Our Top Ten African Beach Hotels & Resorts

Located on Benguerra Island in Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago, Azura is set amidst the perfect white sands and azure waters that make this island so famous. The property’s 18 elegant suites and villas enjoy private access to the pristine beach, which is protected and maintained thanks to its being part of a national park. The rooms are spacious and very comfortable, each featuring a private plunge pool, private sundeck, and al-fresco shower. Impressively, the entire property was built by hand by the local community. A private Mozambican host looks after you during your stay here, and a warm welcome is ensured alongside this excellent service! Azura offers fine dining, great privacy, and fantastic diving and snorkelling on some of the best reefs in Africa – there is as much or as little to do here as you choose. Other activities include sailing, kayaking, island drives, and cultural trips, while the fishing here (specifically deep sea fly-fishing) is some of the best in the world. To access the property, guests take a short helicopter flight, which gives you amazing views of the surrounding archipelagos. A delightful way to arrive if you’re on your honeymoon! Azura is easily accessible from Johannesburg, making it a good add-on after a South Africa, Botswana, or Zambia safari.

There are two magnificent private islands off the Tanzanian coast. Fanjove is the better-value one, though certainly not lacking in quality! Part of the Songo Songo Archipelago, consisting of just six small islands, it’s a tiny, ‘Robinson Crusoe’ island only 1 kilometer long. It’s run by Laba Laba, a company renowned for superb safari lodges in Nyerere and Ruaha – and the same class and charm of the lodges are here, in this delightful barefoot idyll. Boasting an enormous lagoon and 11km of untouched coral reef, Fanjove offers outstanding diving and snorkelling, as well as kayaking, dhow cruises, and a wonderful array of birdlife. This is a castaway island paradise that doesn’t break the bank! The rooms are elegant and simple, in keeping with the feel of the island itself. Fanjove is rustic, remote perfection – and while it’s a slightly longer journey to get here (a 1hr 20 mins flight from Dar es Salaam, compared with Zanzibar’s 20 mins), the additional time spent traveling is well, well worth it. If it’s a private beach hideaway without the ‘resort hubbub’ you’re after, this is a super option. It’s also worth noting that if you’re interested in a southern Tanzania safari using the other Laba Laba camps, there are often great deals if you use the company throughout your vacation. Just mention this to your safari consultant!

An absolute classic of the Kenyan coast, this ultra-luxurious property consists of just three enormous villas, which are booked for exclusive use only. It’s an ideal beach option for families and groups who want the best of the best on the famous Diani beach and to escape from the busier areas. Family owned and run, Alfajiri has won awards for just about everything over the years – and the food, service, and cliff-top location are first rate. The villa configurations are either three or four bedrooms, and all rooms are breezy and beautifully appointed. The views are spectacular, and while the beach below hasn’t quite the quality of some other properties on this list, each villa has its own lovely pool (infinity or overflowing!) and an impressive activities list. Deep sea fishing, diving, snorkelling, kitesurfing, excursions by dhow to the Kisite Marine National Park, or sunset cruises are just some of the options here. Guests also have the opportunity to go quad biking, and there’s an 18-hole championship golf course nearby. A celebrity favorite because of its amazing privacy levels, Alfajiri is the standout property on the Kenyan coast.

Benguerra Island in Mozambique has beaches that rival the very best in the world. The white sand is like flour underfoot, and the sparkling azure waters are home to a wealth of marine life that welcomes you as you enter the water! Kisawa Sanctuary has just eight suites and is located on the south of the island, well away from any other resorts, so you feel like you are in fact on a private island. With an emphasis on wellness, Kisawa has a spa, gym, and yoga studio, making it the perfect choice for those looking to completely disconnect and revitalize. The food is delicious and the wine list is impressive. All the suites are vast, air conditioned, and supremely elegant, with their private butler service, private infinity pool, and choice of in-room dining. There are also two-room and three-room family suites, and an electric Mini Moke jeep is included with your suite so you can explore the 300-hectare property! The list of activities here is long and varied. As the finest waters of the Indian Ocean are on your doorstep, scuba diving and snorkelling are world class. Kisawa also offers kayaking, fishing, dhow cruises, helicopter flights, birding walks, and cultural experiences. It’s a magical place, and the humpback whale season from July to October is a great time to try to visit, as the whales provide a constant spectacular backdrop as they leap from the waters surrounding the island!

The Seychelles is a world-famous beach destination, renowned for its stunning private islands. The fine white sandy shores, coral reefs, and wealth of marine life that encircle them are breathtakingly beautiful, and of all these islands, Alphonse is our favorite! It’s a little further to travel than the short hop from a safari lodge to the East African coast, so it’s definitely worth spending a week here if you decide on the Seychelles post-safari. A stay at Alphonse is the closest thing you can get to being on a marine safari, even if you aren’t divers yourselves. With its focus on conservation and the stunning diversity of species found here, this is a place that enjoys a unique relationship with the wildlife that surrounds it. It’s hard not to be drawn into the infectious love for marine conservation here! Needless to say, the suites are high quality, the food and service sublime, and this is an exceptional resort with its tennis courts, spa, and glorious swimming pool. However, it’s the relationship with the island and its marine inhabitants that sets it apart as a unique experience. The Seychelles Atolls have superb diving sites, and Alphonse offers experiences such as tagging manta rays, watching turtles hatching, and snorkelling with sailfish. It’s also home to the only PADI dive center in the Seychelles’ Outer Islands, so if you were looking to go on a first dive, this is one of the most spectacular places in the world to do it. Truly in a class of its own, time at Alphonse will have you relaxing as much as the tortoises that amble their way across the island!

