WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied

Perched eight metres above the Namibian bushveld, SkyBoma – the latest addition to Mokuti Etosha – is unlike anything seen in Africa’s safari tourism landscape. Developed by O&L Leisure, this innovation blends elevated dining, indigenous storytelling, and dramatic wilderness views.

“Every lodge has a boma,” says Sven Thieme, managing director of O&L Leisure. “We wanted to build something no one else had, so we moved it up eight metres. From SkyBoma, guests can now see the Etosha Pan. It’s the only structure of its kind in the world.”

Inspired by the local environment, SkyBoma’s sculpted base reinterprets the organic geometry of Namibia’s termite mounds, while its canvas roof mirrors the bold silhouette of the native Omajova mushroom. From above, the looping walkway forms an infinity symbol – a subtle nod to the enduring nature of the bush.

Guests are guided on a ten-minute bushwalk by members of the Hai//om community. Along the way, they stop at a termite mound, beneath a marula tree, and at SkyBoma’s base for traditional fire-making before ascending the winding walkway to dine.

“We’ve designed this experience to be a cultural journey. Everything from the architecture to the menu pays homage to Namibia’s landscape and traditions,” explains Thieme.

As travellers increasingly seek authenticity, exclusivity, and meaningful connections, SkyBoma stands apart as a unique experience. “No other lodge or reserve in the world offers an elevated bush-dining experience of this kind – visually dramatic, culturally immersive, and architecturally bold,” concludes Thieme. ol-leisure.com

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WORDS Gina Dionisio

Bupenyu — meaning “life” in the local Nambya language — embodies a celebration of life’s vibrancy. A fitting name, then, for Newmark Hotels & Reserves’ newest luxury lodge, which blends refined comfort and thoughtful design to honour the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

Set just 28 kilometres from Victoria Falls and located above the banks of the Zambezi River, Bupenyu Lodge is an ideal escape for those seeking to reconnect with nature’s quiet magnificence. Designed by Stellenbosch-based Experience Architects, the lodge pays homage to its setting through cantilevered forms, tensile cables and basalt-lined walls, reflecting the geology of the area and river, some 180 metres below.

The lodge features eleven cliffside suites and an exclusive two-bedroom villa, which blend harmoniously with the rugged terrain, connected by pathways that wind through indigenous miombo woodland. Each suite features a private plunge pool, generous indoor-outdoor living spaces, and natural textures that root the experience firmly in place.  

The interiors, designed by Amy Kidger of Hinterland Studio, blend local crafts and natural materials to create a calm and grounded atmosphere. This design echoes the lodge’s belief that true luxury is found in authenticity, intention, and a deep connection to the surrounding environment. “Nothing looks out of place,” says General Manager Razwilson Dube. “We are part of this landscape, and our guests are invited to become part of it, too.”

Shared spaces flow naturally across the site, including three distinct dining platforms, a boma inspired by the nesting grounds of the rare Taita falcon, a cliffside bird hide, spa treatment pods, an infinity pool, a wine cellar, a gym with a one-kilometre running track, and an on-site helipad for seamless transfers.

Community and connection to the land play an important role at the Lodge. “Bupenyu is designed to deliver authentic experiences that honour Zimbabwe and its people. We see this lodge as the culmination of our philosophy: creating transformative journeys rooted in place, elevated through design, hospitality, and sustainability,” says Michael Liffmann, Newmark’s Director of Pre-Openings and Portfolio Development.

Bupenyu Lodge officially opens its doors on 1 December 2025 and is now open for early booking enquiries. | newmarkhotels.com

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WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Micky Hoyle 

Geiger’s Camp at Motswari Private Game Reserve offers an exclusive and intimate safari experience, seamlessly blending rich family heritage, classic bushveld charm, and a hint of artistic elegance (thanks to owner Marion Geiger). The new suite, named after the legendary Rain Queen of the Balobedu people, carries the same sense of warmth and familiarity that defines the Geiger’s Camp ambience.

