Counting sheep is one way to try and fall asleep.
Why not go one better though? Try to count a billion stars, have a lion roaring in the distance as a lullaby, and feel the cool night breeze of Africa on your face as it sussurates through the mosquito net… That’s the way to do it.
More and more safari lodges across Africa are offering a romantic sleep-out as an option, and their stunning treehouses are as opulent as one could desire.
No simple matress-and-sleeping-bag combinations are to be found here; instead guests are greeted by soft mattresses, expansive duvets, the warm glow of kerosene lanterns, and more than likely the subtle accompaniment of nightbirds trilling nearby.
Although the idea of a sleep-out can be intimidating to the inexperienced safari-goer, treehouse locations are as safe as any luxury lodge, and are an incredible way to experience raw nature. You will never sleep as deeply as you will when the night sounds of Africa are your personal bedtime story.
Here then are three of our favourite safari sleep-out offerings:
Wilderness Linkwasha, Zimbabwe
Tucked in the south-east corner of the Hwange National Park, the Linkwasha Concession plays host to four stunning lodges in the Wilderness portfolio: Linkwasha, Davison’s, Maokolo and Little Makololo. The area boasts a stunning variety of wildlife, and is particularly productive in the dry season when animals are entirely dependent on the few remaining surface water points.
It is next to one of these pans – which is kept topped up by the National Park – that the Linkwasha Sleepout platform is situated.
Tucked up against an ancient Leadwood tree, the treehouse enjoys stunning panoramic views over the surrounding plains, with prime viewing over the waterhole and whatever might be coming down to slake its thirst.
In the dry season one can be assured of a constant parade of elephants doen below, whose splashing and gurgling will be a gentle accompaniment to your snores through the night, and the grasslands will almost certainly reverberate to the call of a big cat during the evening.
Open skies all around mean that the star-gazing will be unsurpassed!
Xigera Lodge, Botswana
In the heart of the Okavango Delta – about as close to a wildlife eden as you can get on earth – Xigera Lodge offers unmatched opulence in the safari industry. Stunning architecture in a remote location with some of the best game viewing on the sub-continent really makes this destination hard to beat.
Throw in a treehouse built to resemble one of Africa’s most iconic trees – the baobab – and you have just about one of the most romantic sleep-out venues on the planet.
The sheer imagination used to design such a stunning creation will take your breath away; something like a treehouse standing by itself could be potentially incongruous, but the Xigera offering just fits.
A night out here will be one you will never forget…
Lion Sands, South Africa
The Sabi Sand Game Reserve is one of the best places to view predators in Africa, and Lion Sands ticks this box brilliantly.
Apart from boasting some of the most luxurious lodges and one of the densest leopard populations on the continent, they have three stunning treehouses to choose from if a sleep-out under the stars is what you’re after. Each of the Chalkley, Tinyeleti and Kingston treehouses has their own unique charm, but all have much in common at the same time – comfort, beauty, and a sense of place, almost as if the treehouses were always there.
The feeling you want from an experience like this is one of belonging, as if you are actually part of the environment. And you get that feeling in droves at the Lion Sands treehouses…
As rustic as they may sound, the treehouses on offer at the higher-end lodges are anything but. Bathroom facilities, their own dining experience, 24-hour communication with the lodge via radio, and a whole host of other make them incredibly comfortable, safe, and as user-friendly as one could wish.
A treehouse sleep-out is just about as authentic an experience that one can find in the African bush…
If this is the kind of adventurous night you’d be interested in, get in touch through info@iconicafrica.com, and let’s start looking for a treehouse for you…
