Kwessi Dune Lodge, Namibia – Opening March 2020

Deep in Namibia's striking NamibRand Nature Reserve, a vast desert wilderness of over 200,000 hectares, this new lodge opens early in 2020. It's not about chasing game at Kwessi Dune Lodge, but rather soaking up the beauty of the colourful landscape. With rolling desert plains and a backdrop of craggy mountains and iconic red dunes, this location offers never-ending space and incredible starry nights.

The lodge will have ten thatched-roofed, canvased walled chalets. Each chalet has a separate 'star gazer' room, completely open to the sky, and the perfect spot from which to watch the celestial theatre show above. Views from the rooms, the main area and the swimming pool are of the vast, desert vistas.

Activities available include quad biking, scenic drives and walks, hot air ballooning, helicopter flights, horse riding and day trips to Sossusvlei.

Available through Aardvark Safaris from £320 per person per night
Price includes full board accommodation and safari activities
For booking, contact Aardvark Safaris www.aardvarksafaris.com / 01980 849160

Jack's Camp, Botswana – Opening May 2020

The iconic Jack's Camp in Botswana's Makgadikgadi Pans is undergoing a rebuild and will reopen in spring 2020, in time for its 25th anniversary, with a luxurious new look.

The brand new Jack's Camp will pay homage to the property's much loved 1940's campaign style. The new camp will feature ten spacious, green canvas safari tents, each with a private plunge pool and all individually furnished with antiques and a cabinet of curiosities containing items ranging from stone tools to fossils.

The new, larger, mess tent will retain much of its Natural History Museum look and feel. Framed Peter Beard pictures sit alongside original posters from French taxidermist, Deyrolle, which hang side by side with the owners' family photos. The iconic pool pavilion will be reimagined for 2020 and will include a sundeck and a dedicated spa tent.

Available through Aardvark Safaris from £1,195 per person per night
Price includes full board accommodation and safari activities
For booking, contact Aardvark Safaris www.aardvarksafaris.com / 01980 849160

Mashatu Euphorbia Villas, Botswana – Opening June 2020

Situated in the privately owned Mashatu Game Reserve, this stunning new eco-camp is hidden in a euphorbia forest, high up on a cliff face, offering exquisite vistas of the Majale River and the endless rolling plains below. Mashatu is home to the largest herds of elephant on private land in Africa and undoubtedly has some of the finest predator viewing on the continent. As well as traditional game viewing, the camp will offer guests mountain biking, horse riding, walking safaris, and photographic hides.

Eight private villas are designed with the local mopane tree pod in mind, exuding an earthy glamour, boasting private solar heated plunge pools and indoor / outdoor showers. Combining luxury with conservation, the camp will run on solar energy, and utilize a state-of-the-art water treatment and recycling system, creating a refuge run on renewable and non-invasive resources.

Available through Aardvark Safaris from £690 per person per night
Price includes full board accommodation and safari activities
For booking, contact Aardvark Safaris www.aardvarksafaris.com / 01980 849160

Chisa Busanga Camp (“The Nest”), Zambia – Opening June 2020

A seasonal camp on an island in the heart of the Busanga Plains in Kafue National Park, Chisa Busanga Camp (“The Nest”) will sit in a beautiful location overlooking the vast flood plains and shallow wetlands that are teeming with wildlife.

Signature sightings for the area include tree climbing lion and red lechwe leaping the small streams. Plentiful Lichtenstein's hartebeest, buffalo and wildebeest provide some of the best predator action anywhere in Africa with good populations of cheetah, wild dog, lion and leopard. The park also boasts over 450 bird species.

The architectural inspiration for Chisa Busanga Camp is drawn from the weaver bird nests found in the area. Four human-sized birds' nests have been raised up into the tree tops, blending into their surroundings and offering incredible panoramic views over the flood plains.

In order to provide the most immersive safari experience, game drives will be operated on electric solar-powered vehicles. This 'silent safari' experience boasts superb game sightings, close birdlife interactions and all the sounds of the bush, uninterrupted by the rumble or carbon emissions of a diesel-powered safari.

Available through Aardvark Safaris from £560 per person per night
Include full board accommodation and safari activities
For booking, contact Aardvark Safaris www.aardvarksafaris.com / 01980 849160

Xigera Safari Lodge, Botswana – Opening June 2020

This striking new safari lodge is located on Paradise Island in the Moremi Game Reserve in the heart of the Okavango Delta, Botswana.

Surrounded by deep channels and lush vegetation, the 12 suite lodge has been designed to protect its environment; it is 100% solar powered, with a dedicated focus on sustainability and eliminating single use plastics.

Activities available include mokoro and motorboat safaris throughout the year, and 4x4 game drives when the water level permits. Along with excellent general wildlife viewing, Xigera Safari Lodge is situated in a birdwatcher's paradise.

Available through Aardvark Safaris from £1,980 per person per night
Price includes full board accommodation and safari activities
For booking, contact Aardvark Safaris www.aardvarksafaris.com / 01980 849160

Azura Marlin Beach, Mozambique – Opening mid-2020

Azura Retreats will be adding to its portfolio of Mozambique beach properties with Azura Marlin Beach, due to open mid-2020. Previously known as Marlin Beach and set on a beautiful kilometre-long stretch of white sand beach on Benguerra Island in the Bazaruto Archipelago Marine National Park, the lodge was one of the first top end properties in Mozambique, but closed after a fire in 2012.

The initial build will see the refurbishment of the 10 remaining beach-front villas and phase two will complete the property with a 10 new rooms, new front of house, water sports, pool and spa areas.

Prices released in 2020
For booking, contact Aardvark Safaris www.aardvarksafaris.com / 01980 849160

For further press information and images, contact Sofie Askew PR
sofie@sofieaskewpr.co.uk / 07590 398366

About Aardvark Safaris:

Aardvark Safaris has established itself as the African safari and beach specialist. Offering the hottest wildlife locations and the best-kept safari secrets, the company prides itself on its intimate knowledge of the 18 countries in which it plans holidays, and has built one of the best teams of safari experts in the business. Aardvark Safaris organises top-quality holidays throughout Southern and East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, offering unrivalled advice on safari holidays. Specialists in organising family safaris, riding safaris, gorilla treks, wildebeest migration, philanthropic safaris, honeymoons, Kilimanjaro climbs, walking safaris, canoe safaris and incredible beach holidays.