The Modjadji Master Suite, clad in stone and thatch, honours its connection to nature by seamlessly blending into its surroundings. The design of the suite took shape through an immersive collaboration with master artisans – local thatchers, stonemasons, and builders whose craft is deeply rooted in the land. Every stone was meticulously set by hand, every texture thoughtfully curated to dissolve into the landscape rather than disrupt it. Built from natural materials, the suite remains cool even in the height of summer, embracing both sustainability and timeless design.

“We used local thatch and rocks we gathered ourselves,” shares Marion Geiger. “We worked with absolute craftsmen and built with the rhythms of the bush. Building here is different – it’s an organic process, a labour of love. It’s slow, intentional, and deeply connected to place.”

The two-sleeper suite (with its convertible lounge area accommodating a family of up to four) embraces alfresco living through its design: the en-suite bathroom flows into an open-air shower, while the spacious lounge – anchored by a fireplace and dining area – opens onto a private deck with a pool overlooking the wilderness, extending to the horizon.

The interior’s layered aesthetic was thoughtfully designed by Marion and interior designer David Strauss. Hand-carved doors, antique furnishings, and carefully sourced pieces lend a sense of history and continuity to the space, carrying Geiger’s Camp’s storied essence into Modjadji.

Two of Marion’s own paintings, created during the suite’s construction, are displayed in the bedroom and lounge, adding a deeply personal touch.

“The most important thing for me is that a place holds you,” says Marion Geiger. “It should feel like home – not like it’s trying to impress. Geiger’s Camp has always been about layers of history, personality, and comfort, and Modjadji continues that tradition.” | newmarkethotels.com | davidstrauss.co.za

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A reimagining of Phinda Forest Lodge champions local tradition and textures while ensuring a full immersion in the endangered sand forest of KwaZulu-Natal.

In 1994, when luxury safari operator &Beyond first opened a lodge in KwaZulu-Natal’s Phinda Private Game Reserve, it was ahead of its time. In an era of safari-pastiche and taxidermy-as-decor, &Beyond Phinda Forest Lodge offered a minimalist vision of what lodge design could be. Gone were the rough-hewn walls and thatched roofs, replaced by glass and wood and an immersion in the endangered sand forest. Here was a lodge that luxuriated in forest bathing long before shinrin-yoku became a buzzword.

But all lodges, prescient though they may be, need to evolve. And in 2023, it was time for Phinda Forest Lodge to step up to the demands of contemporary safari travellers. There was just one catch: to protect the sensitive forest ecosystem, the physical footprint of the lodge’s 16 suites could not be touched. For architect Jack Alexander, that restriction proved to be a lever for creativity. “A blank slate can be quite intimidating,” he says. “In some respects, it helps to have a few constraints to guide you.”

While restricted from extending the footprint, Jack had free rein to rework the interior of each suite. Clever realignment, placing the bathroom at the heart of the suite, and the extension of glass walls created a space where the guest journey – from the outdoor deck to the bedroom, dressing area and bathroom – maintained a visual link with the forest. “We wanted constant contact with the forest as you circulate in the space,” says Jack. He collaborated on the project with Debra Fox and Chris Browne of hospitality design agency Fox Browne Creative, who have been refining the &Beyond lodge aesthetic for three decades. “With limitations around changing the structure, we had to lean hard on texture,” says Chris. As a result, walls and ceilings are clad in traditional Zulu grass mats, and each of the original freestanding bathtubs has been wrapped in a basket of woven cane. Hanging lights take inspiration from traditional Zulu necklaces, while Wolkberg tiles offer geometric interest. Over the bedside tables, clever use of local grass hand brooms adds texture and context to pendant lamps.

While the physical revamp of the suites was constrained, the creation of new public spaces beyond the forest edge offered more freedom for the design team. “Coming out of Covid, luxury of space and abundance of choice became increasingly important to our guests – and Phinda Forest Lodge needed more guest spaces,” explains Brendan Streak, regional manager for Phinda Private Game Reserve. The standout new addition is the signature firepit. Edged with branches to resemble a bird’s nest overlooking the grasslands, it has both a gathering place and a landmark for arrival. “In safari lodges, the firepit is always the heart of the guest experience,” says Debra. “They can so often become a cliché, but Jack has created something quite remarkable at Phinda Forest Lodge.”

Set midway along a wooden walkway, the firepit also links the original lodge – upgraded with a refreshed bar and dining area – to the Gallery, a newly built lounge and gathering space. The Gallery is conceived as both a quiet retreat and a transient space. On check-in, it orients guests between vlei and forest, while a curated collection of artefacts creates a talking point prior to game drives. During the day, guests can page through natural-history reference works, or admire the collection of Zulu pottery. The Gallery also displays a remarkable work by the artist Cecil Skotnes: “The Assassination of Shaka” consists of 43 original woodcuts, with captions by Stephen Gray. Just 225 sets were printed, each numbered and signed by Skotnes.

Beyond the Gallery, an expanded pool deck and new build gym and spa speak to an increased desire for wellness travel, says Streak: “Traditionally, the safari experience is not especially active, but gyms seem to be making a comeback. All our big refurbishments now include bigger fitness centres, giving people the luxury of working out in a wilderness environment.”

It’s just one of the ways in which the world of luxury safaris is changing, as guests look to surround themselves with the sights, sounds, flavours and textures of a destination. And while the Big Five that roam Phinda offer plenty daytime distractions, the magic of the reinvented Phinda Forest Lodge is the absolute immersion during the hours in between. Shinrin-yoku or Zulu-Zen? You decide. | andbeyond.com | jackalexanderstudio.com | foxbrowne.com

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Molori Mashuma in Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park is not your classic tented camp – instead, it pushes the boundaries of safari design in a way that is contextually relevant.

The teak deck flows around the riverine copse like water, providing elevated vantage and deep shade under the mashuma tree, ensconced in “Annie’s V&T” peacock chairs, we watch as spoonbills and jacanas forage in the eponymous pan; a bull elephant delicately suctions up sausage tree flowers; two fork-tailed drongos fight for territory, or females, or fun.

The truck has still not come. Filled with the “finishing touches” to a project now more than three years in the making, it was due two days ago, in time for the arrival of the photographer. But co-owner Annie Ichikowitz and her designer Andrea Kleinloog flit about unfazed, rearranging chairs, plumping cushions, placing gold-tipped grasses in vases and seedpods in soapstone bowls. Andrea bubbles words as she works, positing the impossibility of ascribing a single quality to the African design identity, other than perhaps “resourcefulness”; the importance of “leaning into chaos”, “happy mistakes” and the “generosity of forgiveness”. Looking at this open-air living room, with its vibrancy of colour and bold shapes, finishing touches seem superfluous. It is ebullient and quirky, yet threaded through with a steely resilience.

“When Eric and Annie first approached us to design Molori Mashuma, they had clear ideas on what they didn’t want,” Andrea says. “No thatched lodge; no classic tented camp. To push the boundaries of safari design, but still be contextually relevant to place. To flag that this offers a safari experience unlike any other in southern Africa.”

“Or quite frankly, anywhere,” Annie chips in. “We wanted Mashuma to express what Eric and I love most about being here. There’s a dreamlike enchantment about this place. The way time slows and expands. How the light keeps changing.It’s unlike anything we’ve experienced in all the years we’ve spent in the bush.So we didn’t want traditional.”

Andrea picks up: “Our starting point for the main area was to ‘disappear’ the buildings. We took inspiration from landscape artist Christo Coetzee’s The Gates – simple steel frames he installed in New York’s Central Park in the 1980s – then demarcated the different seating areas within the space, using contemporary furniture that was designed specifically for Mashuma. Given the extreme weather and woodborers, we designed in durable materials – steel, stone and UV-stabilised fibrecane – softening with rich textiles and contrasting colours. We wanted un-ostentatious luxury that allows guests to be fully present within this wild setting.”

