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Who doesn’t love the African wilderness? Now, you can enjoy it from a truly luxurious villa that genuinely respects the planet.

Just a few kilometres upstream, where the gurgling rapids of the Zambezi River take a breather and hippos squabble, a cluster of cone-shaped straw roofs with lime-washed walls and pastel-coloured windows appears. It is difficult to place whether the setting belongs to the pantomime world of a Mediterranean fairy tale or recalls the Trulli – traditional dry-stone, triangular-roofed dwellings found in the Valle d’Itria region of Puglia, Italy.

But Mpala Jena Private Villas are located in Zimbabwe, Africa, sans the cobbled pathways and manicured order of Italy. And yet the well-worn Italian cliché, la dolce far niente, the sweetness of doing nothing, feels uncannily relevant here.​

What the setting lacks in formal landscaping, it compensates for in wilderness. Unruly bush vegetation envelops the villas, while river light filters through the leaves. Elephants and zebras occasionally wander down to the waterhole outside the villas, framed by large windows that open onto the landscape. One can sit on the couch, wrapped in a cosy blanket and reading a book, watching as the animals pause for an unhurried aperitif at the water’s edge.

These Puglia-style private huts are located approximately five kilometres from the main Mpala Jena camp, set along the banks of the Zambezi River within Zambezi National Park, near Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.

​Historically, the Trulli were used in 14th-century Italy as temporary structures by peasants as refuges from the sun, and by landowners for storage. Over time, they became a permanent fixture and ultimately the defining architectural identity of the region. Mpala Jena Private Villas, however, are no modest peasant shelters. These villas form a plush, modern address for discerning wildlife safari enthusiasts under the Great Plains Conservation umbrella, opened in August 2025.

The property is a pair of villas branching off from a central thatched pavilion via raised boardwalks. Each villa is a self-sustaining cocoon of luxury that comes with a private swimming pool, a freestanding bathtub, and three luxurious riverfront suites, as well as a private butler and guide for game drives.​

Mpala Jena Private Villas fall under the umbrella of Great Plains Conservation, the African eco-tourism organisation founded by National Geographic filmmaker explorers Dereck and Beverly Joubert. Sustainability in materials and a design philosophy that blurs the boundary between indoors and outdoors have long been hallmarks across their 15 properties in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.

​The camp was designed by owners Kevin and Shannon Lang in collaboration with architect Julia Rutherford and award-winning interior designer Tracy Kelly. Kelly, the principal designer of the Tracy Kelly Design firm, wanted the villas to be rooted in authenticity and restraint, drawing on the vernacular architecture of Puglia and Alberobello, which is time-tested for its simplicity, solidity and sculptural clarity. The intention was to incorporate passive design strategies, maximise natural ventilation and admit generous daylight, reducing reliance on artificial systems.

A primordial thread of the project is the biophilic design. It is experienced in open patios, ungrilled windows, long sightlines, and circular roof apertures above the showers. From these openings, a lilac-breasted roller or a malachite kingfisher peers in from above. At Mpala Jena Private Villas, it is a sense of permeability that takes you by surprise. The expansive nature of the African wilderness seeps in through light, air, sound and feathered visitors, until it becomes an intimate, daily companion, even while you remain indoors.

The furnishings do the same justice. Natural fibres, textured rugs and lime-washed surfaces are tempered with African craft references to anchor the spaces within their setting. Rope-wrapped furniture, handwoven raffia and palm fibres used as fringes for bespoke chandeliers, inverted basket weaves as lighting fixtures, reed-lined ceilings, and macramé ottomans contribute to the tactile finishes of the interiors, all produced locally in Swaziland.

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​As Kelly explains, each villa responds individually to its immediate environment. Villa 1 adopts a palette of layered greens drawn from the surrounding African mahogany trees. Villa 2 chimes towards the mood board of a woody spectrum inspired by the bushland in which it sits, ranging from biscuit-beige to earthy clay or Pantone colour of 2026, Cloud Dancer.

