Discover Africa's most welcoming safari destinations, from South Africa's luxury reserves to Tanzania's migration spectacles and Victoria Falls
Africa is home to the world’s most spectacular safari experiences, where you can pursue the Big 5 through the bush. Picking the right lodge is key to making your safari a success, and if you’re LGBTQ+, the process is more nuanced.
Clearly, Africa is not as gay-friendly as Europe, especially outside of South Africa, the de facto gay capital of Africa. That being said, there are some very gay-friendly safari lodges in destinations as diverse as South Africa, Tanzania and Victoria Falls. We work closely with the most gay-friendly safari lodges and tour guides on the ground, so we can plan the perfect itinerary for you.
Read on to discover our most popular safari lodges in Africa for gay travelers.
About Out Of Office
Out Of Office is a luxury tailor-made travel company with a focus on delivering exclusivity and inclusivity. Our passion for global adventure is matched only by our deep commitment to delivering exceptional five-star service.
Everything we do is customised and designed especially for you – our valued customer – based on your exact personal requirements. Each member of our team is widely travelled. This means you get access to first-rate travel insights and the best possible advice from our team of luxury travel experts.
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South Africa: The Gay Capital of Africa
South Africa’s progressive stance on LGBTQ+ rights extends into its hospitality industry, making it the most popular safari destination for gay travelers. It’s also home to the most varied selection of gay-friendly luxury safari lodges.
The lodges we’ve chosen are located in Kruger Park, a sprawling expanse of land that’s about the same size as Wales. Here you can experience the most authentic safaris in South Africa.
Leopard Hills Private Game Reserve
Located in the heart of the Sabi Sand Game Reserve, Leopard Hills is hard to beat for a luxury safari.
This intimate lodge features just eight suites. What sets Leopard Hills apart is its exceptional positioning on elevated granite koppies that offer panoramic views across the African bushveld, creating a sense of being suspended between earth and sky.
The lodge’s commitment to ultra-luxury is evident in every detail, from the heated infinity pool that appears to merge with the horizon to the world-class spa treatments that can be enjoyed in the privacy of your suite or in specially designed pavilions overlooking ancient baobab trees.
The property’s luxury credentials are unmatched in the region, featuring palatial suites with private pools, expansive decks, and floor-to-ceiling windows that transform your accommodation into a private wildlife viewing theater.
What makes Leopard Hills truly unique is its exclusive traverse rights across 20,000 hectares of pristine wilderness, combined with a strict maximum of eight guests at any time, ensuring an incredibly intimate and personalized safari experience.
Highlights: Private vehicle and tracker for each suite, exceptional leopard viewing opportunities (as the name suggests), and staff trained in inclusive hospitality practices.
Kings Camp – Timbavati Private Nature Reserve
What makes Kings Camp particularly captivating is its position within the famous white lion territory, where guests have the rare opportunity to witness these magnificent creatures in their natural habitat – a genetic phenomenon that occurs nowhere else in the wild.
The camp’s authentic African architecture features traditional thatched roofs and canvas elements that pay homage to the golden age of safari, while incorporating contemporary luxury amenities. The main lodge, built around ancient marula trees, creates a natural cathedral-like atmosphere where guests gather for sundowners.
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The spacious tents feature private wooden decks overlooking the Nhlaralumi River, allowing you to witness elephants, hippos, and countless bird species from the comfort of their own sanctuary. Inside, expect four-poster beds draped in flowing linens, elegant en-suite bathrooms with both indoor and outdoor showers, and curated African art and furnishings. Highlights include the daily ritual of afternoon tea served on the deck overlooking the riverine forest and the unforgettable experience of falling asleep to the sounds of lions calling.
Highlights: Unfenced borders with Kruger National Park, excellent Big Five viewing, and private safari vehicles.
Shalati – The Train on the Bridge
This revolutionary accommodation concept literally sits on the historic Selati Bridge, suspended 8 meters above the Sabie River, creating one of the world’s most extraordinary safari experiences.
What makes Shalati utterly unique is its transformation of a vintage 1920s train into luxury accommodation, where you sleep in beautifully appointed carriages while elephants drink directly below your windows and hippos grunt in the river currents.
Each of the 31 carriages has been meticulously restored and redesigned to feature air conditioning, marble bathrooms, premium linens, and custom furnishings. The dining carriage serves gourmet cuisine with panoramic river views, while the lounge cars provide intimate spaces for cocktails and conversation as wildlife moves freely below.
Highlights: Sleep in a train car suspended over the Sabie River, direct access to Kruger National Park, and a one-of-a-kind setting.
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Tanzania: East Africa’s Crown Jewel
Lemala Camps
With multiple locations across Tanzania’s northern safari circuit, Lemala Camps has built a reputation for world-class safari experiences. What makes Lemala particularly fascinating is their pioneering approach to mobile camping, where entire luxury camps are strategically relocated throughout the year to follow the Great Migration patterns, ensuring you experience the most dramatic wildlife spectacles at precisely the right time and place.
Their permanent camps, situated in exclusive locations, offer unparalleled access to Tanzania’s most pristine wilderness areas, including the Serengeti, Ngorongoro, and Tarangire.
The mobile camps represent the pinnacle of luxury expedition camping, including in some of Africa’s most remote locations.
Lemala has an exceptional team of guides and staff who are not only experts in wildlife and local culture but are specifically trained to ensure all guests feel welcomed and valued regardless of background or orientation. The camps’ intimate size – typically accommodating just 12-20 guests – creates an environment where service feels personalized.
Highlights: Expertly positioned camps, experienced guides who celebrate diversity, and intimate group sizes. Lemala specializes in female-led safari expeditions.
Victoria Falls: The Adventure Capital
Victoria Falls River Lodge
Positioned along the banks of the Zambezi River, this lodge allows you to experience the thunderous roar and mist of Victoria Falls from an incredibly intimate perspective while enjoying the serenity of riverfront accommodation.
The lodge’s design philosophy embraces the natural environment, with elevated walkways weaving through indigenous trees and tented accommodations that blend seamlessly into the riverine forest canopy.
Victoria Falls River Lodge has 12 luxury tents featuring expansive private decks overlooking the Zambezi River, allowing you to witness elephants wading across channels and hippos surfacing in the gentle currents. Inside, the tents showcase elegant African-inspired décor with comfortable beds draped in fine linens, spacious en-suite bathrooms with both indoor and outdoor showers, and curated local artwork.
From Victoria Falls River Lodge, you can enjoy private sunset cruises that navigate close to the falls’ spray, as well as guided walks on Livingstone Island, where you can swim in the famous Devil’s Pool during appropriate river levels.
Highlights: Sunset river cruises, gentle game viewing along the Zambezi, and romantic dinners with waterfall views in the distance.
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Benefits of Booking with Out Of Office
- Complex booking requirements that are tricky to navigate independently
- Established relationships with properties for best rates and VIP treatment
- Expertise in LGBTQ+ travel nuances and inclusive hospitality
- 24/7 support
Your complex itinerary capabilities:
- Multi-destination South African experiences
- Cape Town’s gay-friendly culture and attractions
- Winelands exploration with luxury vineyard stays
- Garden Route coastal adventures
- Multi-country coordination (Tanzania, South Africa, Victoria Falls)
Ready to start planning your dream safari experience? Get in touch and one of our safari experts will create the perfect itinerary for you.