Removing the bubble-wrapped trappings of a traditional safari lodge is a fairly radical departure, but sensorial immersion is trademark Mana Pools, where walking amid game is encouraged, and where the depth of field and surreal light cast by the woodlands are much loved by photographers. That said, alfresco living – particularly in the Zambezi valley – presents challenges. “We had to make sure that every element in the main area and the tented suites was lightweight – easy to strip and pack away in storage pods during the rainy season,” Andrea says as she runs her hand over a pod, all a-bristle in brown. “We clad all the storage pods in thatch, so we’ll never have to paint a wall. We introduced the concept of sashiko, the Japanese art of mending fabric with visible stitching and patching. The bedroom cushions, made entirely from offcuts, are decorated in sashiko-style embroidery by the Limpopo-based studio Kaross. The plan is to bring these master craftspeople here to teach the locals to repair tents using these methods.”

Upskilling local talent is key. In 2023, UK-based Zimbabwean-born Xanthe Somers led a two-week workshop in Harare with the potters from Burnt Earth, teaching them a more free-form way to work with clay. Of the 12 mirror frames made during this workshop,10 broke in the kiln. For Andrea, this was just another happy mistake: “We decided to piece them back together in our own African form of kintsugi, the 15th-century Japanese practice that celebrates flaws and mishaps by mending seams in gold or silver – again, repairing rather than replacing.”

The news comes in when we are seated for dinner: the truck will arrive at dawn. “I’ll believe it when I actually see it,” Annie says, and Andrea laughs. And this charms in equal measure: the mutualism of these women, a creative camaraderie made manifest on a spec-like oasis in the vast 676 600-hectare Mana Pools National Park. roraprivatecollection.com | hkstudio.co.za

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This luxurious hideaway blends harmoniously with nature, providing guests a serene escape from city life while ensuring all the comforts of home are readily available.

Situated within the foothills of the Overberg Mountains, Melozhori Private Game Reserve, with its 2,300-hectare predator-free wilderness, is a remote getaway far removed from any mainstream tourist hub.

The Lodge, an exclusive-use manor house, has been recently redesigned to offer its guests a hassle-free and comfortable home-away-from-home experience. The spacious four en-suite bedroom lodge is a harmonious blend of elegant, contemporary styling within a contrasting countryside setting.

The Lodge boasts a spacious open-plan living area beneath its lofty double-volume ceiling, where rustic thatch and wooden beams tower above polished oak floors. Uncluttered and serene, the interior is a wash of neutral, earthy hues with lots of organic materials that draw inspiration directly from the environment. “We took incredible care selecting decorative accents,” says Lientjie Nell, who manages The Lodge with her husband Coenraad.

Individually crafted furniture and finishes are used throughout the interior. In the big open-plan living areas, generously proportioned sofas are covered in hardy natural-fibre fabrics, a tall, stacked stone fireplace looms on one side, and a pair of enormous ornamental chandeliers made with hundreds of pieces of cocoa sticks hang above a specially crafted dining table with a magnificent blackwood top. Accentuating The Lodge’s proximity to wildness, huge fold-away glass doors connect this indoor living space with the majestic world outside.

The Lodge is plush in decor and texture – aesthetic elements, from beautiful pendant cork light fittings by award-winning Cape Town-based designer Laurie Wiid van Heerden to objét from Weylandts, exudes luxury and comfort without being overly grandiose.

“From handwoven washing baskets by Mia Mélange to the throws in beautifully textured fabrics by African Jacquard, we sought to keep it local and unique, to create a one-of-a-kind atmosphere while keeping it liveable and durable – and family-friendly. We want grown-ups and children to feel totally at home in the space, not tip-toe around it.”

The bedrooms open up to the undulating landscape stretching towards a distant horizon. Each bedroom features a private deck with a hammock, perfect for bokkie or bird-watching and relaxation amidst nature.

“As much as it’s an aesthetically cushioning environment, it is still a nature reserve,” says Lientjie. “It is still wild and, aside from the variety of hoofed mammals, there are plenty of weird and wonderful creatures, too. And the amazing stars at night,” explains Lientjie.