A bespoke leaf motif recurs throughout the project, appearing across multiple interior applications, developed directly from the African wilderness’ tree canopies to establish a visual link between architecture and environment.

In Villa 2, Suzani bedcovers introduce traditional Suzani patterns in the language of embroidered leaf forms derived from foliage collected on-site. The same leaves appear as framed wall art.

Kelly says, “It was difficult to achieve a balance of creating interiors that feel considered rather than styled, luxurious without excess, and culturally grounded yet contemporary. But when I see the final result, I love how the mix of old and new, cultural and weathered elements came together within the natural landscape.” @tracykellydesign_, @mpalajena_zambezi

Original Source:

https://www.admiddleeast.com/story/these-puglia-style-huts-are-your-private-pass-to-the-african-wilderness

By Shalbha Sarda February 5, 2026

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We are thrilled to unveil our latest interior design collaboration with Great Plains Conservation: the magnificent Mpala Jena Private Villas.

Nestled within the pristine Zambezi National Park, just upstream from the thunderous Victoria Falls, these new exclusive-use villas represent the pinnacle of private safari living. As a follow-up to the acclaimed Mpala Jena Camp, the private villas offer a more intimate, secluded sanctuary, recently celebrated in the pages of Condé Nast Traveller and Vogue Travel as a must-visit destination for the discerning global voyager.

The Design Vision 

Drawing inspiration from the harmonious blend of Mediterranean ease and African authenticity, the interiors reflect a “rustic yet refined” ethos. Working closely with the villa owners and architects, we curated a space that channels the timeless charm of Puglian architecture, think smooth arches and cool, airy volumes while remaining deeply rooted in the Zimbabwean landscape.

Interior Highlights

• Earthy Palette: A soothing spectrum of neutral tones, muted greens, and terracotta accents that echo the surrounding riverine bush.
• Textural Depth: We utilised natural fibers, local stone, and bleached woods to create a tactile experience that feels both grounded and sophisticated.
• Indoor-Outdoor Flow: Open-plan living spaces seamlessly merge with the outdoors, allowing the golden light of the Zambezi to become a central element of the décor.

Sustainable Exclusivity True to the Great Plains ethos, the villas are a triumph of eco-conscious luxury, powered entirely by solar energy and built with recycled hardwoods. Each three-bedroom residence offers a private pool, personal butler service, and exclusive access to a private vehicle and boat ensuring that every moment, from sunrise river cruises to sunset game drives, is tailored to the guest’s rhythm.

We are incredibly proud to have shaped the soul of this property, creating a tranquil, light-filled retreat that redefines the aesthetic of the modern safari. 

Link to article: https://greatplainsconservation.com/mpala-jena-private-villas/

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Why book Mpala Jena?

The town of Victoria Falls has expanded considerably over the past 10 years into a bustling little tourist haven centred around a hub of restaurants, gift shops and tour touts, with the constant buzz of helicopters overhead. This makes safari camps such as this – 21km west of the town – popular with those who want to visit the world’s biggest waterfall for the day and then escape into the surrounding wilderness. The camp is on a five-square-km private concession within the 56,000-hectare Zambezi National Park, so there is wildlife all around: both on the river, which fronts the camp, and in the wild bush surrounding the tents. Mornings can be spent venturing into the park on game drives or walks, or going onto the river, fishing, birding or taking in one of Africa’s greatest rivers, with its big pods of hippos and dry riverbanks on which giant crocodiles sunbathe. Game viewing is excellent during the dry season (June to October), when water is scarce inland, and animals must rely on the river to survive.

The backstory

During Covid, Shannon Lang (a Zimbabwe-born psychologist) and her South African husband Kevin (a dairy farmer) bought the concession from the Great Plains founders Dereck and Beverly Joubert and totally rebuilt the camp. Having already founded five other successful safari camps (including Sable Alley and Taludi in Botswana), the couple enlisted the Australian architect Craig Hayman to reconfigure Mpala Jena and asked their son-in-law’s mother, the celebrated interior designer Tracy Kelly, to decorate it. The camp, which was featured in Andrew Martin’s Interior Design Review book in 2022, now feels light, modern and fresh: a cross between a chic beach hotel and a laid-back bushcamp, with white-sand floors, swings at the bar instead of bar stools, hammocks hung between trees and loungers around a pool for downtime between safaris.

