Region · Africa
Africa: our editorial guide to lodges and resorts
Safari lodges from the Okavango Delta to the Serengeti. Coastal resorts along Mozambique and the Seychelles. Every entry rated on wildlife density, guiding depth, food, sustainability and honest journey time from Boston, London and Johannesburg. Real USD price bands. Best-season windows. Nothing on this page is sponsored.
Eco lodge is one of the most abused labels in travel. Our test is simple: does the property model sustainability into its operations (solar, off-grid water, real conservation levy, community employment, biodegradable amenities, no single-use plastics), or is it a design brochure with a bamboo lamp? The 18 lodges here pass the test. We check the operation, not the marketing.
Costa Rica (7 lodges)
Pacuare Lodge on the Pacuare River (raft-in access, hydro-powered, community model). Lapa Rios on the Osa Peninsula (rainforest reserve owned by the lodge). Nayara Tented Camp at Arenal (regenerative reforestation programme). Nayara Springs (sister property, adults-only). Tortuga Lodge in Tortuguero (turtle conservation partnership). El Silencio in Bajos del Toro (cloud forest reserve). Origins Lodge in Bijagua (family-owned, off-grid).
Bali and Indonesia (4)
Ulaman Eco Luxury Resort in Tabanan (permaculture, single-use plastic ban). Bambu Indah in Ubud (John Hardy’s antique house restoration). Misool Eco Resort in Raja Ampat (marine reserve funded by lodge revenue). Nihi Sumba (Sumba Foundation as operating model).
Amazon and Andes (3)
Anavilhanas Jungle Lodge in Brazil. Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica in Peru. Mashpi Lodge in Ecuador’s Choco cloud forest.
Australia and Pacific (4)
Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort on the Great Barrier Reef. Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island. Longitude 131 at Uluru. Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef.