36 Best Hotels in Mpumalanga and Kruger National Park, South Africa

This avant-garde, eco-friendly lodge was the first to break away from the traditional safari style and strive for a contemporary theme. It's a luxurious cross between a Hopi cave dwelling and a medieval keep, but with modern touches. You won't spot your mud-domed suite, hidden from view by bush-covered hummocks, until you're practically at the front door. Rough-textured, dark brown walls encrusted with orange seeds and wisps of indigenous grasses cocoon the gorgeous suites which have a huge living area, a mega bedroom and bathroom, private verandah, and plunge pool. The dining boma, fashioned from branches, is lit at night by scores of flickering lanterns. A personal butler takes care of your every need, and there's a meditation garden.

Sabi Sabi's delightful little camp is tucked away in the bushveld on the banks of the Msuthlu River and combines spaciousness with a sense of intimacy. At night glowing oil lanterns lead you along a wooden walkway to your comfortable thatch-roof room or suite decorated in earthy tones of brown, cream, and white. After your action-packed morning game drive—during which you'll see game galore—and your delicious brunch, relax on your secluded wooden deck with plunge pool overlooking the bush, or go active and take a guided game walk with your armed ranger. In the evening dine out under the stars—if you're a city slicker, you may never have seen such bright ones.

Possibly the most exquisitely elegant lodge in the reserve, six spacious stylish suites themed around indigenous trees are clustered on the banks of the (mostly dry) Manyeleti river. Bespoke handmade, hand-embroidered furniture in the subtle colors of the surrounding jackalberry and leadwood forests are enhanced by bespoke fittings, original art, and superb attention to detail from copper lamps to marble-topped occasional tables. The huge wraparound wooden decks with river views have personal pools, outside showers, and comfy loungers where you can laze the day away between game drives.

If you're looking for mega-opulence in traditional safari style, then this breathtakingly luxurious lodge is for you. From the moment you walk into the main lounge with its genuine antique furniture, leather chairs gleaming with the polish of years of use, old photographs and paintings, mounted game trophies, and hand-carved doors and windows, you'll be transported to Old Africa at its best. Your room gives exactly the same feel—beautiful antiques, a claw-foot bathtub, a four-poster bed, and a dressing room big enough to swing a leopard by the tail. Write in your journal at the antique desk or laze on your deck next to your private plunge pool and soak up the stunning views. The variety of interleading room suites makes this a top choice for intergenerational family safaris. 

More intimate than its sister camp, Lebombo, but still smack in the middle of the "Land of Lions," Sweni is built on wooden stilts with seven huge river-facing suites glassed on three sides, wooden on the other. At night khaki floor-to-ceiling drapes divide the living area from the bedroom, with its king-size bed and its cascade of ceramic beads. Brown netting lampshades, cream mohair throws, and brown leather furniture enhance the natural feel and contrast boldly with the gleam of stainless steel in the living room and bathroom. You can relax in a wooden rocking chair on your large reed-shaded deck and watch game, or spend the night under the stars on a comfy, mosquito-net-draped mattress. The pool suite is more plush with its own bathing deck. 

This gorgeous ultraluxurious lodge, sited under huge jackalberry and fig trees, overlooks a seasonal river, where game (elephants especially) come down to drink and bathe. Each suite is themed for one of the great African explorers, including Dr. Livingstone and Stanley, who would undoubtedly be amazed by such modern conveniences as air-conditioning, hair dryers, en suite bathrooms, and personal plunge pools. The suites are warmed by Persian rugs and honey-colored velvet chairs and ottomans. Dining is under the stars or in an elegant thatch dining room with open fireplace and sparkling chandelier. Stargaze by telescope, enjoy a spa treatment, visit a local Shangaan village, or, if you're both adventurous and romantic, opt for a moonlight sleep-out in the bush. There's also a Manor House that's rented out separately to private groups of six or more (it can accommodate 10).