Tented Camps in Africa and Beyond: Six Wild Places to Stay {Discovery Dispatch}
- Jody Holman
- 1 day ago
- 6 min read
Originally published in 2024 and reviewed for accuracy in September 2026. The original language has been preserved except where logistical or factual information has changed.
An Insider's Guide to Where to Eat, Stay & Stray
It is official: I am empty-nested. As such, I decided to seize the opportunity to get some much yearned-for travel under my belt. The past six months have taken me through the Scottish Highlands, Switzerland and Alsace by bicycle, then to Mexico City and, most recently, South Africa.
Izingwe Lodge - Elephants at the blind. Photograph courtesy of Marion Frew.
I have been scouting, taking notes and meeting some of the most wonderful hotel owners and managers, all in the spirit of helping with future plans for people like you who may want to launch your own adventure. As many of you know, I am a planner, and my particular skill set works well for researching and putting together unique, custom trips for people who may not have the time to do it themselves. I would love to help you put together a summer sojourn or perhaps a larger getaway to somewhere you have been dreaming of going.
My trip to South Africa was, as my teens still say, "epic." The only other word might be "magic."
My travel notes on the places I stayed are on the Viewfinder Travel blog, and you can follow along through Instagram, Facebook or my Fora profile.
Following are a few extraordinary tented camps in Africa and beyond. Perhaps one will strike your fancy.
Blue skies and tailwinds,
Jody
Luxury Tented Camps Have Redefined Camping
Glamping is having a moment. Luxury tented camps around the world are redefining what a tent can be. Forget the single-pole A-frames of yore; now is the era of chic, canvas-walled oases in stellar locations, from Africa to Costa Rica. Many of my favorite tented camps are blissfully isolated, perched amid relatively untouched wilderness. Read on for six of my favorites.
Nayara Tented Camp - La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Nayara Tented Camp is world-renowned for a reason. Its tents sit on stilts amid the rainforest near Arenal Volcano, surrounded by an exceptionally diverse collection of flora and fauna. The area is home to sloths, red-eyed tree frogs, orchids, cacao trees, monkeys and countless birds.
Each tent has a private plunge pool fed by natural mineral hot springs. Enjoy breakfast on your private terrace before lounging in a hammock with a good book. During the day, opt for a guided rainforest trek led by one of the in-house naturalists or an adrenaline-boosting activity such as waterfall rappelling, zip-lining or white-water rafting.
No trip to Nayara would be complete without visiting its remarkable spa. Treatments are accompanied by the rainforest's soothing sounds - birdsong, rain and distant animal calls - and incorporate local materials such as organic coffee and volcanic mud.
Viewfinder benefits: Eligible stays booked through Viewfinder Travel may include daily breakfast, a hotel credit, an upgrade and early check-in or late checkout, subject to availability. I will confirm the current benefits for your stay.
Camp Sarika at Amangiri - Canyon Point, Utah
Amangiri is already ultra-luxurious and wonderfully isolated. Camp Sarika is even more intimate: a ten-pavilion retreat with its own pool, restaurant and wellness experiences, as well as access to Amangiri's facilities.
Camp Sarika's canvas-topped pavilions have private plunge pools, outdoor fire pits and chic, minimalist decor that reflects the surrounding desert.
Dine fireside at the camp's restaurant, where local ingredients are prepared in an open kitchen. Enjoy a yoga class surrounded by the desert landscape, indulge in a private wellness treatment, kayak on Lake Powell, take a sunrise hot-air-balloon ride or explore the region's slot canyons - narrow gorges carved by ancient rivers.
Viewfinder benefits: Benefits vary by date and rate and may include credits, upgrades and flexible check-in or checkout. I will confirm what is available before booking.
Naviva, a Four Seasons Resort - Punta Mita, Mexico
Naviva, a Four Seasons Resort, is an adults-only, all-inclusive retreat with only 15 tented bungalows spread across 48 forested acres. Occupancy is capped at 30 guests, creating an especially personal experience. The tents are flooded with natural light, and floor-to-ceiling windows and open-air floor plans blur the line between indoors and out, with jungle and ocean views beyond.
Wellness is central here. Sunrise nature hikes, yoga, mezcal tastings, meditation and other experiences are included in the stay, along with food and beverages and a spa treatment. Dine by the pool, in your tent, on a picnic by the beach or at the open-fire restaurant Copal Cocina. The choice is yours, and spontaneity is encouraged.
