Ultimate Bucket List Safari Destination: Niassa in Mozambique

At the eight-tent luxury Lugenda Wilderness Camp in the pristine 42,000km² Niassa Reserve, Northern Mozambique's most fascinating region which long has been inaccessible for holidaymakers, tourists can now experience an authentic, exclusive safari in a wilderness that nowadays is very hard to find elsewhere.

No minibuses. No 20 jeeps around a lion. No caged animals.

Unlike the overhyped safaris provided by many of top lodges in other southern African destinations, Lugenda Wilderness Camp offers guests the rare chance of experiencing Niassa's vastness and wild beauty in an exclusive setting, shared with just a handful of other people.

The Portuguese called this region Fim de mundo – end of the world. Niassa is huge and stretches over an area that is larger than Switzerland and twice the size of Kruger. Niassa is Africa's second largest animal sanctuary, and dense with four of the Big Five as well as the endangered African wild dog, and unique species such as Boehm's zebra, Johnston's impala, Niassa wildebeest and over 370 bird species. The Lugenda safari concession stretches along its namesake river and contains the only luxury camp in the entire Niassa reserve, making Lugenda Wilderness Camp one of the most exclusive safaris in southern Africa.

Guests will be rewarded with landscapes of jaw-dropping beauty such as the palm-braided channels of the Lugenda River, its waters edged by broad sandy beaches and riparian forest. Giant granite inselbergs, the ‘island mountains' that provide both dramatic backdrop and views of surrounding jungle. Miombo woodland interspersed with grass and wetland, constantly atwitter with ten or more bird species in any given glance.

And due to Lugenda's relative lack of tourism, each wildlife encounter evokes a primal feeling of discovery that is often lost in today's more popular guided safaris. Besides game drives or bush walks to view the numerous wildlife that roams this giant wilderness special experiences at Lugenda include:

Canoeing Safaris on the mighty Lugenda River

Water-based game watching. The bird life is superb and all the water birds occur along the river too. Game is plentiful with hippos, crocs, elephant and buffalo and general game drinking from the river. The canoe safaris can be from ½ a day to 3 days depending on what clients would like (and the availability of water). Canoeing safaris are best between May and end July.

Full Moon Safaris

Because the location of the reserve is so remote, there is zero light pollution from the outside world and the impact of a full moon in the Niassa is impressive beyond belief. Highly skilled and experienced rangers take guests out at night on foot and in game viewer vehicles to explore the mystic of this enchanting wilderness area. The light of the moon brings this black wilderness to life.

On-top-of-the-world mighty mountain camp-out

A sleep out in the wild of the reserve in a fly-camp set atop one of the unique Inselbergs that protrude the reserve. The experience includes dinner on the crest of the inselberg und sleeping under a vast canopy of stars, the crackling fire your lullaby.

Memorable experiences don't get much more unique than this.

Further Information on www.lugenda.com. Reservation enquiries +27 (0)11 658 0633 or by email at info@raniresorts.com.

Fully inclusive rates start from $427 / ca. £255 per person per night including all accommodation in a luxury tent, meals, drinks and safari activities. (Rates as of June 1, 2014; rates subject to change without notice)