An ideal spot to do some stargazing is The Lodge’s scene-stealing fire pit. Sunken into a rim-flow swimming pool that hovers at the edge of a pristine swathe of Overberg wilderness, there’s a surreal sensation of gazing, eye-level, across the water, as you take in the vastness of the enfolding terrain.

There are no set plans or strict itinerary to follow at The Lodge: everything – from the safari outings to the chef-prepared meals – is tailored around the guests’ preferences. Since there are no dangerous animals, guests can hike, stroll, or even jump on a mountain bike and discover more of Melozhori’s dramatic landscape.

Apart from The Lodge, Melozhori has a pair of state-of-the-art eco-pods, each accommodating a couple (and, by arrangement, a child). There is also a double-level “Treehouse” that provides an elevated view of the surrounding terrain. Plus, there’s The Cottage – a pet-friendly self-catering abode with two bedrooms, a wood-fired hot tub, and a pool. | melozhori.co.za

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Drawing inspiration from the campaign safari and royal Raj, Duke’s Camps in the Okavango Delta are a repository of history, conjuring up a bygone era.

When talk turns to Ralph Bousfield, “rock star” is the phrase that often crops up. Tall and rangy, with tousled long hair, wrist cuffed in bracelets, and talisman beads in an antelope scrotum hanging from his neck, this is the mien of a man who knows how to annex attention. Born into a long line of explorers and adventurers, Ralph’s father Jack – holder of the dolorous record for the most crocodiles killed in Africa – started guiding photographic safaris in the 1960s. With a lifetime spent in the bush, augmented by a degree in conservation, Ralph’s skills as a wilderness guide are uncontested: the first choice of Oscar-winning actors, film-makers and former US presidents, he was recognised as Tatler Travel Guide’s Best Safari Guide in Africa in 2023. But he has a knack with furniture and fabrics too.

“His is an extraordinary creativity. Spending a life living so close to nature, he has huge respect for all things alive and dead, old and new. And he has an eye for beauty,” says magpie antique dealer Gilles de Moyencourt, who met Ralph and his then-partner Catherine Raphaely in the 1990s, when they were creating what would become one of the most iconic camps in Africa. Jack’s Camp – part family museum, part romantic evocation of camping in a bygone era – was a rebuild of his father’s favourite campsite in the Makgadikgadi. After Jack’s tragic death in a plane crash, Ralph inherited the keys to a storage unit filled with pristine campaign antiques. Together with the family’s extensive collection of ethnographic and natural artefacts, and photographs of earlier Bousfield explorers, this would form the design core of Jack’s Camp. With the help of a handful of favoured dealers such as De Moyencourt, who alert Ralph to pieces imbued with a kind of narrative depth, and aided by an in-house team of carpenters, welders and seamstresses, this nostalgic aesthetic is still very much in evidence at both Duke’s camps.

Located on a verdant channel in the game-rich northern part of the Okavango Delta, Duke’s East is the more intimate sister to Duke’s, named after another Botswana patriarch: “Duke” Sarefo, whose ancestors are buried on this island. The look is Ralph’s trademark “African Raj”– dark green canvas softened by scalloped edges and draped entrances, the interiors lined with printed cotton – but at Duke’s East, the scale is grander, with double-volume tents on enormous teak decks. The block-print pattern on the interiors, a custom- designed copy of Ralph’s great-grandfather’s campaign tent, is a deep red paisley, creating a richly textured backdrop for polished timber, brass and leather.

Dining is usually alfresco, the long communal table covered in a white tablecloth anchored by a decanter filled with red bird’s-eye chillies soaked in gin – the Bousfields’ legendary Pilipili Hoho. The mess tent features floor-to-ceiling glass case shelves packed with artefacts, reminiscent of a mobile natural history museum. Draped curtains with red velvet tiebacks frame a campaign-style drinks chest that is the central point of the adjacent bar lounge, flanked by sofas covered in velvet and a daybed swaying on chains.