Viewfinder benefits: When you book Naviva through Viewfinder Travel, I can arrange applicable Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits and confirm exactly what your rate includes.
Capella Ubud - Bali, Indonesia
There is something wonderful about tented camps in the heart of the rainforest, and Capella Ubud more than proves the rule. Twenty-two one-bedroom tents and one two-bedroom lodge dot Capella's secluded stretch of jungle.
Each accommodation has a private pool and a generous outdoor deck, perfect for relaxing or enjoying a private massage. The decor is bright and eclectic, complemented by patterned wallpaper, splashes of color and locally inspired artwork. Each tent is a playfully refined blend of color and texture.
As delightful as the tents are, Capella's spa is not to be missed. Treatments use tailor-made organic products and follow a holistic ethos.
The cuisine centers on locally and sustainably sourced ingredients, including produce from the resort's own organic garden. Meals might unfold around a fire, in one of the hotel's open-air restaurants, in a private candlelit location or in the privacy of your tent.
Viewfinder benefits: Eligible bookings may include breakfast, a resort credit, an upgrade and flexible check-in or checkout, subject to availability. I will confirm the current benefits for your dates.
Paws Up Montana - Greenough, Montana
If you have not heard, Montana is hot. Paws Up Montana stretches across 37,000 acres of working ranch and wilderness, with six glamping camps offering very different ways to settle into the landscape. If luxury treehouses are more your style, its sister property, The Green O, is nearby.
Choose among the camps according to what matters most to you. Cliffside Camp overlooks the Blackfoot River and Elk Creek. Moonlight Camp is especially secluded, while North Bank Camp has extra-spacious tents, including three-bedroom options, near the glass-walled North Bank Dining Pavilion.
Even the seasonal spa, known as Spa Town, becomes a glamping oasis of white tents near a brook - the best natural soundtrack for a treatment.
Viewfinder benefits: Benefits and inclusions vary by season and rate. Depending on the booking, they may include an activity credit, wine, airport transportation, breakfast, an upgrade or flexible check-in and checkout. I will confirm the details before you reserve.
Angama Mara - Maasai Mara, Kenya
Angama, Swahili for "suspended in mid-air," is a fitting name for Angama Mara, perched high on an escarpment overlooking the Maasai Mara.
The lodge is divided into two separate camps, each with 15 tented suites. Every canvas-walled suite includes a writer's desk, a deep bathtub, floor-to-ceiling windows opening to a private deck, locally made bath products and thoughtfully provided insect repellent. Splashes of Angama's signature Maasai red appear throughout the tents and common areas. Do not miss the Map Room, where you can browse more than 150 maps, some dating to the seventeenth century.
Angama's food is expertly prepared, locally sourced and consistently memorable, whether you choose a safari picnic in the bush, a forest barbecue, an intimate in-tent dinner or a candlelit meal at the main lodge.
To extend the journey, continue to Angama Amboseli, an intimate ten-suite lodge in Kenya's Kimana Sanctuary, a community-owned conservancy known for its elephants and views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Wherever you stay, Angama's extraordinarily kind and professional staff may swiftly become dear friends. Do not be surprised if you shed a tear upon leaving.
Viewfinder benefits: Angama's rates and inclusions vary by property and season. I can coordinate the stay, transfers and safari logistics and confirm the current benefits before booking.
Ready for an Adventure?
Curious about one of these camps - or somewhere entirely different? I design thoughtful, customized trips around the way you actually like to travel. Learn more about working with me, or send me a note and we can begin.
Custom travel planning: https://www.viewfindertravel.com/travelservices
Start planning a trip: https://www.viewfindertravel.com/buildyourtrip
Viewfinder travel articles: https://www.viewfindertravel.com/blog
Jody's Fora profile: https://www.foratravel.com/advisor/jody-holman
About Jody Holman
Jody Holman is the founder of Viewfinder Travel, a boutique travel advisor, writer and photographer based in Northern California. She designs thoughtful, customized journeys for curious travelers who value culture, food, wine, history, beautiful places and enough room to wander. Through her affiliation with Fora and preferred hotel programs, she can often add complimentary benefits to qualifying stays.
This article was adapted from an earlier edition of Discovery Dispatch. Hotel details, activities, rates and benefits can change; current information will be confirmed before booking.
Photos credit of properties.
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