In Cairo’s cacophonous downtown, a maze of Beaux Arts buildings and crumbling apartment blocks, the most unassuming elevators can whisk you up to the city’s hideaways. That’s certainly the case for Immobilia, composed of a handful of apartment units in the 1940s Immobilia building, which was once Egypt’s tallest tower and a ritzy hangout for erstwhile A-listers and socialites. After decades of decline, the spaces have been steadily revived by Dubai-based tour operator Egypt Beyond, which first introduced a handful of art- and antique-studded residences that quickly became honeypots for clued-in visitors. The Art Deco interiors are complemented by vintage touches—Murano-glass lamps, moucharaby-style tables, and heavy velvet curtains—and locally commissioned pieces such as wicker bed frames and decorative tassels. The central lounge, clad in polished wood and lined with a velvet sofa that runs along almost its entire length, functions as a living room where evenings fill with dinners prepared by the in-house chef and movie screenings. In a city dominated by big-brand hotels that buffer guests from the buzz, this one feels like a true immersion. From £245! Chris Schalkx

As I pull up to andBeyond Suyian Lodge, I’m met with a chorus of staff singing and chanting my welcome, and I know I’ve arrived somewhere special. Previously a privately owned cattle ranch, the lodge is the only tourist-centric accommodation in this corner of Laikipia, Kenya. The conserve it sits on spans 44,000 acres and is home to more than 100 different species of African wildlife. Crucially, the land forms part of the wildlife movement corridor, which allows animals to migrate freely and safely without human interference. The lodge is built into the landscape in a way that feels artful, curated, and respectful of its surroundings. Out on the terrace sits a telescope – a reminder of why we’re here and of all there is to see. There are only 14 suites in total, each as spacious as the next. Interiors are a reflection of nature and sourced locally where possible – think stone walls, mustard yellow cushions, and authentic wood side tables. My (enormous) bed faces glass doors that open onto my terrace and gaze out across the plains. Even the mosquito net is chic. All food and drink is included, from the chocha-mocha-rula poured midway through each morning game drive to the self-serve bar at the pool. Between game drives we lounge by the infinity pool, enjoy the gym, and book yoga. But the spa is especially noteworthy; the steam room and cold plunge are open to all guests, and the views are so distracting that it makes the ice water (almost) enjoyable. From £1,120. Sarah Leigh Bannerman

Rwanda is known for its mountain gorillas. But less well-known are its Big Five creatures in this park adjoining Tanzania. To the park’s north, Wilderness’s Magashi Peninsula is the only luxury lodge within a private 23-square-mile concession. Each of the three villas is located on the game-rich shores of Lake Rwanyakazinga, and activities are personally curated, whether that’s a dawn coffee on board a smart Navis pontoon, bird spotting in the biggest protected wetlands in Central Africa, tracking rhinos, or watching a leopard fish at night. The villas are more like spacious bush homes, decorated in the calming wood tones of the wilderness, with such treats as an outdoor shower, a plunge pool, and a netted rooftop bed from which to watch shooting stars and listen to hyenas cackle. Rwandans are rightly proud of their country’s recent progress, and the smiley young staff are eager to please. Food is light, varied, and tasty, from a cake stand of overnight oats, fruit, and croissants first thing, to well-spiced lunches of chilled soups and salads under a tree, to a three-course lamplit dinner, with choices like plant-based pasta and fire-seared steak. The real star? The head guide Alfonse Ntabana, whose dry wit, intuition, and in-depth knowledge transform every day into a pleasurable adventure. From £1,865. Lisa Grainger

Sprawled along a rocky hilltop above a vast, acacia-dotted plain in Tanzania, Laba Laba Travel’s new flagship lodge combines a leopard’s-eye view of Africa’s most sought-after safari destination with a design collection that roots you in a continent as creative as it is wild. Put simply: there is art everywhere. At the entrance, South African artist and ceramicist Zizipho Poswa’s large-scale, anthropomorphic totem stands sentinel; beyond, Ivorian sculptural designer Jean Servais Somian’s red velvet sofas, repurposed from traditional pirogues, appear to sail into the Serengeti horizon. In the bar are two snake-embraced Nyoka chairs by playful Johannesburg-born polymath Rich Mnisi; in the dining room is Porky Hefer’s leather-stitched Simba. Their works and those of several other contemporary African artists create the soul of the lodge, brought together by owners Xavier Marie and Julie Brisson. Inspired detailing throughout showcases African craftsmanship: individually hand-carved beads make up bespoke jali-style screens; Moroccan zellige tiles were hand-cut to resemble African shields; traditional banana-leaf lining patterned into the ceilings; heavy onyx tables; and stone hand-hewn on-site. The result is a lovely visual paean to Africa. From £635. Pippa de Bruyn