6 Unique Accommodation in Asia & Africa

Here at Wayfairer we have a wide selection of luxury lodges, romantic resorts and beautiful boutique hotels that we can include on tailor made holidays. We’ve stayed at most of them ourselves so we have first-hand experience.

Below, our co-founders Harry Prowse and Tom Blakey have selected their favourite unique accommodation options in Africa and Asia.

3 Unique Accommodations in Asia – chosen by Harry

TIA Wellness Resort - Da Nang, Central Vietnam

TIA Wellness is a unique all-villa resort located in Da Nang, close to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Hoi An, My Son and Hue.

TIA Wellness is one of Asia's only resorts that offers a complimentary spa treatment, included in your room's rate. They are by far the countries leaders in wellness and have a holistic approach to health, offered through their various retreats.

With a luxury spa set in tropical gardens and a choice of four dining options from their wellness-focused kitchen offering a wholesome approach to eating. 

Eat real, natural food to positively impact your energy levels and mood. Customised, detox and regeneration meal plans are available.

TIA Wellness is a popular option with Wayfairer clients.

Choose from the following retreat options:

Wellness Retreat - 2 wellness therapies per night, daily wellness practices including Signature Master Class: Breathwork, Lifestyle Tai Chi, Active Yoga Flow and Creative Workshop with Signature Tea.

Creative Possibility 3 night Retreat - Everything the Wellness Retreat offers, plus full-board Plant-Based dining and your personal TIA Wellness Guide.

Stillness Retreat - explore mindfulness, relaxation and connection to your inner truth.

Splash Retreat - explore inspiration, motivation and confident self-expression. 

Lanjia Lodge – Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand

Lanjia Lodge is an eco-friendly community-based lodge nestled high on a hill in Chiang Rai Province, northern Thailand. Offering dramatic vistas of the Mekong Valley and Laos, Lanjia lodge has 4 guest cottages with a total of 16 guest rooms. It is built in complete harmony with the lush green environment as well as the Hmong and Lahu villages in which it is located. ​

This wonderful lodge offers a variety of tours and activities such as trekking, Hmong batik class, and a hill tribe village tour where you’ll have the opportunity to learn about Hmong and Lahu hill tribe culture and you might even get invited into a shaman’s home for a cup of tea.

Many Wayfairer clients have said that a stay at Lanjia Lodge was the highlight of their tailor-made holiday to Thailand.

4 Rivers Floating Lodge – Tatai, Cambodia

4 Rivers Floating Lodge is located 15 minutes by boat from Tatai, next to the Thai border, halfway between Bangkok and Phnom Penh (via Koh Chang). It is 40 minutes drive from Koh Kong, 4 hours from Sihanoukville.

The rooms here are stylish, luxurious tents with double or twin beds, wardrobe, chaise longue, chairs, coffee table, flat-screen TV and DVD player, plus en-suite bathroom with round wooden tub. Each tent has private decking with two lounge beds for soaking up the sun and a ladder which you can use to climb down into the Tatai River.

This unique resort is ideal for couples who are looking for total seclusion, peace and quiet.

During your stay you can enjoy activities such as kayaking through the mangroves of the Tatai River, a sunset cruise on the lodge's boat, fishing with the locals or a guided tour into the thick of the Cardomom Mountains.

3 Unique Accommodations in Africa – chosen by Tom

Saruni Samburu – Samburuland, Kenya

Saruni Samburu’s six luxury, eco-chic villas are open and spacious, offering spectacular views over Kalama Conservancy and Mount Kenya.

As the only lodge in over 200,000 acres of unspoiled wilderness teeming with wildlife to explore exclusively, and guided by Samburu warriors passionate about their land and culture, the safari experience at Saruni Samburu is intimate and truly exceptional.

Choose from the following villa options:

Villa One – This is a large family villa with two separate en suite bedrooms joined by a spacious living room and veranda. This villa is fantastic for families with young children. 

Villa Two – This villa can be used exclusively as a large family villa with two separate en suite bedrooms, or it can be booked as two separate entities for two different groups of guests. 

Villa Three – This is a single villa, with one en suite bedroom and a spacious living area and veranda - perfect for a couple or group of three. 

Villa Four - This is a large family villa with two separate en suite bedrooms joined by a spacious living room and veranda. 

Villa Five - This is a single villa with one en suite bedroom and a spacious living area and veranda, and is known as Saruni Samburu's honeymoon suite. This villa is built onto the edge of a hillside around the natural rock formations, making you feel as if you are on top of the world and still tucked within the beautiful surroundings. 

Villa Six - This villa can be booked exclusively as a family unit, or separately as single villas for two different groups of guests. It is the closest to the top infinity pool and is facing the magnificent Mathews Range of northern mountains, unlike the other villas. 

Chole Mjini – Mafia Island, Tanzania

Chole Mjini is a charming, rustic eco-lodge on Chole Island in the heart of the Mafia Island Marine Park.The lodge offers a complete retreat from the pace of modern life… there’s no electricity or running water and no wifi or TV.

Whilst Chole Mjini might not suit everyone it is perfect for those who are seeking a truly unique ‘Robinson Crusoe’ experience.

Offering tree-house accommodation in Tanzania, which are built using local techniques by expert craftsmen and set on platforms high up in giant Baobab trees. This gives breathtaking panoramic views of the Indian Ocean and lulls you to sleep with the sounds of the lapping waves. The seventh room is a ground house, which is slightly larger and caters for families with small children.

During your stay here there are plenty of activities to enjoy, including diving, snorkelling and swimming. The lodge has a refurbished traditional dhow which can be used for full day excursions to magnificent sand banks, snorkelling trips or sunset cruises. You can also take a stroll through Chole village and learn about daily life in a traditional Swahili village and you can visit the Fruit Bat sanctuary, the old mosque, the boat yard or some of The Chole Mjini Trust Fund projects, such as the Learning Centre and Kindergarten.

We love Chole Mjini and we think that staying here is a once in a lifetime experience.

Hoanib Camp – Skeleton Coast, Namibia

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp is located in a valley at the confluence of two tributaries of the dry Hoanib River in the northern part of the private Palmwag Concession. Its location thus straddles the Palmwag area and the iconic Skeleton Coast National Park, in one of the most remote areas of the Kaokoveld.

The camp consists of seven large tents and one family unit, each comprising stylish en-suite bedrooms with shaded outdoor decks. Flanked to the east and west by rugged hills, Hoanib Camp looks out over stunning, starkly beautiful scenery and offers guests all the luxuries and amenities for an unforgettable stay.

During your stay here you can enjoy a diverse range of activities which showcase the fascinating landscapes of the northern Palmwag Concession and the Skeleton Coast. Game drives offer the chance of seeing desert-adapted wildlife and nature walks are a good opportunity to study the smaller creatures and the fascinating plant life of the concession.

You can also enjoy a full-day excursion to the Skeleton Coast where you’ll travel in a 4x4 via the wilderness and wildlife of the Hoanib River and floodplain, the dune fields and Klein Oasis, to the Skeleton Coast where you’ll see a huge Cape fur seal colony and a few shipwreck remains.

If you'd like to plan a luxury holiday, call our Luxury Travel Specialists for a chat about your dream trip or fill out our no-obligation enquiry form.