Travelling as you are

Safaris designed around where the welcome is real

The map of Africa for LGBTQ+ travellers is uneven. Some countries are open and welcoming. Others are not, regardless of what the marketing says. We will tell you the difference plainly, and design the trip around it.

Where this trip starts

Honest guidance, then a beautiful trip

South Africa, Namibia, and parts of Botswana, Zambia, and Mozambique have lodges and operators that get this right. Other countries on the map have laws and lodge cultures we are not willing to send our travellers into. We will say so. The safari you want is achievable. The country might shift.

Beyond the map, the lodges we use for LGBTQ+ travellers share a few traits. Same-bed setups arranged without question. Reception staff who do not pause when they see two surnames. Communal dining that is properly mixed. Guiding teams who treat couples as couples. Each one has been checked by us or by people we trust on the ground, and the feedback is direct.

Why this kind of trip

What we look for when we plan LGBTQ+ itineraries

Sunken fire pit and lounge deck at a private safari lodge in the Sabi Sand
01

Operators we know personally

We book lodges where we have a direct relationship and where we have asked the question directly, not lodges that list a rainbow flag on their website because someone in marketing suggested it. The welcome has to be real.

Cape Town coastline seen from the Twelve Apostles with mountains and Atlantic Ocean
02

Honest country-by-country guidance

South Africa and Botswana are the most straightforward places to travel as an LGBTQ+ couple. Elsewhere, including East Africa, the legal position varies and can change, so we talk it through openly with every couple before anything is booked. We will not simplify this to make the booking easier.

A guest on a private suite deck watching a herd of elephants at the river
03

Small lodges, private space

The same qualities that make a lodge work for couples in general also apply here: small room counts, private decks, the option to dine privately when you want to. We route LGBTQ+ couples toward those lodges as a baseline.

Two women raising a glass of red wine by lantern light on a lodge deck in the bush
04

South Africa as the full circuit

Cape Town has a longstanding and visible LGBTQ+ community. The Franschhoek and Stellenbosch wine regions are relaxed and well-appointed. The bush lodges we use in the Greater Kruger area are owned and run by people who have worked with international LGBTQ+ travellers for years.

Sample journeys

Three LGBTQ+ trips we plan most often

Each one is a starting point. We share the specific lodge names, legal context and practical ground-level detail in the planning conversation.

A guest chatting with a host in a glass-walled plant room at a safari lodge in the Sabi Sand

01

South Africa, ten nights

Sabi Sand, Cape Town and the Cape Winelands. Strong legal protections.

Four nights in the Sabi Sand on a private concession, three nights in the Cape Winelands between Franschhoek and Stellenbosch, and three nights in Cape Town. South Africa's constitution protects against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation, same-sex marriage is recognised in law, and Cape Town in particular has a visible, well-established LGBTQ+ community. The lodge operators we use in the Sabi Sand have worked with international LGBTQ+ couples for a long time and the welcome is the same as for any other guest.

A private deck with a daybed swing overlooking the Okavango Delta floodplain at sunset

02

Botswana, nine nights

Okavango Delta and Chobe. Welcoming private lodges.

Five nights in the Okavango Delta and four in Chobe. Botswana's courts have decriminalised same-sex relationships, and the private concession operators there were welcoming LGBTQ+ couples well before the law caught up. The lodges we use are small, the concessions are private, and the guiding is excellent. Chobe's riverfront in the dry season, busy with elephant and predators, is a reason to come here in its own right.

A lodge suite on stilts in the forest near Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

03

Rwanda and Tanzania, eleven nights

Volcanoes National Park gorillas and Ngorongoro. We talk through Tanzania's legal position before booking.

Four nights in Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park for gorilla tracking, then seven nights in Tanzania's northern circuit covering the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. In Rwanda, the lodge operators we use are welcoming without reservation. Tanzania's laws are a different matter, and we talk them through directly with LGBTQ+ couples before confirming any Tanzania itinerary. The northern circuit lodges on private land are staffed by operators with long international experience. We share the specific practical detail in the planning conversation.

From a recent trip

★★★★★

All our bookings have been done through them and we have only had fast, professional, efficient and friendly service. Sian, Vicki and Roxanne are masters in their field.

Richard O.

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The process

Safari planning, done properly

There is no algorithm picking your lodges. From the first message to the day you fly home, you deal with real people who care about this as deeply as you do.

01

A real conversation first

We start with a call or a long message. No commitment, no quote forms. We want to understand the trip you are imagining, your travel history, your budget, and what you have always quietly wanted Africa to give you.

02

A proposal that surprises you

We do not just suggest the obvious. We bring options you would not have found on your own: the newly reopened concession, the off-peak rate at the lodge that is usually full, the combination of regions that works for your dates.

03

We refine until it is right

We iterate together. There is no pressure. Some clients take three conversations to land a trip, others take two weeks. We only confirm the booking when you are completely certain.

04

We are with you the whole way

Pre-trip prep, packing notes, what to expect on the ground. A direct line to us while you are travelling. If anything changes on the trip, we handle it before you have to think about it.

Ready to start?

The safari you have quietly been thinking about

No commitment. No quote forms. Just a conversation with people who know the continent and know how to get you there in style.

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Common questions

Common questions

Which African countries are safe for LGBTQ+ couples?

South Africa has the strongest legal footing, with protection against discrimination written into the constitution and same-sex marriage recognised in law. Cape Town also has a long-established LGBTQ+ community. Botswana has decriminalised same-sex relationships and its private lodges are welcoming. Mauritius has decriminalised too, and its resorts are relaxed and easy for LGBTQ+ couples, which makes it a natural beach extension. Laws elsewhere, including in East Africa, vary and can change, so we talk each country through with you before anything is booked.

Is Cape Town a good destination for LGBTQ+ travellers?

Yes. Cape Town has one of the most visible and established LGBTQ+ communities in Africa, a dedicated neighbourhood, and a social culture that is inclusive without making a performance of it. The city works well as part of a wider South Africa itinerary.

Can we have a same-sex wedding ceremony in Africa?

A legally binding ceremony is possible in South Africa, which recognises same-sex marriage. Symbolic ceremonies can be arranged in many other countries at lodges that welcome them. We cover this in more detail on our destination weddings page.

Do we need to be discreet on safari?

In the lodges we use in South Africa and Botswana, no. The operators are welcoming and the environment is private. In countries with a more complex legal position, we will have that conversation with you before you travel so there are no surprises.

How do you choose which lodges to recommend for LGBTQ+ couples?

We ask directly. We have long-standing relationships with the operators we use, and we have had the conversation with them. A lodge on our LGBTQ+ list has been confirmed by someone we trust on the ground, not by a website badge.

From the journal

Reading for LGBTQ travellers

More from the journal →
202Google reviews · 5-star rating
Owner-led A planner, not a call centre
On the ground Based in Greater Kruger

Plan it properly

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By Vikki Jackson Updated

Plan it properly

Tell us what you are imagining

Three ways to begin. Pick whichever feels easiest.

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Prefer to write to us directly? sian@marulahill.com · WhatsApp +27 82 459 0648