The Verdict Dossier · Luxury Safari Operators
andBeyond: The 2026 Review — Every Region, Lodge & Rate
andBeyond was built on a radical idea: that luxury tourism could pay for conservation, not just coexist with it. Thirty-five years on, it runs 29 lodges and camps across Africa, Asia and South America, and it is the operator most often placed one rung below Singita. Here is what that breadth actually buys — across every African region, with an honest case for and against, and a compass to find your fit.
29
Lodges & camps
3
Continents
74k
Acres restored at Phinda
1991
Founded as CC Africa
$0.9–3k+
Per person, per night
- The verdict, in two paragraphs
- The Lodge Compass — find your andBeyond
- The regions, honestly compared
- Every lodge, every rate — 2026 matrix
- How to book andBeyond (three routes)
- Compare andBeyond against another operator
- Straight answers to the questions readers ask
No operator matches andBeyond's pan-African breadth at one consistent standard — and conservation is structural, not marketing.
andBeyond began in 1991 as Conservation Corporation Africa, buying degraded farmland in Zululand and rewilding it into what is now the 74,000-acre Phinda Private Game Reserve. That "conservation as a viable business" thesis still runs the company. It backs the Rhinos Without Borders coalition with Great Plains — over 100 rhinos moved from South Africa's poaching frontline to Botswana, now with 60-plus calves born there — and the Africa Foundation, which has built 170-plus classrooms.
The estate is the other half of the case: 29 owned-and-operated lodges spanning the Serengeti, the Mara, Sabi Sand, the Greater Kruger, the Okavango, the Namib and the Zambezi, plus islands and South America. You can run a whole multi-country safari inside one brand at one service standard, with genuinely landmark design — Sossusvlei Desert Lodge, Sandibe's organic timber form, Phinda Forest's glass sand-forest suites — and guides trained through andBeyond's own academy.
It sits a tier below Singita on pure exclusivity, and its largest camps trade intimacy for polish.
Singita generally holds the higher rung on ultra-premium positioning, lower guest densities and exclusive-use concessions; if the brief is "the absolute ceiling, whatever it costs," Singita is the more direct answer. Some andBeyond camps are also comparatively large — Kichwa Tembo runs 40 tents, Ngala 20 cottages — so travellers chasing maximum seclusion may find the biggest properties busier than a Wilderness or Great Plains camp.
Breadth is also the trade against depth in any single ecosystem: Wilderness has deeper concession coverage in Botswana specifically. And one caveat is timing — the flagship Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is closed for a full rebuild and reopens in January 2027, so one of andBeyond's signature draws is off the table for a 2026 trip. For that year, the design anchors are Sossusvlei, Sandibe and Tengile instead.
The Lodge Compass — find your andBeyond
Twenty-nine properties is a lot to shortlist. Pick what matters most on your trip and the compass returns the best-fit andBeyond lodge, with the indicative 2026 rate and one line on why it fits.
What matters most on this safari?
Pick a trip priority above. The verdict, rate and the one lodge that fits will appear here.
andBeyond's regions, honestly compared
The African portfolio clusters into a handful of marquee regions across seven countries. Each does one thing better than the others. This is the honest breakdown of which is which.
Phinda Private Game Reserve
South Africa · Zululand / KwaZulu-Natal · Since 1991
andBeyond's founding reserve and, for many, still its heart: 74,000 acres of restored bushveld across seven distinct habitats, from rare sand-forest to wetland. Six lodges span the price and style range — Mountain and Forest at the architectural end, Vlei and Rock more intimate, Zuka and the exclusive-use Homestead built for families and small groups. Big Five plus cheetah, black rhino and reintroduced pangolin; malaria risk is low, which makes Phinda one of the strongest first-safari and family choices in the country.
Best for
First-time and family safaris that want Big Five, low malaria risk and easy access from Durban or Johannesburg — with a lodge for every budget inside one reserve.
Sabi Sand & the Greater Kruger
South Africa · Sabi Sand · Timbavati
For the classic South African Big Five experience, andBeyond runs two very different products. Tengile River Lodge (nine air-conditioned glass-and-timber suites on the Sand River, opened 2018) is the modern flagship in Sabi Sand — the region with arguably the most reliable leopard viewing in Africa. In the Timbavati, bordering Kruger, Ngala was the first private lodge ever granted a concession on the national park's boundary; its Safari Lodge (20 cottages) and Tented Camp offer a more traditional, accessible register.
