Africa

Wilderness Nominated In Travel + Leisure's 2026 World's Best Awards

Tenneil Zondagh

2/2/2026

Travel + Leisure’s 2026 World’s Best Awards

Vumbura Plains Botswana Guest Suite

Wilderness is proud to announce its nomination in the prestigious 2026 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards. A total of 28 of our camps across Botswana, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have been nominated for this year's awards while the company has also been nominated for the Tour Operators and Safari Outfitters category, underscoring our commitment to providing guests with immersive and unforgettable safari experiences, while conserving Africa’s natural heritage.

“We are thrilled to once again be associated with Travel + Leisure’s esteemed World’s Best Awards and see so many of our camps recognised as guest favourites across our regions. Given our purpose to increase the world’s wild and untamed spaces, we are extremely proud to receive this recognition, and so grateful for our community”, said Hadley Allen, Wilderness Chief Commercial Officer. “These awards hold significant meaning for us as a team, as every staff member passionately contributes to crafting unforgettable travel experiences and delivering best-in-class service”, she added. 

 

Founded in 1983, Wilderness has grown from humble beginnings into an organisation with over 3,500 staff members, operating in eight countries and offering transformative journeys at over 55 camps in Africa's most iconic and remote wilderness areas. The company’s greatest goal, currently underway, remains to protect the 2.2 million hectares (some 5.4 million acres) of land under its care, and Wilderness is committed to doubling this figure by 2030.

 

The 2026 World’s Best Awards serves as the benchmark for luxury travel; considered a crucial resource in influencing travellers’ decisions when planning every aspect of their trips. Voting for the awards is now open and winners will be announced on Travel + Leisure's website in July, with the full list published in the August 2025 print issue. 

 

The following Wilderness camps have been nominated in the Best Hotels category:

 

Nominated Camps Include:

Botswana
:

Wilderness Chitabe, Wilderness Chitabe Lediba, Wilderness DumaTau, Wilderness King’s Pool, Wilderness Mombo & Little Mombo, Wilderness Qorokwe, Wilderness Savuti and Wilderness Vumbura Plains.

 

Namibia:

Wilderness Damaraland Camp, Wilderness Desert Rhino Camp, Wilderness Doro Nawas, Wilderness Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, Wilderness Kulala Desert Lodge, Wilderness Little Kulala and Wilderness Serra Cafema.

 

Rwanda:

Wilderness Bisate & Bisate Reserve and Wilderness Magashi.

 

Tanzania:

Wilderness Usawa Serengeti.

 

Zambia:

Wilderness Shumba and Wilderness Toka Leya.

 

Zimbabwe:

Wilderness Chikwenya, Wilderness Davison’s, Wilderness Linkwasha, Wilderness Little Makalolo and Wilderness Ruckomechi.

 

Readers and guests who support Wilderness’ mission are encouraged to cast their votes online before February 23, 2026.

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The male lion is the king of the Wilderness

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