ThudAndBlunder

Because there's often a trade-off; the remoteness of the best game viewing camps (and often their desire or the requirement to leave a small footprint) tends to militate against the provision of an ultra-luxe experience.

Kagehitokiri

IMHO this discussion is becoming a little confused, primarily because no one in this thread has brought up cheap nonluxury camping.

singita tanzania has huge private reserve, mobile camp, and at least horseback if not walking as well.

singita zimbabwe also has large mostly private reserve.

not to mention, OP said botswana and not south africa. (which fits forum re experience if not game as well.) i just asked about south africa because it has giant multi-bedroom villas/residences while botswana doesnt. and i only actually posted about them because KrazeeJoe specifically asked.

also aesla11, by your argument you should have done mombo, which is wilderness safaris.

Ericka

I don't agree with this. Our Jao experience was certainly luxurious. The only thing missing was the AC/heat, but that's why you pick the right time of year to go. I'm sure the same can be said of Mombo.

ThudAndBlunder

I stand by my wild generalisation

(which was a response to wripro's question as to why can't one have it all; it's just the nature of the beast that by and large, there is a tradeoff involved, for the reasons I highlighted).

Which is not to say that you can't get amazing properties in remote Botswana - you certainly can, as your examples highlight. But they will never have the best accommodation, and in my opinion it would be environmental madness for them to even try.

A380 Flyer

Cannot really go wrong with Greystoke Mahale in Tanzania. It is one of my top 10 accommodations in the world.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWO0jAYqYYk

I also adore Serra Cafema in the Skeleton Coast of Namibia. Not a true safari, but still a great experience with many desert animals, including rhino which have adapted to the harsh terrain.

aesla11

Well said.

Good example would be our stay this past summer in Botswana. Initially, we stayed at Xudum which is their MOST luxurious camp. But we left a night early due to poor safaris and lack of excitement. Once arrived in Sandibe, despite the fact it was slightly dated and did not have as comfortable accomodation and luxurious surrounding, we did not want to leave after five nights due to such rich wildlife, exclusive safaris and absolutely expert guides and trackers. In most drives, we only encountered only one or two other vehicles and had our private safari the entire time.

So again, I do not believe in recieve absolute luxury in Africa as the reason why I go there is not that but to have the most exciting and private wildlife encounters. But other parts of the world that main purpose is relaxation, luxury should be in the forefront.

ThudAndBlunder

We must have similar tastes, Aesla11, as I loved Sandibe as well for the reasons you mentioned. One of my favourite safari experiences...

Disco Volante

This is absolutely right. This FT article by Max Hastings gives an idea of an extended stay in a private property in Kenya. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/6eb3624e-4...#axzz291LGKTHW

Five Star Traveller

I would love to hear more about the Singita properties in Tanzania if anybody has recently visited. Singita Sasakwa seems to have a reputation as the most luxurious lodge in Africa based on what I've read from experts and other experienced travelers. It's hard to imagine a better safari lodge than Singita Boulders, but I've seen quite a few reports from people who've been to both commenting that Sasakwa is even more amazing and well worth the extra money.

Nizar

I sent my parents off to Earth Lodge for their 30th anniversary trip a few years back (2011) and they said while the hard product was top notch, the service was sadly lacking.

Groombridge

I recently stayed at all four of Singita's Tanzania properties. They were quite a mixed bag. While the guides/drives were good at all of them, the accommodation, service, and food was variedly wildly across the four: Sasakwa, Faru Faru, Sabora Tented Camp, and Mara River Tented Camp.

But yes, Sasakwa Lodge is superb, a world-class property that would rank alongside the finest lodgings I have ever experienced: the stand-alone villa accommodations are well maintained and very beautifully designed, truly sumptuous abodes. The service and food were impeccable. Unlike the other 3 Singita Tanzania properties, the towels here were fresh and thick. My rating: a solid 5 out of 5 stars.

Sabora Tented Camp: the air-conditioning units aren't strong enough to make the place inhabitable by day, and while the turn of the century / colonial design is charming, the tent furnishings are starting to show their wear. The above-ground pool is unappealing, and except for game drives, there's not much that captivates here. And there was quite a lot of insect life in the tent -- even within the mosquito netting. My rating: 2 out of 5 stars.

Mara River Tented Camp: a disaster. Inedible food and absurdly bad service. (For example, we were told that we must turn on a flashlight to signal to the staff to come escort us from our tents after dark. But when night fell, the flashlight had been removed from our tent and never replaced, requiring us to yell at the top of our lungs for them to come get us.) It is an "eco-property," so everything is solar powered, which means that there is no air-conditioning and the tents were stifling by day. The small, above-ground pool had a layer of scum on its bottom, making it incredibly unappealing. Now some will say: what do you expect -- it's a tent -- you can't expect luxury. Well, if we weren't paying $2000/night, I'd agree -- but when a resort opts to charge the same rates as a luxury property, I expect it to be better than a bed in a meltingly hot tent. My rating: 1 out of 5 stars.

Faru Faru Lodge: Beautifully designed accommodation, but the bathrooms are showing wear-and-tear. As at all Singita Tanzania lodges except Sasakwa, the towels were threadbare, as if they hadn't been replaced in years. The food and service were quite uneven. For example, there were no towels at the pool, and several times we had to hunt around the property until we found someone. On the other hand, they provide a lovely "breakfast in the bush" after one of your morning game drives, and the design of the property is quite nice. My rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Thankfully, the excellent Saskawa was our final stop, and when I spoke with the GM there, he indicated that Singita Tanzania had never developed the same quality of service and food as Singita South Africa.

It was nonetheless a truly wonderful trip -- as the game drives with really superb guides were beyond my wildest dreams. But I did expect much more from Singita, given those steep rates, and only Sasakwa Lodge delivered.

Hope this is helpful --

Five Star Traveller

Thank you, Groombridge! That was exactly the kind of information I was looking for. Very helpful comparison of the Singita Tanzania properties!

It's a shame the others don't live up to expectations of the Singita brand, but I'm glad to hear at least Sasakwa is world-class and deserving of all its praise.

floridagal23

we are just back from time at Sweni and Ebony and spoke to several guests who had been at sasakawa and raved. We are booking that next.

DSI

At the risk of coming from an entirely different perspective, I wouldn't be interested in the Singita lodges because of the large hotel feel and shared vehicles. It would feel like a giant cruise ship to me, and that's just not my thing.

Kagehitokiri

singita tanzania mobile camp is private, 2 person minimum

"large" "giant" - incorrect, singita bedroom counts >
6 - sweni / mara
9 - sabora
10 - faru faru
6 (+ 5 private) - pamushana
12 - ebony / boulders
15 - lebombo
13 (+ 8 private) - sasakwa

only places where rates include private vehicles >
amankora (included with 7 night minimum stay)
amansara
amantaka
awasi atacama
awasi patagonia
(awasi iguazu - upcoming)
dar ahlam