Best for
Leopard-led Big Five viewing. Tengile for contemporary design and the Sabi Sand name; Ngala for a more classic feel and a lower entry price.
Serengeti
Tanzania · Western & northern Serengeti
andBeyond covers the Serengeti three ways. Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge (ten suites plus a family suite) is the contemporary base in the western migration corridor. Serengeti Under Canvas is a mobile tented camp that moves seasonally to stay with the herds — the closest thing to a 1920s expedition at a modern standard. And Klein's Camp holds a private ~10,000-hectare concession leased from the Maasai on the north-eastern boundary, where walking and night drives are permitted outside the national park.
Best for
Migration-led trips. Under Canvas to chase the herds; Klein's for a private concession with walking and night drives the national park doesn't allow.
Ngorongoro Crater
Tanzania · Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Closed for 2026. andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is closed for a full rebuild and reopens in January 2027. It is not bookable for any 2026 dates — plan the Crater for 2027, or pair another Tanzania lodge with a day trip to the Crater floor in the meantime.
When open, the Crater Lodge is the most theatrical property in the portfolio — 30 suites across three camps on the rim, in a "Maasai-meets-baroque" style that has to be seen to be believed, above the wildlife-dense Crater floor. The 2027 reopening is one of the most anticipated relaunches in the safari world.
Best for
A 2027 milestone trip built around the single most dramatic lodge-and-landscape pairing in East Africa. Not available in 2026.
Okavango Delta
Botswana · Private concessions
The Delta is andBeyond's water-safari heartland — mokoro, boat and vehicle across seasonal floodplains. Sandibe is the architectural standout: twelve suites in an organic timber form inspired by a pangolin and a weaver's nest, on a private concession beside Moremi. Nxabega and Xaranna are the more classic tented options, each on its own concession, combining land and water game-viewing depending on the flood.
Best for
Water-based safari and design. Sandibe for the architecture; Nxabega and Xaranna for a more traditional Delta tented experience.
Sossusvlei & the Namib
Namibia · Private reserve near NamibRand
Sossusvlei Desert Lodge is one of the two design peaks of the whole portfolio: ten stone-and-glass suites, each with a private plunge pool and a retractable skylight for stargazing over one of the darkest skies on earth. This is not a Big Five destination — it is desert-adapted wildlife, towering dunes and observatory-grade astronomy — and it pairs beautifully with a Botswana or South African bush leg.
Best for
Design and landscape over Big Five — dunes, dark skies and architecture. Best as a two- or three-night add-on to a bush safari.
Masai Mara
Kenya · Kichwa Tembo private concession
Both Mara camps sit in andBeyond's ~10,000-hectare private concession in the western Mara Triangle, the quieter and scenically strongest corner of the reserve. Kichwa Tembo (40 tents) is the larger, more accessible camp with family suites; Bateleur is the intimate, colonial-styled option, historically split into two small camps. From July to October this is front-row Mara River crossing country.
Best for
The Kenyan side of the migration and a private concession away from the main-reserve crowds. Bateleur for intimacy; Kichwa Tembo for families.
Victoria Falls & the Zambezi
Zimbabwe · Matetsi private reserve
Matetsi Victoria Falls (formerly Matetsi River Lodge) fronts around 15 kilometres of the Zambezi on a 55,000-hectare private reserve, roughly 40 kilometres upstream of Victoria Falls — close enough for the Falls, far enough to escape the town. Eighteen suites split across two intimate river camps, with water- and land-based game and the Falls as a day trip. A natural start or finish to a Botswana circuit.
Best for
Pairing Victoria Falls with a private Zambezi reserve, as a bookend to an Okavango or Hwange safari.
Every andBeyond African lodge, indicative 2026 rates
Rates below are per person per night sharing, fully inclusive of accommodation, meals, most drinks and standard game activities. andBeyond does not publish a single public rate card and prices move with season and exchange rate, so treat every figure as an indicative 2026 range, not a fixed price.