“I’m so not a decorator!” Ralph protests when complimented on his aesthetic. “What I am, is interested in objects and their stories. I’d like to think our camps are a repository of these, whether created in Europe for African explorers or by the Khoi San; over centuries or yesterday. It’s all part of offering guests an authentic experience of the African bush. In fact, the camp is just a small part of a much bigger, much more profound experience.” I have my back to the scrunch and rip of a grazing hippo, just metres from where we are seated for dinner. From here, the draped entrance to the mess tent is like a siren’s lure, the red block-print fabric glowing like one of the coals shovelled under my chair to warm my derriere. I pick up a bone-handled knife, spread some Pilipili Hoho on my fillet. A small part, perhaps…

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A recent refurb at Tswalu Kalahari – the biggest privately owned reserve in South Africa – has given the Tarkuni Homestead a makeover that both looks to the future and honours tradition. And then there’s the breathtaking restaurant Klein Jan…

Remote, exclusive and eco-conscious – and complete with tawny desert sunsets – Tswalu Kalahari embodies all the elements of a memorable safari experience. The Oppenheimer family, committed conservationists and custodians of this tract of stark beauty for more than two decades, are driven by their intent “to leave our world better than we found it”. And they are succeeding.

Two camps – Motse and the private villa Tarkuni – shimmer graciously in the sun. We featured Motse in VISI #106; now we focus on Tarkuni, and the camps’ acclaimed Klein JAN restaurant. As with Motse, an artful revamp by multidisciplinary design practice Savile Row has given the spaces a fresh, contemporary feel that doesn’t compete with the dramatic landscape that unfurls around them.

READ MORE: Motse at Tswalu Kalahari Reserve

As project architect and director Adrian Davidson explains, one of the key reasons for the renovation was to invite more light into the Tarkuni homestead, and to create a more connected flow between the indoor and outdoor living spaces.“We drew inspiration from the surrounding fauna, using a palette of earthy tones and dusty botanical greens for muted, cool, simple interiors,” he says. “There’s nothing fussy or layered in our approach – we wanted the extraordinary vistas to be the hero of the site.”

Thanks to a few well-considered tweaks, a gnarled boscia (shepherd’s tree) has become the focal point at the entrance. The en suite bathrooms are filled with light, and the once-oversized pool has been pared down in keeping with the reserve’s overarching eco-conscious ethos.

In addition, the boma, with its low, stone-packed walls, has been relocated to the front of the five-bedroom exclusive-use villa.

The real architectural marvel at Tswalu is undoubtedly Klein JAN, the 20-seater destination restaurant set in a modest Victorian farmhouse on the Kalahari plains. Spearheaded by Michelin- star chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, this gourmet hub combines seasonal heritage food with culinary traditions (such as fermentation and preservation). Jan Hendrik’s rural roots (he was raised on a farm in Mpumalanga) are evident in both the architectural and culinary details.

READ MORE: Local Travel Destinations

As Adrian explains, the brief for Klein JAN entailed extending and including the humble 100-year-old Boscia House building without changing any of its features. “It must look like Ouma has just stepped out to hang up the washing, and you can smell the food she is preparing on the stove,” said Jan Hendrik at the concept stage.

The end result is nothing short of magical theatre. Patrons are led behind the modest building towards a re-created corrugated-iron reservoir. Here, a concealed door serves as a portal to another world: a helical timber-and-steel staircase leads down to a fully submerged larder and dining space. The 20-metre-long subterranean storehouse buried below the ochre sand is a sensual feast of raw, cured and preserved ingredients. “It’s a ceremonial procession,” says Adrian. “In the distance, Jan Hendrik’s grandmother’s original coal stove stands like an altar, complete with pots of fragrant soup that evoke feelings of nostalgia.”

From there, guests move to the glass-fronted dining room, which has been cut into the hillside. “The decision to set the restaurant into the earth was not only to create an element of surprise, but also to harness the known benefits of ‘thermal lag’ found in pit architecture,” Adrian says.

The restaurant celebrates modern Kalahari cuisine, and champions local, independent organic producers, farmers and artisans who align with Klein JAN’s sustainable ethos. “The order of spaces and experiences evolved to mirror Jan Hendrik’s personal culinary journey,” Adrian explains. “The humble Boscia homestead represents his traditional past; the restaurant represents an exciting future.” | tswalu.com

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Layering family history with classic, nostalgia-inflected safari style and touches of bohemian and artistic flair, Geiger’s Camp at Motswari Private Game Reserve is a unique, ultra-private and authentic bush experience.