The rooms

Five stone and canvas-walled rooms are situated far apart from each other in the bush, linked by wooden walkways from the central area, with its airy living-dining room, shaggy-thatch bar, louvre-walled library and riverside pool. Mpala Jena means “White Impala” (after rare albino antelope were spotted here in the 1970s), hence the sprinkling of white adornments, from Rococo-style, Zulu-beaded mirrors to giant drawings on white paper of trees and shelves of bleached bones, African ceramics and books. Everything is light, natural and soothing: with colours that mirror the pale blues of the water and skies and creams of the sand and grass. Rooms are spacious and well thought out; the outdoor tub for two is a gorgeous place to soak in the evening under the stars, listening to the roars, rustles and harrumphs of wildlife around the bush.

Food and drink

Chefs are all local and being trained – so while the food isn’t polished, it’s fresh, inventive and delicious. Lunch might be platters of pickles, bread, salads and beef patties – to make your own burgers – finished with an elegant glass of cooling trifle. Dinners might be fine Zimbabwean steak with perfectly cooked vegetables and chips. The breakfast is fresh and generous, featuring choices from exotic fruit salad and cold cheese platters to eggs. The barman is enthusiastic and friendly: happy to concoct delicious local gin cocktails or advise on delicious South African wines, including Kamusha, made by a Zimbabwean winemaker.

The area

Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World and a UNESCO-protected site: a bucket-list destination for most visitors to southern Africa. Because it’s within easy reach of Namibia, South Africa and Botswana, with good road and air access, it’s become a tourist hub, with plenty to do, from white-water rafting and kayaking to bungee jumps and visits to crocodile farms. From Mpala Jena, it’s easy to get to the centre – either 45 minutes by boat or an hour by car, through the park. Although, with good game around – from elephant and lion to an occasional leopard and regular hippo – as well as fishing, birding and boating from the camp, most guests stay put here after visiting the Falls.

The service

Like many parts of the world, Zimbabwe’s safari camps were severely affected by Covid, and many workers from the area left to go to their rural homes and didn’t come back. So while the staff (many friendly young women) here aren’t polished, they’re helpful and delighted to host tourists helping rebuild their economy. The boatmen and guides are mainly from the area and happy to share their knowledge about the bush, whether that’s how to track elephants on foot, or the best way to photograph a bee-eater.

Who comes here

Honeymooners, groups of friends, and wildlife enthusiasts who want to spot some of the 400 bird species in the park, relax on hammocks or shaded beanbags after a safari holiday, or enjoy star baths with a good glass of wine.

For families?

There are two two-bedroom suites for families; children must be over six to share a room and over-16 to have their own room. Wildlife roams freely around the camp, so children must be accompanied day and night between rooms.

Sustainability

The solar-powered camp runs on Tesla batteries, so it always has electricity, and water is pumped from a borehole and then filtered. Like most hotels in the area, food is trucked in from Harare. The owners work closely with the anti-poaching unit and National Parks rangers to try to prevent poaching, supporting them with solar power, food and logistics.

Accessibility

Guests have to be able to climb on and off a safari vehicle, or boat, and walk on uneven paths to rooms using steps.

Is it worth it?

Zimbabwean camps are, as the owners admit, “half the price of those in Botswana”, with equally as wild and wonderful wildlife, views and landscapes. After a safari on land, the boat trips and water-based activities feel like an extra treat – and Victoria Falls isn’t far away for additional activities—a great place to combine everything in one place: the river, the falls and the wildlife.

Source:

Reviewed by Lisa Grainger

https://www.cntraveller.com/hotels/mpala-jena-victoria-falls-zimbabwe

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