Wining and dining is a celebration, a part of every day on safari and something we love looking forward to. We are comforted and nurtured by food, we find enjoyment in sitting around a table either quietly with a loved one or at a long table bubbling with conversation and clinking cutlery. When we’re arranging a safari for our guests, we like to know that meal times will not only be about nourishing and satisfying hungry bellies, but they will be occasions to remember! Tied into the natural experience of the safari, focusing on the environment, the views, the morning sunlight or the evening stars. We want the joyous experience of eating and drinking with friends to leave a lasting imprint, and there are a number of safari lodges we would trust to give our guests that all-out vibe.
Here is one we can’t ignore: Sossusvlei Desert Lodge. Wow! That’s a Namibian view.
A garden of twinkling lights, river reflections, dancing fires, and personalised drinks enjoyed to the sound of happy chatter, frogs, hippos, and the distant song of the hyena. An alfresco bar on the riverbank of northern Botswana’s Selinda Reserve. All about the location, unadulterated natural beauty, and surrounded by the energy of the wild. We could stay a while at Selinda Explorers Camp – we just wish we could freeze this time of day and enjoy dusk for hours on end!
What an exceptional way to see out the sun, in a whirl of colourful cloud from a position of natural prestige. Some may see the resemblance to Pride Rock, a fictitious place of animal royalty with a view over the kingdom of Africa. This place is very real, and it captures every inch the magic imagined in the Disney classic. Kifaru, meaning rhino in Swahili is sprawled atop a rise overlooking the valley of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and distant, snow-peaked Mount Kenya on the horizon. This open-air theatre of nature is high up on our list for sundowners spots to remember. It’s quite simply breathtaking.
Ok, we’ve found our idea of Heaven at Phinda Rock Lodge and we’re pretty sure we’re not alone on this one… What a total dream! Alfresco dining taken to the next level, perfectly decorated with the hovering glow of paraffin lanterns, the pink dusk skies reflecting in the mirrored surface of the water. What’s more about this special safari dining treat? It’s also a sleep out under the stars! Imagine balmy summer nights, sleeping wild under elegantly draped mosquito nets and the sounds of Phinda’s nature. This blissful concept doesn’t end there, and Rock Lodge’s sublime location in South Africa’s KwaZulu Natal calls for plenty of time spent outside enjoying the sunset and those evening drinks in unique and memorable ways. As we said; Heaven.
That afternoon glow has been as golden as it is when it bathes the Serengeti plains. Everywhere you look you see the rolling landscape of wild grasses shimmering in the late afternoon sun, and at the very edges rising up to meet the sky. The very same plains that are blackened by the millions of gnu as they nod and graze across the expanse, migrating from one place of abundance to another. This is iconic Africa, and at Lemala Ewanjan Tented Lodge, we get to watch the wilderness in the golden hour from a special setup picnic spot adorned with traditional colour. This version of classic safari sundowners comes with comfort and privacy; a surprise refreshment stops during an afternoon game drive. You better hope you packed your photographic memory!
Ending a binoculared afternoon stroll through northern Tanzania’s Tarangire wilderness in the ideal fashion. Golden hour, check. Fresh air, check. Bar in the sun, check. Good company, check. Oliver’s Camp has all the appeal when it comes to that thirsty hour near the end of the day, and how are we expected to say no, really? Wining and dining outdoors is a huge focus of African safari experiences and it’s clear to see that when it comes to sundowners (equally as important) we can rely on Oliver’s Camp to deliver the goods.
Oh, the romance of it all: sharing a plate of spaghetti by candlelight in the darkened dusk of Busanga Plains – one of the more inaccessible, exclusive safari destinations in Africa. These seasonally exposed floodplains are only open to visitors for 5 months of the year, as they spend the rest of the year underwater. The channels that remain once the flood waters have receded feed a diverse population of wildlife during the dry season, ensuring that game viewing is outstanding. But only to the few visitors staying at a handful of camps operating in the area. This romantic table for two at Busanga Bush Camp under the stars of Kafue National Park is date night #goals. The sound of Busanga’s famous lions calling in the darkness is just a bonus.
