Liberia
Adina's has several basic rooms with fans, but it's a spotless place to rest your head and is arguably the best place to stay in town. Be sure to book as…
Must-see hotels in Africa
Ghana
Set in a charming old stone building opposite St George's Castle, this is certainly the most atmospheric place to stay in town, even if the rooms are…
Madagascar
Upstairs from the cafe of the same name, this fine place has reasonably priced, simply furnished rooms with balcony overlooking the valley. It's an…
Serengeti National Park
This refreshingly small budget (by Serengeti standards) camp on the plains near Robanda village just outside Fort Ikoma gate has seven no-frills tents…
Mahé
Attractive bungalows right across the road from the beach, loads of repeat visitors, spacious, well-appointed rooms with a spotless kitchen; Romance…
Senegal
This tiny guesthouse in the north of the island has a handful of simple but brightly painted rooms; the best has a balcony that opens on to the waterfront…
Accra
Long one of Accra's more upscale addresses, Esther's is not as flashy as some of Accra's newer boutique hotels, but for many that's a bonus. It's homely…
Southern Rift Valley
Homely and peaceful, Oasis is nestled at the foot of the lake. The bandas combine hip duplex balconies with simple, grandmotherly decor. There's lakeshore…
Nature’s Valley Guesthouse & Hikers Haven
Western Cape
This thatched brick building has a big lawn, a self-catering kitchen, a lounge, and small, tidy rooms with outdated bathrooms. Transport to the start of…
Casamance
In a central location, Le Flamboyant offers comfort well above the price you pay. The clean, well-equipped rooms open on to a small flower- and palm…
Southern Highlands
This enjoyably eccentric B&B-style hotel has six mostly spacious rooms in a 1940s estate manager's house around a plant-filled courtyard. All have…
Tarangire National Park
Widely praised for its commitment to the environment and the Maasai community (the community owns a 50% stake in the lodge), Boundary Hill has eight large…
Sierra Leone
Though the building is profoundly ugly from the outside, all 38 of the large rooms have a balcony with beautiful views out over the bay.
Centre d'Accueil St François Xavier
Rwanda
This relatively modern church-run guesthouse is an excellent deal. Spick-and-span rooms with good bedding, salubrious bathrooms, an excellent on-site…
KwaZulu-Natal
A sprawling, smart guesthouse, Fairlight overlooks the beach and offers 10 rooms (not all with views). Rooms are spacious, furnishings are stylish and a…
Masai Mara
Vegetate on your tent’s verandah, watching the Talek River gently flow past this appealing camp with a colonial-days feel. The gardens are about the most…
Rodrigues
Simple but excellent thatched rondavels with tiled floors set in well-maintained grounds win universal acclaim from budget travellers. The garden needs…
Nungwi
It's not on the beach, but this local-style guesthouse is just a short walk away in the village centre, and a good budget option. You get simple and clean…
Bloemfontein
Part of a popular national chain, the Protea offers very stylish rooms. Plump bedding and a shower cubicle that looks like it belongs at NASA complete the…
Johannesburg
A coin's toss from the 7th St hoo-ha, this rambling home is a reliable choice if you want to be in the thick of things. Rooms vary widely – some are small…
Mauritius
If you had a Mauritian grandmother, this might be the sort of guesthouse she'd run, with its slightly flowery decor and homey sense of welcome. The rooms…
Maun
These excellent self-catering cottages have bright colour schemes, excellent apartment-style rooms with plenty of space and free wi-fi. There's a swimming…
Senegal
Essamaye is highly recommended for family vibes and its impressive Casamance-style case à impluvium (a large, round traditional house). It has a peaceful…
Casamance
On the main road leading into town, Casa Star has the most comfortable rooms here, with decent-sized windows, mosquito nets over the beds and clean…
Cabo Verde
An understated, impeccably run hotel built around an old colonial home and a new adjacent building. Rooms, some with ocean views, are well furnished if a…
Mpumalanga
Worth it for the sheer convenience of being in a retail centre, and pretty stylish to boot, Perry's Bridge Hollow offers 34 large rooms decorated in dark…
Dire Dawa
You'll go giddy over the ever-so-slightly OTT doubles and suites, with ornately carved beds and wardrobes. There's not a speck of dirt to be found in this…
Lesotho
Lindy offers a large, modern stone duplex with two en-suite rooms and a century-old cottage with two more rooms, both ringed by the Makhoarane Mountains…
Western Kenya
Perched on stilts overlooking the Saiwa swamp, this KWS tree house can sleep three (there's a double and single bed). It has electricity, bedding and…
Nigeria
Lovely suites, a lively outdoor thatch-roof bar with secluded cabanas, and a restaurant serving Cross River specialities and grilled fish, Jacaranda is an…
Southern Ethiopia
With quiet rooms set around a garden courtyard, the Green Hotel has the nicest budget setting. The rooms in the more recent wing cut the mustard but are…
Namibia
Located 300m from the castle, this pleasant guest farm has rooms with views of the main attraction, and self-catering family units that sleep up to eight…
Djibouti City
It’s hard to top the Menelik’s location, smack-dab in the centre. The rooms, some with good views of the main square, have started to show their age but…
Zanzibar Town
The total lack of decor and stark concrete stairwell may be off-putting, but the Flamingo offers perfectly adequate no-frills accommodation at rock-bottom…
Mahé
Lovely, modern, self-catering apartments right on Beau Vallon's gorgeous beach make this one of the best choices on this corner of Mahé. The owners are a…
Southwestern Uganda
A solid midrange lodge with views of hilly surrounds from its stilted thatched-roof cottages and decked-out tents with hardwood furniture and carpets…
Damaraland
Better known for its downstairs restaurant, the Farmhouse also has a single and three double rooms on offer, all of a very comfortable standard. Rooms are…
Cape Town
Apart from their stylish and cosy B&B, set in the eponymous purple-painted house, the personable Dutch owners Hank and Guido also offer a self-catering…
Sousse
Located on a shady corner opposite the Great Mosque in Sousse's medina, this attractive and well-maintained budget hotel has large, bright rooms with hard…
Zimbabwe
A popular camp run by Zimparks, Sinamatella has a scenic hilltop location looking out over the plains. There's a choice of basic campsites, one-bedroom…
