Luxury safari lodges are hardly a novelty in Africa any more, but a new opening in Zambia is taking things to rather extraordinary heights.
Anantara Tented Camp Kafue River has opened in the country’s largest national park, with suites suspended high above the ground, private plunge pools and even a floating gym.
It’s the hotel group’s first safari property in Africa and, judging by what’s on offer, it’s determined to make an impression.
Set on the banks of the Kafue River, the 13-room retreat offers guests a front-row seat to one of Africa’s least explored wildernesses, where elephants, hippos, antelope and more than 500 species of birds can be found.
The camp’s three Horizon Terrace suites sit a remarkable 14.3m above the ground, accessed by a glass elevator. Each has an open-air deck, private barbecue and a bed for sleeping beneath the stars.
Nine Pool and Bush villas are positioned a more modest 3.5m above the ground, each with a heated plunge pool overlooking the river and a private massage room.
There’s also a sprawling 400sqm Presidential Villa for those who prefer their wilderness experience with a little more elbow room.
Guests can enjoy breakfast, afternoon tea or sunset wine tastings aboard a floating dining platform on the Kafue River, where hippos and crocodiles are among the possible distractions.
There’s also a floating gym with an outdoor yoga deck, while spa treatments can be enjoyed in the privacy of each villa.
Experienced Zambian guides lead twice-daily game drives through Kafue National Park, while river safaris, bush picnics and catch-and-release fishing are just some of the other ways to explore the surrounding wilderness.
Covering a whopping 22,480sqkm — roughly a third of the size of Tasmania — Kafue National Park is also the focus of a major conservation effort led by African Parks in partnership with the Zambian Government. The work has involved improving wildlife protection and reintroducing species such as wildebeest, zebra and Kafue lechwe antelope.
The camp has been designed with a relatively light footprint, running on solar power and using elevated timber platforms to preserve wildlife corridors beneath the accommodation.
Naturally, all this comes at a price . . . rates start at $US6300 ($9021) per room per night for two people, including meals, premium drinks, twice-daily game drives, butler service and a 90-minute spa treatment per person, per stay.
It’s a considerable sum of money, but then again, having the opportunity to watch the African wilderness unfold from your own private treetop retreat is hardly an everyday experience.
Visit anantara.com/en/tented-camp-kafue-river for more information.