Travel + Leisure magazine readers have chosen a luxurious safari camp in Botswana as the world’s best hotel for 2013.
Mombo Camp and Little Mombo Camp claimed the top spot in the 18th annual World’s Best Awards, which rank the finest luxury accommodations worldwide based on the votes of the magazine’s US readership.
A key highlight of Mombo Camp is its prime location in the Moremi Game Reserve, offering exceptional big game viewing opportunities, according to the camp operators.
Guests can enjoy lavish accommodations with four-poster beds, indoor and outdoor showers, and elevated walkways connecting private tents, allowing wildlife like rhinos and elephants to roam freely below.
Little Mombo also features a ‘treehouse-luxe library’ where guests can unwind with a cocktail after a game drive. The camp boasts thatched-roof living and dining areas, a plunge pool, and regular game drives that often spot lions, leopards, hyenas, buffalo, giraffes, and zebras.
Beyond luxury, Mombo Camp is environmentally conscious, running entirely on solar energy and supporting a rhino conservation project that has reintroduced black and white rhinos to the area.
These features earned the camp a score of 96.6 out of 100 from readers.
The list of top hotels also includes well-known luxury brands such as Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Fairmont, Mandarin Oriental, and The Peninsula.
Here are the top 10 hotels of 2013 according to Travel + Leisure readers:
- Mombo Camp and Little Mombo Camp, Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
- Castello di Casole, A Timbers Resort, Casole d’Elsa, Italy
- Singita, Kruger National Park, South Africa
- Nayara Hotel Spa & Gardens, La Fortuna-Arenal, Costa Rica
- Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, French Polynesia
- Ritz-Carlton, Berlin (tie)
- The Lodge at Kauri Cliffs, North Island, New Zealand (tie)
- The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, India
- Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve, Kruger National Park Area, South Africa
- Singita Sabi Sand, Kruger National Park Area, South Africa