| Lodge | Region | Suites | 2026 rate (pp/night) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phinda Mountain Lodge | Phinda, South Africa | Contemporary suites | ~$960–2,080 | Largest Phinda lodge; Ubombo Mountain views |
| Phinda Forest Lodge | Phinda, South Africa | Glass suites | ~$1,300–2,300 | Glass-walled suites in rare sand-forest |
| Phinda Rock Lodge | Phinda, South Africa | Cliff suites | ~$1,320+ | Intimate, gorge-view suites |
| Phinda Vlei Lodge | Phinda, South Africa | 6 | ~$1,320+ | Private plunge pools; forest/grassland edge |
| Phinda Zuka Lodge | Phinda, South Africa | 4 | ~$930+ | Small-group / exclusive-use villa |
| Phinda Homestead | Phinda, South Africa | 4 (exclusive-use) | Enquire | Private chef, guide, vehicle, butler |
| Tengile River Lodge | Sabi Sand, South Africa | 9 | ~$2,080–2,780 | Modern flagship; leopard-rich Sabi Sand |
| Ngala Safari Lodge | Timbavati / Kruger, SA | 20 cottages | ~$860+ | First private concession on Kruger's boundary |
| Ngala Tented Camp | Timbavati / Kruger, SA | Luxury tents | ~$900+ | Tented camp on the Timbavati riverbed |
| Grumeti Serengeti River Lodge | Serengeti, Tanzania | 10 + family suite | ~$1,500–2,800 | Western corridor; contemporary design |
| Serengeti Under Canvas | Serengeti, Tanzania | Mobile tents | ~$1,400–2,600 | Migrates seasonally to follow the herds |
| Klein's Camp | Serengeti, Tanzania | ~10 cottages | ~$1,300–2,400 | Private Maasai concession; walking + night drives |
| Lake Manyara Tree Lodge | Lake Manyara, Tanzania | 10 treehouses | ~$1,300+ | Only lodge inside Lake Manyara NP |
| Ngorongoro Crater Lodge | Ngorongoro, Tanzania | 30 | Closed 2026 | Full rebuild; reopens January 2027 — not bookable for 2026 |
| Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge | Okavango, Botswana | 12 | ~$1,800–3,000 | Organic timber architecture beside Moremi |
| Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp | Okavango, Botswana | 10 | ~$1,270–3,100 | 8,000-ha private concession; land + water |
| Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp | Okavango, Botswana | ~9 | ~$1,600–3,000 | Intimate water-based tented camp |
| Sossusvlei Desert Lodge | Namib, Namibia | 10 + Star Dune Suite | ~$1,220–2,040 | Design peak; private plunge pools, skylights |
| Bateleur Camp | Masai Mara, Kenya | 18 | ~$1,245–2,595 | Intimate, colonial-styled; Mara Triangle |
| Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp | Masai Mara, Kenya | 40 | ~$900–2,000 | Larger, family-friendly; private concession |
| Matetsi River Lodge | Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe | 18 (two camps) | ~$1,150–1,800 | 55,000-ha reserve on the Zambezi |
| Mnemba Island | Off Zanzibar, Tanzania | 12 bandas | ~$2,000–3,500 | Private island; marine conservation showpiece |
Figures are indicative 2026 per-person-per-night ranges, sharing (double occupancy), converted from local currency at approximate mid-2026 rates and rounded. Inclusions cover accommodation, meals, most drinks, laundry and standard game activities; premium wines, park/conservation levies, gorilla or specialist permits, and international flights may be additional. Exclusive-use villas are priced on request. Ngorongoro Crater Lodge is closed until January 2027. Always verify at time of booking.
Live andBeyond inventory
andBeyond trips, priced right now
Real per-person prices from the current catalogue, updated regularly. Filter and enquire on any itinerary — or scroll on for the three ways to book.
How to actually book andBeyond — three routes, honestly compared
andBeyond sells through specialists and preferred partners rather than direct walk-in booking. Three routes work depending on how much planning support and how many quotes you want.
Route 1 · Bespoke planner
Go2Africa
The most comprehensive bespoke andBeyond planning route. Go2Africa maintains a dedicated andBeyond brand page, has direct relationships with the reservations teams, and specialises in multi-lodge, multi-country itineraries — the trips where andBeyond's breadth pays off. Best for first-time bookers who want a human designing the route.
Design an andBeyond trip with Go2AfricaRoute 2 · Tailored specialist quote
Safari.com
Best for readers who want a curated andBeyond quote fast. Safari.com deep-links to specific andBeyond lodges — Tengile, Ngala and others — and can pair them with adjacent operators for a wider circuit.
Request an andBeyond quote via Safari.comRoute 3 · Self-serve comparison
BookAllSafaris
Best for readers still shortlisting — comparing andBeyond's lodges against other operators in the same region before requesting a quote. Self-serve; the broadest comparison field.
Compare andBeyond on BookAllSafarisNot sure andBeyond is the fit? Compare against another operator.
The other luxury safari operators we have reviewed in depth.
