5 getaways to enjoy the winter sun

Botswana with Great Plains:

Duba Explorers Camp, Botswana

Duba Explorers Camp, a Great Plains Explorer-Collection safari camp, is tucked away on an island in the northeast corner of Botswana’s Duba Concession, a 81,500-acre (33,000-hectare) private reserve.

Due to its location in the Okavango Delta’s northern reaches, the permanent floodplain dominates the surrounding landscapes, with camp guests enjoying unobstructed views across the surrounding water channels.

The camp was built as an expedition camp, with campaign furniture and a sense of impermanence, always ready to be packed up and moved to the next adventure. This atmosphere extends to the one-of-a-kind pool, which has been constructed on the back of an overland 6-wheel-drive campaign military truck.

Activities include safari drives and walking safaris as well as boating and mokoro activities, depending on water levels. The perfect spot to cool down after a day spent exploring like the adventurers of yesteryear, guests can expect to spot hippos, elephants, zebra, wildebeest and much more.

Kenya with Great Plains:

ol Donyo Lodge, Kenya

ol Donyo Lodge is located on the Maasai-owned Mbirikani Group Ranch, comprising of 275,000 acres (111,000 hectares) of pristine landscapes between Amboseli and Tsavo National Parks and bordering Chyulu Hills National Park. This stunningly beautiful area is incredibly diverse, and often has spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro.

This camp is very remote offering extreme privacy and a vast number of activities to choose from – morning and evening open vehicle safari, mountain biking, bush breakfast and dinners, guided bushwalks, horse riding, tracking, conservation and community out-reach programmes and sleep-out star bed experiences.

ol Donyo Lodge offers eight Deluxe Suites and a two-bedroom family Sambu Suite. Each unique suite offers guests private outdoor and covered verandas leading to your private swimming pools, indoor lounge areas and en-suite bathrooms with indoor baths and indoor and outdoor showers. On each guest suite’s rooftop, stunning star beds are available, where guests can sleep under the canopy of the night sky, safely listening to the hyenas and lions who are active during the night and to birdlife as the sun rises.

A fire deck under the stars off the main area allows for that stargazing evening moment, outside dining and the warmth of sharing your day with fellow safari adventurers. There are two hides at the waterhole in front of the main area. One is a new sunken hide completed with a coffee machine and fridge. The sunken and open-air hides allow guests to remain there all day, viewing the animals that come to quench their thirst at the waterhole. The wildlife experience in ol Donyo Lodge offers some of the finest sightings in the group.

A new addition for ol Donyo Lodge is the camp’s own helicopter, which is available for guests to enjoy on scenic flights through the incredible Chyulu Hills, Kilimanjaro and Amboseli area. The new Bell 505 helicopter will be available for scenic flights with stunning views and air transfers to Nairobi.

Uga Riva

Sri Lanka with Uga:

Uga Riva, Negombo

Nestled in a coconut plantation near Negombo’s pristine shores, Uga Riva is a 180-year-old manor house re-launched for travellers seeking an indulgent sanctuary. Situated just 10 minutes from central Negombo and a mere 30-minute drive from Colombo International Airport, Uga Riva serves as the perfect spot for commencing or concluding a Sri Lankan journey.

Conveniently positioned for travellers recovering from island explorations or adjusting to jetlag, guests can immediately relax into the serene tranquillity of the five-acre grounds, enjoying a leisurely break by the pool before retiring to the luxurious comfort of Uga Riva’s well-appointed rooms.

From leisurely breakfasts to romantic dinners, dining at Riva guarantees a truly distinctive and sensory culinary journey. As one of the few upscale dining establishments in Negombo, Uga Riva offers delectable cuisine infused with the rich flavours of the island.

The historic property has played host to many prominent figures including Mahatma Gandhi, who visited the property during his visit to Ceylon in 1927 and planted a tree opposite the house.

Uga Chena Huts, Yala

Uga Chena Huts is a true wilderness paradise nestled deep within the jungle in Sri Lanka’s far south, a few miles from Yala National Park. Comprised of just 18 thatch-roofed cabins – each with its own private deck and pool – within grounds of over seven acres, the property provides a bucket-list worthy opportunity to immerse themselves in nature while enjoying the very best of Sri Lankan hospitality.

Overlooking a beach where sea-turtles come to lay eggs by moonlight and elephants wander down from the nearby forest to play in the surf, Chena Huts is fringed on one landward side by tropical jungle and on the other by a saline lake where ibises, painted storks and eben flamingos may be seen, wading in the shallows.

Guests can enjoy world-class dining at the property’s Basses restaurant, sundowners at the poolside bar and spoiling spa treatments from the comfort of their residence.

Maldives with Gili Lankanfushi:

Gili Lankanfushi Resort Maldives

Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives

Gili Lankanfushi enjoys an unspoilt island location in the Maldives’ North Malé Atoll, just 20 minutes by speedboat from Malé Airport. Perfectly suited for couples, families, solo travellers and groups alike, the resort combines rustic eco-design, unparalleled service and stunning natural scenery with a laid-back-luxury, ‘no news, no shoes’ philosophy.

A variety of new additions for 2024 on the island include a new menu and refurbishment at Gili Lankanfushi’s iconic Overwater Bar and the chance to sample Executive Chef Hari Govinderaj’s plant-to-plate menu and chef’s table experience in the Gili Garden, to wellness experiences including moon-bathing and elemental spa pairings.

Guests can also now enjoy visits to the brand-new eco-centre and participate in the island’s sustainability initiatives, while keen and aspiring surfers can learn to surf and hang ten with world class surfing lessons, experiencing some of the best waves in the Maldives.