A Luxe Safari Lodge Has a New Business Model: Pay Whatever You Want

The promotion lets guests set their own price for a stay in one of the resort’s six cabins. It’s called the “Nature Has No Price Tag” campaign and is designed to allow visitors who are interested in conservation, ecosystem revitalization, and transformative travel to experience the reserve, even if they don’t have the bank account to back it up. It’s also designed to show that ecosystems need more than money. “This place belongs to more than a few,” says the resort announcement. “Each guest contributes not just financially, but energetically—to a growing movement of people who care, protect, and return more than they take.”

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Prospective guests will need to fill out a short digital application to outline preferred dates, group size, motivation for visiting, and a proposed contribution. According to the resort, the intent is to shift the focus on South Africa’s wild lands away from just the financial bottom line to prioritize a shared responsibility in tourism and ecosystem preservation. Selection criteria are thus tied as much to applicants’ motivation and alignment with the lodge’s values as to financial capability. “The ‘why’ is especially important,” a resort representative told Matador Network via email, “as it helps the team understand each guest’s connection to the cause and ensures the experience aligns with shared values of conservation and purpose-driven travel.”

When an offer falls outside logistical boundaries, such as offering $200 for a week-long stay, the resort may reach out to suggest shortening the stay or contributing in another way. But there are technically no set boundaries on the proposed nightly rate or number of nights. Guests should choose dates as far in advance as possible to give the resort time to respond and plan. The proposed rate will cover the guests’ entire stay, including all meals, house activities, and guided excursions. Some activities have an extra fee, such as trips to see Samango monkeys in the surrounding mountains, or rides on the soon-to-open Solyrus cable car over the savanna.

Photo: Few and Far Luvhondo

The best candidates for the promotion, which operates on a rolling basis with no fixed end date, will be those who share the lodge’s values. While Few & Far Luvhondo isn’t a non-profit, it employs a conservation-minded business model that supports ongoing restoration projects in the surrounding region. The hotel is owned by the founders of the US-based Under Canvas brand, and is the hub for a 50-year carbon-sequestering project designed to protect the mountains and restore their biodiversity. It actively practices rewilding, and partners with organizations like Panthera to monitor, track, and protect endangered leopards. The resort has opportunities for hands-on and observational conservation experiences, hires local craftsmen and artisans, and has programs for families and younger travelers via a Young Explorers program.

Photo: Luke Duncan/Shutterstock

The Vhembe Biosphere Reserve was officially designated by UNESCO in 2009 for its exceptional biodiversity and geological history. That includes the Soutpansberg Mountains, among the oldest in the world at two billion years old and home to more than 500 tree species. Few & Far Luvhondo is in the mountains on nearly 50,000 acres. Private game drives across the reserve are included for all guests, with species like leopards, impalas, kudus, giraffes, zebras, waterbucks, bushbabies, or African wildcats all living in the area. Guests can book day trips to Mapungubwe National Park to see Africa’s “Big 5,” or book activities like guided hikes or volunteering with a nearby conservation program.