Singita
18 lodges, exclusive-use concessions. The tier above on ultra-premium positioning.
Read the Singita review →Wilderness
60+ camps. Deepest Botswana footprint; small, remote, low-footprint camps.
Read the Wilderness review →Great Plains Conservation
Joubert-founded; andBeyond's Rhinos Without Borders partner. Conservation-first.
Read the Great Plains Conservation review →Sanctuary Retreats
A&K-owned. Chief's Camp Okavango + Nile cruise fleet.
Read the Sanctuary Retreats review →African Bush Camps
Community-rooted. Deepest Zimbabwe portfolio at luxury tier.
Read the African Bush Camps review →Asilia Africa
East Africa specialist; strong value-to-luxury ratio in Tanzania and Kenya.
Read the Asilia Africa review →Natural Selection
Conservation-led Botswana & Namibia; characterful, lower-density camps.
Read the Natural Selection review →Straight answers to the questions readers ask
Is andBeyond worth it, and how does it compare to Singita?
For a design-led safari with genuine conservation weight and the option to run several regions inside one brand, yes — andBeyond is one of the strongest operators in Africa. Versus Singita, the honest read is that Singita sits a tier higher on pure ultra-exclusivity, lower guest densities and exclusive-use concessions, and generally prices above andBeyond. andBeyond's edge is breadth: 29 lodges across every marquee region plus islands and South America, at one consistent standard. Many well-planned trips actually combine the two.
Which andBeyond lodge is best for a first-time safari?
Phinda in South Africa. The reserve has six lodges at different price points inside one Big Five area, low malaria risk, easy access from Johannesburg or Durban, and cheetah and rhino alongside the Big Five. Phinda Mountain or Forest for the fuller experience; Zuka or Vlei for something more intimate. It is the gentlest introduction andBeyond offers.
Is andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge open in 2026?
No. The Crater Lodge is closed for a full rebuild and reopens in January 2027. It cannot be booked for any 2026 dates. If the Ngorongoro Crater is central to your trip, either plan for 2027 or stay at another Tanzania lodge and visit the Crater floor as a day excursion in the meantime.
Are andBeyond's conservation claims genuine?
Yes, and they are structural rather than decorative. The company was founded in 1991 by rewilding degraded farmland into what is now the 74,000-acre Phinda reserve. It co-founded Rhinos Without Borders with Great Plains, which translocated more than 100 rhinos from South Africa's poaching frontline to Botswana, where 60-plus calves have since been born. Its Africa Foundation has built 170-plus classrooms and funded 250-plus tertiary scholarships, and Phinda has reintroduced pangolin after decades of local extinction.
What is included in the nightly rate?
Across the portfolio, rates typically include all accommodation, all meals, most drinks (premium wines and champagnes may be extra), laundry, twice-daily guided game activities, park and conservation fees, and road or air transfers from the nearest airstrip. International and regional flights, gratuities, premium beverages and specialist activities such as scuba or certain permits are generally additional.
How far in advance should andBeyond be booked?
Nine to fifteen months for peak season — July to October across most regions, and the migration months in the Serengeti and Mara. Smaller camps such as Bateleur, Sossusvlei Desert Lodge and the Okavango properties book out earliest. Green-season stays in Southern Africa (roughly November to April) can often be confirmed inside six months and come at lower rates.
Can andBeyond be combined with other brands, or with the beach?
Yes — and a good planner will often suggest it. andBeyond's own Mnemba Island off Zanzibar is the natural bush-and-beach pairing, but many itineraries also route andBeyond bush lodges with a Wilderness or Singita camp, or a stay in Cape Town or the Seychelles. Multi-brand routing is usually smoother through a specialist than by booking each property directly.
Is andBeyond good for families?
Very. Phinda is the flagship family choice — low malaria risk, a dedicated family offering, and exclusive-use options at Zuka and the Homestead. Kichwa Tembo in the Mara has family suites, and several lodges run children's programmes. For multi-generational groups, the exclusive-use villas (Phinda Homestead, Sossusvlei's Star Dune Suite) give a private guide, vehicle and chef for the whole party.
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Disclosure. Uncompromised Travel earns affiliate commissions on qualifying bookings made through Go2Africa, Safari.com and BookAllSafaris links on this page. Editorial verdicts, region breakdowns and honest comparisons are not influenced by commission structure. Rates cited are indicative 2026 ranges and were compiled at time of publication; always confirm at time of booking. andBeyond is not a paid partner and has no editorial input on this page.