Waking up to the sounds of the savannah usually involves a trip to the airport with passport control, immigration and a 10-hour flight to Africa.
So, imagine going to sleep in your own private luxury lodge surrounded by animals and being able to breakfast with giraffe, zebra and blesbok antelope outside your bedroom window – all without ever needing to step on a plane.
Every visit funds groundbreaking conservation work in Africa and around the world
Russell Jones Content and communications manager
Year-round comfort
The answer lies just off the M53 in Cheshire at The Reserve at Chester Zoo, where the world-leading conservation and education charity has created 51 superb lodges for guests, all designed with sustainability at their core.
“Heart of Africa is the largest zoo habitat ever created in the UK, and every element has been carefully designed to focus on sustainable comfort,” explains Robert Arathoon, M&E project Manager at Chester Zoo.
“Each lodge is heated with renewable Ecodan air source heat pumps and guests can also switch on the energy efficient air conditioning to keep cool when the temperatures rise.”
This means that whatever time of year people choose to come on a ‘Chester Safari’, and whatever the weather, the comfortable luxury atmosphere in each lodge offers guests the closest thing you can get to being in an African savannah, right here in the UK.
Helping nature thrive
The accommodation at The Reserve also gives guests the chance to go behind the scenes with the zoo’s expert team and then fall asleep knowing that their stay is directly funding conservation work out in Africa and across the globe, helping nature not just survive, but thrive.
Chester Zoo is the most-visited paid attraction in England outside of London and, in 2025 it set a record with over 2.1 million visitors. It is widely recognised as the top UK zoo and is often ranked among the best in Europe.
The zoo’s 130-acre site is home to around 30,000 animals and more than 500 species and the charity is working with Mitsubishi Electric to decarbonise heating right across the zoo.
“We know that we can’t be part of the problem that we’re trying to solve, so we need to develop sustainable plans that help us reduce carbon emissions and achieve net zero,” explains Jennifer Kelly, Head of Sustainability at Chester Zoo. “We’re working with the UK’s largest heat pump manufacturer to install renewable heating that keep the animals comfortable while minimising our carbon footprint.”
Every visit to The Reserve funds groundbreaking conservation work both in Africa and in key regions around the world.
From scientific breakthroughs which are helping to save the black rhino, through to the innovative use of AI to protect giraffes and pangolins in Uganda, the zoo’s conservation team work tirelessly to prevent extinction.
So, you know where to go if you would like your own Cheshire Safari, and help this important work by relaxing in a luxurious, comfortable and sustainable lodge right in the Heart of Africa
Russell Jones is content and communications manager