The restrained glamour of old-school safari style is very much in evidence at Geiger’s Camp, a boutique lodge that forms part of Motswari Game Reserve in the Timbavati/Umbabat, on the edge of Kruger Park. At this intimate lodge, the design of both buildings and interiors is a story of one family’s love for the area, and for spending their downtime in the bush.

“It’s a philosophy, not decor,” says owner Marion Geiger-Orengo, the daughter of one of Motswari’s original founders, Paul Geiger – and when I ask her to suggest a few key words she associates with Geiger’s Camp, she answers thoughtfully, “Shade. Peace. Heritage. Layered.” Uniting the talents of Marion, her French husband Fabrice Orengo de Lamazière and interior designer David Strauss, the camp has a unique look and feel that has evolved over the years. More than mere decoration, this is a style that is forged in equal parts from Marion’s heritage, Fabrice’s vision and David’s guidance.

According to David, working on Geiger’s Camp with Marion and Fabrice was all about creating a resolutely “un-decorated” feel that also reflected the couple’s “cosmopolitan family history”. The aim was, he says, to make guests “feel like one of the family”, and to create a place “not designed to impress, but designed for the user”.

Geiger’s Camp is small and ultra-private: situated on a secluded koppie, it has just four spacious double rooms, which are grouped around a central communal area with an expansive pool terrace-cum-veranda that sports panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. It was Fabrice who conceptualised the eye-shaped swimming pool and spacious veranda; he is consistently, say both David and Marion, the one who brings “the flair” to a project. The outdoor lounging and dining areas are complemented by indoor spaces that include a cosy study and lounge, and all the buildings have been carefully constructed from locally collected stone, with tall thatched roofs, old-fashioned steel-framed windows and beautifully polished, patinated ochre concrete floors.The structures instantly evoke the spirit of pragmatic simplicity so characteristic of remotely situated dwellings. Layered onto this classic bush backdrop is a mix of antique and vintage furniture pieces, thoughtfully selected textiles, collected treasures that reflect the camp’s wilderness location and arresting paintings by Marion herself – she is an established contemporary artist, with a studio in situ.

The overall effect is very much one of “living with the collections of bohemian travellers”, as David puts it. In my suite, an antique wardrobe, a charming vintage bench with an embroidered seat, and a beautiful old chaise longue with brocade upholstery were perfectly complemented by a contemporary wood-beaded chandelier and a large, pure-white mosquito net.

An overall feeling of spaciousness and comfort abounds in the rooms, with careful attention to detail evident everywhere and in everything, from the lighting design to the stone-topped bathroom vanity and the nostalgia-inspiring claw-footed steel bath, which is not guilt-inducingly large, yet is delightfully deep – making it the perfect place to wallow in Africology bubbles before bed on a cool winter’s night.

The first parts of what is now Geiger’s Camp were built as a reserve manager’s house, and later became the personal bush escape of Marion’s older brother, Roland, and his wife Roxy. After Roland was tragically killed in a plane crash in 2001, it morphed into Shlaralumi Cottage, with three additional rooms added to the original house.

Finally, in 2011, the decision was made to fully refurbish the camp as a private lodge, and Marion, Fabrice and David worked collaboratively together to gradually give it the historically inflected elegance and intimacy that characterise Geiger’s Camp today. At Fabrice’s suggestion, at this time the camp was also given a new name, to honour the heritage of the Geiger family. And so it came to be that Geiger’s Camp reflects the Geigers’ history as a conservation family, and invites its guests to share in their unique take on the safari.

For more information, visit newmarkethotels.com and davidstrauss.co.za.

Looking for more lodges or architectural inspiration? Take a look at the Witklipfontein Eco Lodge.