One of the most exclusive island retreats on the planet, North Island offers barefoot luxury that strikes the perfect balance between opulence and local charm. Each villa is an enormous 450 square meters, with air conditioning, master bedroom overlooking the sea, indoor and outdoor sala, and private plunge pool. Your experience here can be as secluded as you wish, with in-room dining available. However, the spacious and elegant main areas of the island are gorgeous, and the waves lap almost to the edge of the expansive decking. The main swimming pool is impressive at 45m in length, flanked by swaying palm trees. The service and attention to detail are extraordinary, perhaps best epitomized by the dining choices. There is no set menu, but staff will ask you on arrival what your preferences are and then design a bespoke experience based on this! The wine lists are also suitably long and distinguished. Guests can enjoy scuba diving, deep sea fishing, snorkelling, kayaking, and mountain biking, as well as a host of wellness treatments and yoga. The marine ecosystems in the Seychelles are magnificent, making water-based activities here some of the best in the world. As well as enjoying the local reefs and pristine beach, you can take a trip to nearby Silhouette Island, which lies just 5km to the south. What North Island does so well is perfect service, delivered with a touch so light that at no point do you feel overwhelmed or intruded upon. This private island is simply yours to enjoy.

Mnemba is one of Tanzania’s few private islands, and the ultimate in barefoot luxury. This is a lodge that keeps things simple, as it doesn’t need to be showy – it knows how special it is! Owned by &Beyond, masters of deluxe properties across Africa, it underwent an extensive refurbishment in 2024. Seen from the air, it glitters like a jewel in the ocean and is the closest thing to a Maldivian island you will find on the East African coast. The suites comprise 12 timber-and-thatch bandas, breezy and minimalist, and all opening out onto your own stretch of private beach. It’s so wonderful, most people don’t stray too far from their room here, but there are some lovely activities too – kayaking, paddle boarding, dhow sunset cruises, snorkelling amidst dolphins and turtles. There’s also a PADI dive school should you wish to learn to scuba dive on Mnemba’s famous reef. Turtles nest on the island from October to January, so if you’re lucky you can watch their young scuttle down to the sea, around two months after the eggs are laid. Made famous for being a favorite of Bill Gates, this is the best of the best in Tanzania, with a price tag to match.

Morukuru Beach Lodge is a small boutique property with just five suites is set amidst sand dunes in the beautiful De Hoop Nature Reserve, 4 hours’ drive, or a short flight, from Cape Town. The real highlight of this high-end resort is that it’s located at the end of the ‘Whale Trail’, in a protected area of ocean stretching 3 miles off the coast. From July through to October, it offers some of the best shore-based whale watching in the world. This remote, calm place comes alive when the whales are in the area, and every meal can be accompanied by the splendid splash of fins and occasional breaching whale! It’s an amazing annual spectacle. The nature reserve is home to land animals such as eland antelope, baboons, and mountain zebra. You can enjoy all sorts of private tours here, all tailored to your liking. There’s very much the feel of being in a safari lodge and having your own private guides. They can take you on anything from wildlife drives, to sandboarding down the dunes, mountain biking in the reserve, or snorkelling. The main area has a small swimming pool and hot tub, as well as some delightful dining areas that all look out to sea, but it’s the rooms that are sublime. Super-spacious, stylish, these are loft-like suites with little African touches. The bathrooms are vast, each with an open shower and a freestanding bath. Private balconies and French windows throughout afford excellent views of the whales, and everywhere is underfloor heated and cozy, since ‘winter’ coincides with whale season. This thrilling property can also be booked on an exclusive basis and is perfect for families or groups.

Mauritius is famous for some of the world’s most luxurious super-hotels. Shangri-La Le Touessrok is our favorite of these, with its wondrous array of suites and villas in a stunning setting. Located on the east coast of Mauritius, it has a beautiful stretch of beach and two little islands close by, perfect for romantic remote picnics and day getaways. The larger hotels may not be for everyone, but when they are done well, they afford you so much choice. Shangri-La can provide both a secluded honeymoon experience and also a stay that’s great for families due to the extraordinary list of activities, and both a kids and teens club. If you’re on a family vacation, knowing your children are safe and thoroughly entertained allows you to relax too! There are two large swimming pools, five restaurants offering different styles of cuisine, two bars, spacious lounge areas, shops, a world-class spa, and a library. The suites are chic and elegant, modern in design, and come in six different categories, with some even located on private islets for extra privacy. There’s also an 18-hole golf course designed by Bernhard Langer, tennis, badminton, football, volleyball, and archery. For watersports, we could just say they offer everything! Some of the highlights include waterskiing, kayaking, catamaran sailing, big game fishing, wakeboarding, and snorkelling. Due to Mauritius’ amazing marine life, the scuba diving here is exceptional, and PADI and CMAS courses are available too.