Experience some of Africa’s greatest wilderness locations while staying at one of the newly opened or soon-to-be-launched safari lodges and camps that are attracting the interest of luxury travelers.
1. Sitatunga Private Island, Botswana
Great Plains, a conservation and community-led safari operator, launched Sitatunga Private Island, a widely awaited lodge last year. The eco-tourism business designed this safari camp, nearly entirely made of reused materials, to provide an exceptional environment for water-based safaris in Botswana’s upper Okavango Delta. Guests can go on boat safaris and mokoro rides in the wildlife-rich surrounds, as well as hot air ballooning, while staying in one of only three suites built on raised, wrap-around railway sleeper decking that can accommodate up to eight people. Interiors are imbued with a feeling of location, with design features that convey the Okavango story, while amenities such as private pools and a wine cellar enhance the whole experience.
2. Angama Amboseli, Kenya
In 2023, Angama Amboseli, a sister resort to Angama Mara, opened in the Kimana Sanctuary, a 5,700-acre wildlife corridor connecting Amboseli National Park to the Chyulu Hills and Tsavo protected areas. Set against the backdrop of Africa’s tallest mountain, Kilimanjaro, this luxury lodge welcomes guests in 10 panoramic suites inspired by traditional Maasai manyatta huts and constructed with native materials like rattan and coconut palm wood. The shared guest area includes an indoor-outdoor dining area, fire pit, photography studio, gaming room, gallery, and makers’ studio for Kenyan craftsmen. This wilderness area is well-known for its wealth of animals, especially elephants, including some of Africa’s Super Tuskers.
3. Atzaró Okavango, Botswana
Atzaró Okavango, slated to debut in May 2024, will offer premium hospitality in a remote setting in the Okavango Delta. The partnership with African Bush Camps will provide an introduction to the wilderness area. The eight independent suites and two villas (each with two suites) all have private plunge pools and star beds. Each apartment is decorated with parquet floors, mid-century furniture, and antiques. The shared guest areas include a fine dining room, the Palm Bar, a fire-lit boma, curated art gallery, boutique, and wine cellar, as well as health services such as a gym, yoga shala, and spa, as well as a 20-meter pool overlooking a lagoon frequented by hippos and elephants. Activities from here include day and night wildlife drives, community visits, helicopter safaris, stargazing, and bush dining.
4. Singita Milele, Tanzania
This luxury mansion in the Serengeti is Singita’s latest project and will open in May. Singita Milele, part of the Singita Private Villa Collection, offers peace and isolation while providing a view of the Great Migration. The South African design firm HK Studio created the facility to reduce boundaries between visitors and nature, with a modern twist on safari elements weaved throughout each space. The five suites’ individual designs are inspired by an animal collective—a journey of giraffe, pride of lions, cheetah coalition, dazzle of zebra, and crash of rhino—while floor-to-ceiling windows, expansive decks, an infinity pool, and private Jacuzzis all take advantage of the plains views. Guests can go on game drives, explore on foot, and then relax at the villa with health treatments and private dining.
5. Wilderness Mokete, Botswana
Wilderness Mokete, a low-impact tented camp located in the isolated Mababe wilderness area on the eastern edge of the Okavango Delta, is set to open in spring 2024. The camp will be open for booking for only two years after its inauguration. The camp will have nine en-suite canvas tents, a tented sitting area, and a swimming pool, all connected by wooden walkways. Each tented suite will have a retractable roof for viewing the starry sky at night. Wilderness collaborated with the Mababe people to design this tented camp experience, which will prioritize immersing guests in this magnificent setting. When this exclusive camp experience ends in 2026, Wilderness will replace it with its new iconic Meraka camp.
6. Kibale Lodge, Uganda
Volcanoes Safaris’ sixth resort, Kibale Lodge in Uganda, will open in May. The resort will be located near Kibale National Park, which is widely regarded as one of the best sites in Africa to see chimps, making it a perfect base for chimp trekking. This facility adds to Volcanoes Safaris’ current network of great ape lodges in Uganda and Rwanda. Kibale Lodge will have only eight guest rooms and a villa, as well as amenities including a spa, sauna, and pool. The lodge will be built on a 150-acre location topped by a rocky outcrop, with views of the Rwenzori Mountains to the west and the Queen Elizabeth plains and Kazinga Channel to the south. Guests who stay here can participate in community and conservation programs, as well as go on walking safaris across the stunning scenery.
7. Melote House, South Africa
Lepogo Lodges, a non-profit safari firm, inaugurated its second resort, Melote House, in Limpopo’s Lapalala Wilderness last month. This exclusive-use lodge, which can sleep up to 16, joins the already established Noka Camp on a magnificent vantage point overlooking the mountainous, forested terrain. This new lodge’s architecture is inspired by the rock formations of the Waterberg region, and it is built with sustainability in mind, with all power generated on-site and green living roofs to help the structure blend in with the terrain. Guests at this lodge can gather at the Seringa Bar & Lounge, which has a living area, dining room, bar, wine cellar, study, and library, as well as an outdoor swimming pool measuring 100 square meters. A well equipped gym and spa are among the additional attractions available here. Activities include game drives and jungle walks, as well as water safaris and the search for bushman rock art.
8. Wilderness Bisate Reserve, Rwanda
The Wilderness Bisate Reserve, located near Volcanoes National Park, will open in September 2024. Joining the existing Bisate Lodge, the Reserve will consist of only four magnificent villas, all of which overlook the volcanoes, and, like its sister lodge, it will be defined by its hospitality concept, which combines exclusivity and elegance with the goal of developing conservation tourism in the region. By visiting here, guests immediately contribute to the conservation of the mountain gorilla species, as well as the protection of the biodiverse environment and the upliftment of the local population. Finally, the Reserve seeks to give the most private, intimate, and profound experience in this unique setting. Activities will include expert-guided gorilla experiences, outdoor walks, and an introduction to birds.