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A private villa safari promises an unforgettable experience for the multigenerational family. Designed with extended families in mind, villas offer exclusive getaways, uncrowded activities, and a home away from home feeling.
Dedicated staff, private guides and game drive vehicles, and exquisite dining all add up to a luxurious holiday filled with memory-making moments. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the 10 most exclusive villas for a private family safari.
1. Morukuru Farm House – South Africa
Morukuru Farm House is set on a malaria-free private concession within the Madikwe Game Reserve. This contemporary five-bedroom African homestead comfortably sleeps 10 people, making it ideal for a multi-generational family or group of friends celebrating a special occasion.Â
This destination’s hospitality team includes a private guide, tracker, hostess, chef, butler, and housekeepers, all dedicated to ensuring an unforgettable stay.
Soak up some sun next to the private pool, lounge with a cocktail in hand in your outdoor bathtub, or head out on a safari in a private vehicle – Morukuru offers multigenerational families the ultimate exclusive escape.
2. Cheetah Plains Mapogo Villa – South Africa
The Cheetah Plains Mapogo Villa is an ultra-luxurious accommodation situated within the Cheetah Plains Private Game Reserve in the renowned Sabi Sands Game Reserve.
Famous for its extraordinary wildlife viewing, Sabi Sands shares an unfenced border with the renowned Kruger National Park and sightings of the Big Five are all but guaranteed.
An exclusive-use property set besides an active waterhole, Mapogo Villa offers the highest levels of privacy and personalized service, with four spacious and luxurious suites sleeping up to 8 adults, ideal for a multigenerational safari experience.Â
Guests have access to exclusive twice-daily game drives in near-silent electric safari vehicles led by experienced rangers and expert trackers. For an even more immersive experience, the villa also offers guided bush walks, providing a different perspective on the African wilderness.
Dining at Mapogo Villa is an experience in itself, with your private chef on hand to prepare personalized dishes. For a sublime experience, the villa will organize a bush dinner under the stars.
When you’re not out exploring the wonders of the reserve, relax next to the pool on the expansive deck or share stories at the boma fireplace, sundowner in hand. If you’re looking for a top-tier safari getaway with the whole family, Mapogo Villa delivers in every way.
3. Kapama Kruger Homestead – South Africa
Kapama Kruger Homestead, situated in the Kapama Private Game Reserve and with easy access from Hoedspruit airport, offers up to six guests an unparalleled and intimate escape into the heart of Africa.
Exquisitely designed suites with ample space ensure maximum comfort and the height of luxury, the ideal base from which to explore the abundant local wildlife. Your stay includes the services of a private safari guide and vehicle, personal chef, and concierge who will take care of your every need.
Beyond exclusive early morning and early evening game drives led by expert guides, Kapama Kruger Homestead offers interactive and personal bush walks for a closer look at the side of the bush you might have missed on a game drive.
For a truly intimate experience, spend a night under the stars on a romantic sleepout platform surrounded by the sounds of the bush below you.
For the little ones, there’s a thoughtfully tailored children’s programme guaranteed to keep kids entertained while you indulge in a massage or spa treatment at the award-winning wellness center or cool off in the private pool.
4. Sitatunga Private Island – Botswana
Opened mid-July 2023, Sitatunga Private Island features just 3 luxury units sleeping up to 8 guests, the perfect setting for a private multigenerational family safari. Set deep in the beautiful waterways of the Okavango Delta, this exclusive-use camp offers supreme levels of comfort living up to the famed Great Plains experience.
Guests can expect elegant but understated luxury, authentic and tasteful decor, and outstanding service on all fronts.Â
Activities at this stunning and remote location include day game drives, scenic helicopter flights, boating safaris, mokoro (traditional dugout canoe) excursions, guided safari walks, and catch-and-release fishing trips.
For the kids, there’s a captivating Young Explorers programme, giving parents time to relax and soak up the magnificent natural surroundings of this exclusive destination.
5. Wolwedans Plains Camp – Namibia
An exquisite, eco-friendly safari camp situated in the heart of the NamibRand Nature Reserve, Wolwedans Plains Camp is the ideal destination for a family reunion or milestone occasion. Plains Camp caters for 8 guests in four en-suite rooms offering uncompromising privacy and solitude, and surrounded by the awe-inspiring desert landscape.
A private guide and vehicle, house manager, and chef are at your beck and call for a completely exclusive experience.
