to promote female empowerment – to youth development projects and health schemes for staff.

4. Lemala Ngorongoro, Tanzania

Lemala’s commitment to protecting the environment and supporting local communities runs through all of its boutique tented camps and lodges in Tanzania. At Lemala Ngorongoro, an intimate camp of just nine tents tucked into an acacia forest near the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, that ethos feels especially close to hand.

A stay here supports both local communities and the wider Tanzanian economy. Many of the staff come from nearby villages, Maasai guides lead wildlife‑spotting forest walks and, wherever possible, food is sourced locally. Even the biodegradable lunch boxes used across Lemala’s camps have a story behind them, produced by a women’s empowerment centre in Mto wa Mbu.

These initiatives are complemented by a strong focus on environmental responsibility, from 100% solar power to reverse‑osmosis water systems that remove the need for plastic bottles. Many of the camp’s building materials have also been repurposed from recycled sources.

5. Bomani Tented Lodge, Zimbabwe

Remote, exclusive and wonderfully authentic, Bomani Tented Lodge enjoys an unbeatable setting in a private reserve on the fringes of Hwange National Park. As with all Imvelo Safari Lodges, there’s a strong focus here on protecting the surrounding wilderness while improving the lives of the communities who call it home.

All staff are recruited locally, often from within walking distance of Hwange, but the benefits extend far beyond employment. Nearby communities are supported through initiatives ranging from mobile dental clinics and clean drinking water projects to ongoing investment in village schools.

Conservation efforts begin with the lodge’s location just outside the park, helping to reduce pressure on the core wilderness, and extend to practical measures such as a network of fireguards designed to provide early warning of bushfires during the dry season.

Water is a precious resource in Hwange, particularly in the dry months, so Imvelo maintains 19 pumped waterholes using hybrid solar and diesel systems. Guests can gain a deeper insight into this work by joining one of the regular ‘pump runs’, delivering supplies and food to the teams who keep these vital lifelines running for much of the year.

The information is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication.