Safari has had a glow up. Actually, several over the last few decades. There was a time in the times of yore when a good safari meant a canvas tent, a bucket shower, a crackling fire and a guide who could read the bush like a novel. Then things escalated. Suddenly it was plunge pools, pillow menus, spa treatments and bathtubs big enough to host a small dinner party. Don't get us wrong, luxury safari can be utterly glorious. But lately, something has shifted and it's done it quietly, confidently, and with a little smirk...

Times, they are a changing. Well, actually they're going full circle if you actually think about it. Safari travellers are starting to say, “This is lovely, but where’s the wild bit?” Enter the return to basics. Not a rejection of luxury. Not a hair shirt approach to travel. Just a growing desire for safaris that feel real. Immersive. Slightly dusty. A little less polished and a lot more alive.

When you strip safari back to its core, the magic was never about how fancy the room was. It was about where you were sleeping, what you could hear at night, and how deeply you felt plugged into the wilderness around you. And people are remembering that.

We’re seeing more travellers choosing experiences that prioritise place over polish. Camps where the design doesn’t shout louder than the landscape. Where the luxury is in the guiding, the remoteness, the wildlife encounters, and the feeling that you are properly out there. These are safaris where you wake up with the sun because that’s what the bush does. Where you walk, and walk some more, and realise you’ve been holding your breath without noticing. Where the shower might be simple, but the view while you’re using it is outrageous. And honestly, it’s refreshing.

There’s something deeply satisfying about a safari that doesn’t try too hard. No gold taps. No theatrical turndowns. Just good food, good company, and a front row seat to nature doing its thing. That doesn’t mean travellers suddenly want to be uncomfortable. Let’s not get dramatic. Comfort still matters. Thoughtful touches still matter. But excess for the sake of excess? That’s falling out of favour fast.

At the same time, let’s not pretend luxury safari is passé. It isn’t. Not even close.

There will always be something intoxicating about arriving at a beautifully designed lodge, being handed a perfectly chilled drink, and sinking into a space that feels like a sanctuary. When luxury safari is done well, it heightens the wild rather than dulling it. It gives you the space to exhale and fully absorb what’s around you. And that’s where the magic balance comes in. Safari is not an either or situation. It’s a delicious both.

On one side, you have the back to basics camps. Raw. Honest. Immersive. Places where the wild leads and you follow. On the other, you have refined lodges that understand restraint, that know when to step back and let the landscape do the talking. The problem only starts when luxury becomes the headline instead of the wilderness.

Today’s safari traveller is savvy. They’ve seen the glossy images. They’ve stayed in beautiful places. Now they want meaning. Connection. Stories they can’t get anywhere else. They want to feel like they’re part of the environment, not hovering above it. They want guides who are walking encyclopaedias with dirt under their nails. Camps that are rooted in conservation and community, not just aesthetics. Experiences that leave them changed, even if only slightly. And perhaps that’s the biggest shift of all.

Safari is no longer about showing off. It’s about tuning in. Syncing with the rhythm of the bush. With silence. With moments that are unscripted and imperfect and therefore unforgettable. It’s about letting go of control and allowing the wild to surprise you. 

This return to basics isn’t a trend. It’s a recalibration and a reminder that the greatest luxury safari offers is perspective. It comes from sitting quietly while elephants pass, from hearing a lion roar so close your chest vibrates, from realising that WiFi is wildly overrated when you’re watching the stars wheel overhead. And discovering that when you pair immersion with comfort, care and thoughtful design, you get something truly special. A safari that nourishes and excites in equal measure.

That’s the sweet spot. The yin and yang. The art of knowing when to add, and when to step back. Safari doesn’t need to shout. It never did.

It just needs to be honest. Back to basics doesn’t mean going backwards. It means going deeper. And that’s exactly where safari belongs.



Text: Sharon Gilbert-Rivett