Private safari houses and villas give you the luxury of your own secluded, exclusive space. Dedicated guides and staff pander to your every whim, so you can tear up the rule book and do what you want, when you want. It’s the perfect solution when you’re travelling with your kids, and/or your parents.
What exactly are private safari houses and villas?
We’re talking self-contained luxury accommodation options for multiple travellers, either in their own secluded locations, or at a discreet distance from the parent lodge. They’re fully serviced – including dedicated guides, butlers and chefs who are on hand to deliver a private retreat experience – and usually come with private vehicles and activities.
Why choose private safari houses and villas?
Your family gets an exclusive space where everyone can feel at home. It’s a place to laugh, love and be silly … your own comfort(able) zone for pillow fights, eating pizza and and snoozing on the couch.
While shared activities mean considering the wishes of other guests, going private means it’s all about you. Set your own schedule, or discard it. It’s perfect for teenagers who can’t get up for dawn game drives, or little ones who battle to stay awake after sunset.
Meals happen when you’re hungry, and you can have bacon and eggs for dinner if you want to. A dedicated guide and vehicle let you tailor-make each excursion and focus (if necessary) on finding the animal with the longest neck.
You’ll notice that the staff adjust to your preferences without breaking stride, and often know what you want even before you do.
Who should stay in private safari houses and villas?
Private safari houses and villas are the perfect solution for family safari holidays – children won’t be restricted by fixed schedules, and there’s no need to worry that their antics may impact on other guests, plus age restrictions for certain activities often fall away. Also, separate bedrooms ensure privacy for parents, while being under the same roof offers reassurance for the kids.
Private accommodation is especially rewarding if you have multiple generations in your party, with varying wants and needs. You have the benefit of coming together as a family while still enjoying your own space, and everyone has the flexibility of eating, sleeping and doing safari activities as it suits them, without having to agree on schedules.
Depending on the size of your group (of course you needn’t all be related), this can be a more cost-effective option than booking the same number of beds in standard guest suites. You’ll probably find that you need to be at least six, but friends should be persuadable if you need to make up numbers.
If you’d like the privacy of a dedicated house or villa but still want to feel part of the main lodge, a good compromise is a family suite. These give you the best of both worlds, allowing both seclusion and access to the facilities and activities (and socialising) offered by the lodge.
