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Madikwe Safari Lodge, Madikwe Game Reserve

$400 or more

South Africa, Africa + Middle East: Madikwe Safari Lodge

Madikwe Game Reserve
South Africa
Tel: 888 882 3742
www.andbeyond.com

From the readers of Condé Nast Traveler:

Overall Score: 93.8

Activities: 91.7
Design: 91.7
Food: 95.8
Location: 95.8
Rooms: 92.0
Service: 95.8

A relaxed ambience pervades at this "perfectly designed lodge that feels like a private home." Beanbags and wicker bowl chairs give common areas a cozy feel, while tree trunks are incorporated into the rustic architecture. Suites, all with plunge pools, are "incredibly comfortable and in tune with the wild." The mostly local staff "are eager to share their stories, and listen attentively to yours."

(20 suites)
—2011 Gold List

Amenities: Game drives, Pool

From the editors of Condé Nast Traveler:

You are supposed to leave your room when you go on safari, but after soaking in the perfectly placed plunge pool, bathing alfresco in the outdoor shower (don't worry, there's another one inside, along with a freestanding copper tub), and savoring fresh-fig chutney and a fine South African sauvignon blanc from a wooden tray left on your dining deck, you may just want to pull back the springbok-fur comforter and call it a day. Each of 16 chalets—designed to resemble the giant termite mounds that dot this rust-red landscape—conceal whimsical nouvelle-African interiors with copper-weave room dividers, Warhol-like animal prints, woodburning fireplaces, and views of the Rant van Tweedepoort Range. Eat under the stars on the intimate Sky Terrace, a raised dining area overlooking the plains, or in the flame-lit boma; then retire to the colorful, comfy bar to ogle modern African objets d'art. Best of all, the entire reserve is malaria-free.—2005 Hot List