Greystoke Mahale, Tanzania —
A few years ago, former safari firm owner Colin Bell and writer David Bristow set off to find Africa's most eco-friendly lodges and hotels.The two South Africans traveled the continent far and wide to separate establishments with watertight green credentials from those merely purporting to have them. A group of nine environmentalists joined them, and together they scored the properties on a scale of one to 10 on factors such as conservation and community effort.
The result was "Africa's Finest," an exhaustive guide detailing 50 of the most sustainable hotels in sub-Saharan Africa, Seychelles and Madagascar.
CNN asked the authors to pick their 15 favorite properties, and tell us why they deserved the spot on their list. Click through the gallery to see what they had to say.
Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, South Africa —
"The Lutzeyer family bought an overused dairy farm in the scrublands of the southern Cape about 20 years ago, 'for the view,' admits current patriarch Michael. Today, Grootbos is world-renowned as a botanical wonderland, and the family is using its seemingly bottomless energies and resources on various ecological and social development projects."
Serra Cafema Camp, Namibia —
"The Himba people, who live along the Kunene River, are tending cattle and goats in the Namib Desert with hardly one recognizable modern amenity of possession. It was a female elder of their clan who dared to set up a safari company in the region in order to benefit her people. And so it was, and so it is that Serra Cafema is maybe the most other-worldly safari lodge on the planet."
Greystoke Mahale —
"The Greystoke lodge perches on a beach sandwiched between the waters of Lake Tanganyika and the forested, emerald green Mahale Mountains. This is the number one place in Africa to see chimpanzees. The lodge consists of palm-frond thatching and timbers taken from disused boats on the lake."
Desert Rhino Camp, Namibia —
"Curious that the last secure stronghold of the black rhino should be found in a harsh, stony desert right on the edge of its environmental tolerance. More amazing is the fact that this place, Damaraland, does not comprise formal game reserves but community conservancies that -- in this case -- are in partnership with Wilderness Safaris."
Singita Grumeti, Tanzania —
"Some of the lodges in the Serengeti ecosystem, where an American hedge fund tycoon created a private game reserve, can be described as ostentatiously opulent (a sheik would be happy to sleep in the stables, someone once observed), but the fact that the Grumeti reserve extends the viable migration area by some 150,000 hectares is one of Africa greatest recent conservation successes."
Leshiba Wilderness, South Africa —
"Tucked into a fold of the Soutpansberg Mountains in the far north of the country, Leshiba is a lodge that is of, for and by the people. The place feels as if it grew out of the surrounding rocks and earth. It is set among the foundations of an old Venda village and its owners employed famous Venda artist and sculptor Noria Mabasa to build the lodge. The result was fantastic."
Little Makalolo, Zimbabwe —
"Very often it is the things you don't see that make all the difference, and so it is with Little Makalolo that sits in big game country of Hwange National Park. Although the lodge itself is all canvas and timber, the fact that the lodge supports not only the surrounding communities but, pretty much keeps the entire national park viable."
Meno A Kwena, Botswana —
"This family-run lodge lies under a riverine canopy on the Boteti River, one of northern Botswana's so-called "miracle rivers." The lodge has the lightest of footprints -- its lounge roof is a parachute."
Mombo Lodge, Botswana —
"Mombo is not only the flagship of Wilderness Safaris, but it has become arguably the most must-visit safari lodge in Africa -- that's not because it is overly luxurious but because the game viewing there is so exceptional. It is also where, progressively, this safari company rolls out its newest and best environmental practices and technologies."
Wolwedans Private Game Reserve, Namibia —
"When he saw marginal stock farmers denuding the once game-rich plains of the southern Namib, Windhoek businessman Albi Bruckner began using the so-called family silver buying up denuded farmlands in order to support natural game. Today, Wolwedans Private Game Reserve is one of Namibia's crown jewels, harboring several safari lodges that comply extremely strict environmental specifications."
Natureways Canoe Trails, Zambezi River —
"It could be argued that nature trails have the lightest footprint of all safari options, and none less so than Natureways -- the place is run by the extremely bush-wise James Varden, one of that rare breed of Zimbabwean professional guides who blend bush savvy with an urbane sensibility."
Singita Pamushana Lodge, Zimbabwe —
"When our 'Africa's Finest' book came out, everyone asked us how did we include this lodge since we wrote that it spares no carbon molecule to ensure its guests enjoy 'unsurpassed luxury.' To that we answered: 'when that lodge feeds 20,000 poor schoolchildren every day of the year, as but one strategy to secure their futures, you can overlook a few generators, rim-flow plunge pools and mini-bars in the interests of the greater good.'"
Sangha Camp, Central African Republic —
"Professional birder Rob Cassidy is a surprisingly mild and amiable host in the jungle. Merely to keep a lodge going here is remarkable, the lodge helps support a vast rainforest reserve as well as the local Ba'aka (Pygmy) communities. The experience is like watching a scintillating all-day wildlife movie."
Tafika Camp, Zambia —
"Remote Africa is a most apt name for the family-run company that operated these two lodges in the Luangwa Valley, far as you like from the madding crowds. These timber, reed and thatch lodges use solar power and bucket showers, and they fund conservation and community projects up and down this very remote and rustic valley deep in the African bush."
Camp Nomade, Chad —
"Chad's Zakouma National Park is a must-see safari destination for travelers with a passion for wildlife and true wildernesses. We recently had the privilege of spending close on two weeks there and were overwhelmed by the entire experience. The wildlife concentrations were astonishing (by next year it will be a 'big 5' destination after they have reintroduced black rhino); the birding was the best we've seen (way out-performing the greats, like the Okavango) and their whole mobile tented camp experience is world class. But it is the sheer volume of wildlife and their huge herds around every corner that is the real attraction. Camp Nomade can only host around 100 guests per year solely between late December and early April when the waters dry up and the wildlife concentrates around their remaining rivers and floodplains."