Beyond taking in the awesome desert vistas from the camp, cooling off in the swimming pool, and relaxing in the central lounge area with its study, living room, and dining area, guests can look forward to scenic guided nature drives, immersive Bushman nature walks, desert sundowners, star safaris, cultural village tours, hot air ballooning, e-biking, and horse riding.Â
6. Chongwe House – Zambia
Chongwe House is ideally situated on a peaceful stretch of the Chongwe River. This two-storey, four-bedroom house is ideal for longer stays, comfortably sleeps four to eight people, and features private open-air bathtubs, waterfall showers, a large pool, and spacious indoor and outdoor lounges that will suit families and small groups down to the ground.Â
Guests can look forward to fine dining featuring local and seasonal ingredients, spotting elephants wading across the river, and simply relaxing in the midst of the untamed wilderness.
A range of activities are on offer at Chongwe House, from private day and night game drives and walking safaris to canoeing safaris, boat cruises, and tiger fishing. All the while you’ll be looked after by a dedicated staff and guiding team.
7. Geoffrey Kent Suite at Sanctuary Olonana – Kenya
The opulent Geoffrey Kent Suite at Sanctuary Olonana offers the more discerning traveler sublime architecture and contemporary interior design in the heart of Kenya’s Masai Mara.
Two en-suite bedrooms complete with free-standing bathtubs, an additional connecting bedroom for children, wraparound deck with infinity pool overlooking the Mara River, and floor-to-ceiling windows provide an elegant but comfortable getaway, especially for families looking for seclusion and privacy.Â
With such lavish accommodations (not to mention massages and spa treatments) you won’t be blamed for wanting to just kick back and relax, but Sanctuary Olonana also offers a range of exciting activities.
Go on game drives to witness the Great Migration (in season) and other incredible wildlife, be immersed in tradition on cultural Maasai village visits, indulge in an intimate bush dinner, enjoy sundowners in the wilderness, or embark on a hot air balloon flight.
With your own private chef, private vehicle, and safari guide, your every need will be taken care of at this exclusive destination.
8. Jabali Private House in Ruaha Asilia – Tanzania
Perfect for friends or families, Jabali Private House is an intimate exclusive-use property surrounded by ancient baobabs in Ruaha National Park. The house features three bedrooms, a lounge, dining area, and a private pool overlooking the dense forest.
A dedicated team comprising a private chef, guide, and safari vehicle are on hand to tend to your every need. The park itself is famous for its healthy herds of elephant and buffalo, as well as its bold lions, which have been known to hunt giraffes and even elephants.
Activities at Jabali Private House include day and night game drives, bush brunches, immersive walking safaris with experienced guides and local trackers, and photographic safaris in specially modified photographic vehicles.
Safari vehicles are open-sided six-seaters with removable canvas roof and sides, maximizing the sense of being out in the wilderness. When you’re done exploring, head over to the Asilia Spa at Jabali Ridge for a rejuvenating massage and treatment.
9. Mkombe’s House Lamai – Tanzania
Mkombe’s House Lamai is the only self-contained private house on the whole of the Serengeti.
Situated on a hillside in the middle of one of the richest game areas in the Lamai region, this exclusive destination offers families a home away from home with two open-fronted adult rooms, two fully enclosed children’s rooms, two pools (one for the kids!), large inside and outside dining areas, and a sundeck perfect for watching the herds making their way across the plains below you.
A range of adventurous activities awaits you at Mkombe’s house. Take off on a private game drive led by expert guides keen to share their knowledge of the bush, go on a guided bush walk to immerse yourself in the local flora and fauna, or head down to the nearby Mara River to witness thrilling river crossings during the Great Migration.
With five rooms catering up to 10 guests, Mkombe’s House couldn’t be a better destination for an exclusive escape into one of the most beautiful places in Africa.
10. Thanda Island – Tanzania
Situated on an uninhabited, 8-hectare tropical island in the Shungi Mbili Marine Reserve, Thanda Island has repeatedly been voted by the World Travel Awards as the World’s Leading Exclusive Private Island.
This single-key villa has five air-conditioned suites that open directly onto the beach and can comfortably sleep 10 adults, with additional beds for children.
The island also features two traditional, open-air Tanzanian bandas – think spacious beach chalets. If you’re looking for a refreshing getaway after a hot and dusty East African safari, it doesn’t get much better than this.
During your stay, which includes your own chef, hostess, housekeeper, activities guide, and boatman, you’ll have access to the villa’s 36-foot adventure yacht, 28-foot deep-sea fishing cat, and 34-foot motor cruiser, all run by the highly experienced captain and crew.
Guests have a choice of thrilling activities, including sailing, kayaking, deep-sea fishing, swimming with whale sharks, scuba diving, snorkeling, beach volleyball, and island tennis. After all the action, indulge in a relaxing spa treatment and massage.
For the multigenerational family looking for an exclusive safari villa experience, Discover Africa offers some of the best destinations in Africa. Speak to a safari expert today about planning the ultimate family getaway in the most intimate settings.
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Author: Adelle Bell
Published: 5 December 2023