Elevated by Nature: The Vision of Luxury Frontiers
Imagine waking up in a treetop suite above the Costa Rican jungle, or watching elephants roam past your tent at dawn in Botswana. For Luxury Frontiers, these aren’t fantasies—they’re blueprints. Luxury Frontiers is the globe’s top design firm specializing in sustainable and immersive resorts and lodges. Headquartered in Johannesburg, the firm innovates the design space for the experiential lodging sector and is known for biophilic, nature-centric, and sustainable designs in some of the most remote locations around the globe. (Think treetop suites, tented camps, eco-lodges, bungalows, etc.) Collaborating with top brands like Aman, Belmond, Four Seasons, Wilderness, Ritz Carlton, and others, their designs create unique, sensory-rich experiences that foster a deeper connection for guests with the local environment, culture, and community.
Luxury Frontiers has partnered with A&K Sanctuary (formally known as Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group) to reimagine and design three new African safari lodges (in Uganda, Botswana, and Kenya) opening throughout 2025.
A&K Sanctuary Gorilla Forest Lodge (Uganda): Deep within the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the lodge integrates traditional Ugandan patterns, materials, and techniques. Papyrus reed roofs and terracotta-colored walls will reflect vernacular architecture, blending harmoniously with the forest. Inside, authentic materials like stone, clay, and wood will be paired with contemporary elements to create a timeless, elegant atmosphere and celebrate the forest.
A&K Sanctuary Baines’ Lodge (Okavango Delta, Botswana): Paying homage to 19th-century artist and explorer Thomas Baines, the design aims to balance refined European aesthetics with the untamed spirit of the African bush, creating an elegant yet approachable retreat, and inviting guests to step into a living art gallery with Baines' artistic legacy guiding every detail. Large overhangs will provide shade, while sustainably sourced timber will ensure a lightweight, durable structure that can be entirely removed after 20 years, leaving no trace.
A&K Sanctuary Kitirua Plains Lodge (Kenya) Located in a 128-acre private concession adjoining Amboseli National Park with an iconic view of Mount Kilimanjaro, Luxury Frontiers used tones and textures of local materials to design an earthy, organic palette with the thoughtful adaptation of traditional Maasai elements.
Luxury Frontiers designed treetop tents for Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Costa Rica that provide the most authentic and immersive experience with nature. The three complexes feature two-bedroom units connected by a central lounge, complete with living areas, plunge pools, outdoor showers, and panoramic ocean views. Designed to harmonize with nature, the tents filter dappled sunlight through their flowing membrane roofs, combining modern comfort with sustainability. Interiors by Gensler honor Guanacaste’s culture and Indigenous heritage, creating a serene sanctuary for exploration and inner peace.
Camp Sarika by Amangiri is North America’s first all-weather, year-round tented camp set within Southern Utah’s dramatic mountain landscapes. The property, built to withstand extreme temperatures, sun, wind, and snow, features ten luxury tents as well as two spas and a swimming pool overlooking the vast canyon and mountain ranges.
Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort is an adult-only nature retreat featuring 15 luxury tents nestled amid 48 forested acres on a private peninsula overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It incorporates biophilic and immersive design that blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor living, while connecting to the local community and culture.
Aman Cabana is an extraordinary retail concept featuring exclusive destination products and partnerships. The mobile tented boutique, constructed as a “kit of parts,” debuted at Amanpuri in December 2023, and will journey to Amangiri and Amanzoe.
Madwaleni River Lodge is a new ultra-luxury tented lodge positioned along the banks of the White Umfolozi River in South Africa. The immersive retreat features 12 tents and reflects the diverse cultural influences and natural environment.
Wilderness Usawa Serengeti is a mobile tented camp operation that fully disassembles and roams across the Serengeti National Park to follow the legendary Great Migration. The six en-suite tents comprising each intimate camp are thoughtfully designed and solar powered, boasting 360-degree open views with mesh walls and immersing guests in the open plains.
In reimagining how travelers experience the wild and the remote, Luxury Frontiers sets the bar for sustainable, design-forward hospitality. Whether suspended in the trees of Costa Rica, roaming the Serengeti, or nestled deep in the Ugandan forest, each project is a masterclass in the blending of luxury with local culture and ecology. As travel evolves toward deeper connection and purpose, Luxury Frontiers proves that sustainability and sophistication not only coexist—each elevates the another.
Photos courtesy of Luxury Frontiers