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Xigera, a new boutique lodge in Botswana’s pristine Okavango Delta, combines all the wonders of a bush destination with sustainable, location-sensitive architecture – and a magnificent showcase of contemporary African design.

Dawn breaks at Xigera, in the heart of the Okavango Delta. The velvety-black night sky fades to midnight blue, and the first bird calls – a laughing dove. It’s closely followed by the liquid notes of a coucal, in turn interrupted by the raucous alarm call of a francolin, as the heavens rapidly lighten. Soon the upper part of the sky has bleached from royal to cobalt blue, and a peachy-pink glow beneath heralds the arrival of the sun. Moments later, the fiery orange-red ball pops above the horizon, and as if to greet it, two fish eagles call in chorus, far away.

I’m observing all this right from my bed, in the heart of my suite. From here, there’s a full 180-degree view of the floodplain that one side of Xigera lodge opens out to, through the glazed front façade of the suite’s bathroom, bedroom and living area. It was a conversation with architect Anton de Kock – who, with much valued professional assistance by Malan Vorster Architecture, designed all of Xigera’s built structures – that alerted me to the bed’s perfect placement. “Sit right here,” he said, patting the opulent African Jacquard scatter cushion in the middle of the bed. “See, the bathroom and the living room are placed just forward of the bedroom space, so you get that view right across the horizon…”

Anton’s architectural inspiration for the lodge came from the natural landscape that surrounds Xigera. He envisaged the structures as being an abstraction of birds in flight, with a central “body” and adjacent “wings”. (The lodge is an excellent place to spot the elusive Pel’s fishing owl, along with many other species.) And so, with their swooping, tensile canvas tented roofs and eye-catching clerestory windows, they do.

Positioned between a river on one side and a floodplain on the other, among the breathtaking trees that form a typical riverine forest canopy, Xigera has been placed and designed to disappear almost entirely into its setting. You could visit the lodge and never leave the camp – and still have a wonderful bush experience simply by wandering along the kilometres of sustainably sourced garapa boardwalks that link the main buildings, spa and pool area with the various suites. Birds and tree squirrels chatter overhead, vervet monkeys treat the suite roofs as an activity playground, and a myriad other mammals – ranging from delicately stepping bushbuck to Xigera’s majestic leopards – regularly wander through the unfenced camp. It’s why guests are always accompanied back to their suites after dark.

“It’s supposed to just feel natural,” says Toni Tollman, director of design and projects at Red Carnation Hotel Collection (the developers and owners), and Xigera absolutely does. Each of the 12 suites nestles among the trees as if it had always been there. In part, this is because their exterior walls are clad in sustainably sourced Japanese cedarwood that has been “torched” using a traditional shou sugi ban process, in which the timber surface is treated with an open flame, creating a layer of charcoal that protects it from both insects and weather. Plus, it’s precisely the right shade of grey-brown to blend in with the tree trunks of the forest surrounds. Multiple further careful choices of materials, and the attention paid to the practicalities, also contribute to Xigera’s sustainability credentials. The lodge is entirely off-grid: it generates its own solar power, purifies its own water, and processes its own waste using state-of-the-art technology.

The Xigera design team also rightly relates the fact that the lodge is an unprecedented showcase of African design excellence to the sustainability of its creation. The collection was put together by Toni and project manager Philip Fourie, in collaboration with Southern Guild. As Anton points out, it is “intrinsically sustainable” for multiple reasons, including the fact that the vast majority of the pieces were manufactured in southern Africa, and because it is an “heirloom collection that is timeless and will last many lifetimes”. Over 90% of Xigera’s furniture, art, decor accessories, crockery, glassware, linens and textiles were hand-produced in Africa by more than 80 studios, designers and artists, making the lodge a remarkable showcase of the largest single collection of African design anywhere in the world.

Xigera is unique. As an experience, it blends all the luxurious style of a very special boutique hotel with consummate African artistry and artisanship, as well as affording its visitors superb access to the fauna and flora of the Okavango Delta. Its like has not been seen before – and the design artistry deployed here, in particular, makes this extraordinary destination a new benchmark for the African lodge experience.

For more visit xigera.com.

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