Deciding on which camp to choose at Londolozi is no easy task. Each camp is more than just a place to rest – they are the living museums of the 100-year story that is Londolozi. Each camp celebrates a unique chapter in this remarkable story, where tradition and adventure weave together to create spaces that are truly magical. Each camp carries its own heartbeat, its own collection of whispered stories and treasured moments of our history. Here, the walls themselves hold memories, and every sunset feels like the continuation of a tale that began nearly a century ago.

Sparta Camp – The original four rondavels

Varty Camp ~ The Heart & Soul of Londolozi

“The Original”

Few campfires in Africa have witnessed as much history as the one that still burns at Varty Camp, its flames dancing with the same warmth they’ve offered for nearly 100 years. This is where it all began. Where the very soul of Londolozi was forged in firelight and conversation.

Varty Boma 1979

Around this sacred fire, the dream of becoming protectors of all living things was born. Here, Nelson Mandela spoke of Ubuntu and the oneness of humanity. Here, the blueprint for modern safari was sketched in embers and imagination. Built on the original Sparta camp, Varty Camp spills toward the river like a family photo come to life – dolerite stone walls, brick pathways, and climbing vines creating a tapestry of nearly a century of love for this land.

The Cathedral of Varty Camp Deck

Each of the ten chalets whispers with inter-leading possibilities, perfect for families wanting to share this storied space. Private plunge pools nestle beneath ancient trees, while outdoor showers and private decks catch the river breeze. This is where the original Sparta rondavels stand as living monuments, where the legendary Jackabberry tree watches over celebrations, and where the Healing House offers sanctuary. At Varty Camp, you don’t just stay, you become part of the continuing story.

Founders Camp ~ Honouring the Past, Celebrating the Present

“Where Binary Rings of Legacy Live On”

Like the growth rings of an ancient tree, each person who has touched Londolozi has left their mark, and Founders Camp stands as a beautiful testament to these wild, early beginnings. This is where classic meets modern in perfect harmony – clean lines and uncomplicated comfort that feels like coming home to the most stylish African house imaginable.

Built using ancient ‘wattle and dorp’ methodology, every surface celebrates the raw elements of nature: rock, fire, wood, and earth. Ten bespoke chalets rest in the shade of ancient Ebony and Matumi trees, their simple sophistication creating depth through layered textures that soothe the soul. The palette is muted and calming within, yet vibrantly connected to the wilderness without.

The Founders Wall

Here, the spirit of those conservation missionaries who campaigned alongside Fleetwood Mac for elephants lives on. The stories of animal relocations, the removal of fences, and the ripple effect of Londolozi’s alumni spreading across Africa – all find their home in these timeless walls. Founders Camp doesn’t just house guests; it honours the dreamers and doers who shaped a legend.

Tree Camp ~ A Sanctuary of Elegance & Simplicity

“Honouring the Legacy of the Leopards of Londolozi”

Tucked into the canopy of ancient leadwoods, Tree Camp is pure poetry written in plaited leather and lantern light. This is Africa’s most stylish family-run camp, where every detail speaks to a classic elegance that transcends trends; Ralph Lauren-inspired interiors, high thatched ceilings, and wide doors that open to embrace the wilderness.

But beneath the sophisticated surface lies a deeper story: this is a love letter to four decades of kinship with Londolozi’s legendary leopards. Like the Varty family themselves, these cats span four generations of connection, their dynasty chronicled by guides and trackers who have become part of the extended Londolozi family. The leopards – intuitive shapeshifters, fearless yet humble – find their perfect reflection in Tree Camp’s dappled light and leafy sanctuary.

As the first Relais & Châteaux game reserve property in Africa, Tree Camp set a new standard for safari luxury. Guests spend lazy afternoons on the deck, champagne in hand, watching elephants pass in the river below, while countless lanterns transform evening into magic. Here, the tracking legacy lives on, honouring those who read the language of paw prints and broken twigs with the skill of ancient storytellers.

Pioneer Camp ~ Your Private Safari Homestead

“Where Safari Pioneers Come Home”

Folded into the riverscape like a well-kept secret, Pioneer Camp feels a world apart from everything else. Its three luxury suites and private bush homestead blend old-world safari charm with textures of quiet sophistication – polished wood, supple leather, crisp linen, and the occasional glint of crystal creating elegance in the bones of the original homestead.

Set among 500-year-old ebony trees, this is the culmination of five decades of design experience. The camp carries all the elements of authentic bushveld living: clean lines, timeless elegance, and a touch of crystal that catches the light just so. History pervades every corner through faithfully restored memorabilia, sepia photographs, and the bespoke wallpaper in the bar that tells the tales of safari pioneers from nearly a century past.

Whether configured for honeymooners seeking seclusion or multi-generational families wanting privacy, Pioneer Camp adapts like the perfect host. Here, stories of tennis matches with too much gin, train rides to Siding 61, and the pioneering women like Betty Taylor and Maidie Varty who shaped Londolozi live on in every carefully preserved detail. This is where friendship and adventure first took root, where the compass of Londolozi’s future was set.

Private Granite Suites ~ A Private River Affair

“A Celebration of Elegance & Elephants”

Carved from the land itself and nestled against ancient granite, the Private Granite Suites occupy sacred ground. Aligned with the Nilotic Meridian, the mystical ‘line of first time’, this camp overlooks the confluence of the Sand and Manyelethi rivers, “the place where the stars meet the earth.”

The suites echo the natural textures that surround them, their silver, charcoal, and elephant grey palette creating Africa’s raw essence with contemporary elegance. Large doors and windows dissolve the boundaries between inside and out, while private heated plunge pools and outdoor stone baths offer perfect vantage points for starlit soaks.

This is where elephants wander the river ways as breeding herds have for millennia. The granite rocks shimmer at sunset like captured starlight, while the suspended lounge provides front-row seats to nature’s grandest theatre. Here, Patrick Mavros’s elephant herd artwork speaks to the migration patterns written in stone and memory, and the Galaxy Boma stands as a testament to the cosmic connection between earth and sky.

Each camp at Londolozi holds its own magic, its own collection of stories waiting to be continued. Whether you’re drawn to the original flames of Varty Camp, the timeless elegance of Tree Camp, the founder’s spirit at Founders Camp, the intimate luxury of Pioneer Camp, or the raw sophistication of Private Granite Suites, you’ll find yourself not just choosing accommodation, but selecting which chapter of our ongoing story you’d like to help write.

Because at Londolozi, every guest becomes part of the chapters of our story.