Heading to Africa on safari on your bucketlist? We can relate.
With plenty of options for accommodation, it can be difficult to know where to start. Luckily for you, we’ve selected 12 of the newest safari lodges and camps in Africa to add to your list.
1. Wilderness Mokete, Mababe, Botswana
It’s rare for a new lodge or camp to be surrounded by territory that’s uncharted, safari-wise, but Mokete can justifiably make that claim. There has never been any luxury accommodation in Mababe before, even though it’s a region of tremendous ecological significance, stitching together grasslands, wetlands and mopane woodlands. Thousand-strong herds of buffalo roam here, attracting lions and other predators. The camp, conceived in conjunction with the local community, is styled and run with Wilderness’ signature flair; it’s also fully off-grid, powered by solar energy and cooled by natural ventilation and shade. Excitingly, the tents have retractable roofs so that you can stargaze in bed.
More information: From £900pp per night, includes full board and guided safaris; wildernessdestinations.com
2. Angama Amboseli, Kimana Sanctuary, Kenya
Well over 2,000 hectares in extent, Kimana lies within a crucial wildlife corridor linking Amboseli National Park, the Chyulu Hills and Tsavo. The people behind the superb Angama Mara have leased this special place from the community. Set among the fever trees, Angama Amboseli has tents decorated in earthy tones, with private decks, outdoor showers and rocking chairs. The surroundings are graced with giants: heavy-tusked elephants patrol the acacia-dotted savannahs and mighty Kilimanjaro is a constant presence. With just ten suites, you’ll have the entire sanctuary to yourself.
More information: From £1,390pp per night, includes full board and guided safaris; angama.com
3. Few & Far Luvhondo, Soutpansberg Range, South Africa
Set in the little-known Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, near the borders with Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, Luvhondo promises a safari with a difference. Hiking, mountain biking and samango monkey tracking are all on the menu. One exciting future option is the chance to glide through the treetops like a bird, thanks to the planned addition of a solar-powered cable car. This is due to open in May 2025, offering travellers a hornbill’s-eye view of this rugged highland site. Luvhondo’s creator is Few & Far, a recently launched global safari brand that is actively investing in carbon sequestration. The goal is to ensure that, within its first three years, the lodge is carbon neutral.
More information: From £1,410pp per night, includes full board and guided safaris; fewandfarluvhondo.com
4. Karangoma, Okavango Delta, Botswana
In the Sembukushu language, the word karangoma can mean drum beating, ancestral healing, bringing good future to the tribe or, when one is ill, cure-dancing. While that may sound like a tall order for one tented camp, its creators – safari operator Wild Expeditions working in partnership with local Elder Olatotse Sarefo – are confident that guests will find healing and harmony in this beautiful, pristine corner of Botswana’s glittering wetlands. It lies within the vast KAZA Transfrontier Park, which is larger in area than California and almost as big as France. With luck, you could see African wild dogs on your forays.
More information: From £550pp per night, includes full board and guided safaris; wild-expeditions.africa
5. Lala Limpopo Sleepout Hide, Mashatu, Botswana
We’re told that good things come to those who wait. This overnight hide is proof. In the bush, a lot of the action occurs after dark, but night drives – during which your tracker scans the surroundings with a spotlight – can be hit and miss. Sometimes, you’ll see porcupines, owls or big cats, but that’s largely down to luck. Imagine if, instead, you stayed put and waited for nocturnal creatures to come to you? This is the thinking behind Lala Limpopo, a new photographic hide you can sleep in. Essentially, it’s a mini lodge for up to four people, set beside a sensitively lit waterhole. When something exciting appears, your guide will wake you up.
More information: From £350pp per night as an extra activity for guests staying at one of Mashatu’s camps; mashatu.com
6. Atzaró Okavango Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Created by the highly respected safari operator African Bush Camps in conjunction with luxury specialists Atzaró, this solar-powered camp is so remote that the only way to reach it is by taking a private helicopter from the nearest town (the safari hub of Maun). The flight is a wildlife-watching experience in itself, with a good chance of seeing elephants, hippos and other creatures in the sapphire-blue waters below. Once you’ve touched down, you can expect impeccable hospitality and guiding. The romantic, canvas-walled suites are decorated with original African art and textiles, and the perks don’t end there: the open-fronted lounge areas are so spacious that you could almost get lost in them.
More information: From £540pp per night, includes full board and guided safaris; africanbushcamps.com
7. Kibale Lodge, Kibale, Uganda
Of all the places where you can track wild chimpanzees in the East African highlands, Kibale National Park is one of the best. While many other chimp habitats are steep, humid and tangled environments, Kibale is a gently undulating, sunlit forest with space between the trees, allowing you – and the chimps – room to manoeuvre. The region’s newest base is set a little apart from the forest. Hand-built and decorated by local builders, carpenters, upholsterers and other artisans, Kibale Lodge serves locally inspired dishes such as filinda bean stew with groundnut sauce, making it a refreshingly authentic place to prepare for your trek.
More information: From £775pp per night, includes full board and lodge activities; volcanoessafaris.com
8. One Nature Mara River, Serengeti, Tanzania
With a splash of turquoise here and a dash of chintz there, this delightful little seven-villa lodge takes small, playful steps away from the classic safari palette of oatmeal, khaki and taupe. Powered by the sun, it’s perched on a hill with superb views of the Serengeti-Mara landscape, stretching all the way to the Mara Triangle. From June to November, when the Great Migration of wildebeests and zebras arrives, you’ll be in the thick of it. The lodge’s guides also take care to avoid the areas where too many vehicles gather, ensuring you have a front-row seat as the drama unfolds – a privilege indeed.
More information: From £1,420pp per night, includes full board and guided safaris; onenaturehotels.com
9. Ila Safari Lodge, Kafue, Zambia
Ila’s main area was destroyed by fire in 2023. Fortunately, nobody was harmed in the incident and there has since been a happy ending: in true phoenix-from-the-ashes fashion, this much-loved lodge has risen once more. Still set on the banks of the Kafue River, its new incarnation comes with a curvaceous woven structure set on foundations built from the sand of abandoned termite mounds. As you’d expect from a company that takes sustainability and environmental protection extremely seriously, important details such as water and waste management are well handled. As an extra bonus, all of its wildlife-watching excursions take place in smooth, quiet electric vehicles and boats.
More information: From £470pp per night, includes full board and guided safaris; greensafaris.com
10. Mara Toto Tree Camp, Masai Mara, Kenya
Run by conservationist photographers with a keen eye, Great Plains create ultra-luxurious camps which are so beautifully detailed that guests find it hard to tear themselves away. At Mara Toto Tree Camp, the treehouse-style suites are timber and canvas affairs, with gecko-shaped screen door handles, copper-clad bathtubs and inspiring original art. The dining here is particularly sensational – think sushi, caramelised popcorn, and handmade energy balls as snacks. There are also special-occasion, vegan-friendly dinners with hand-picked wines in the evenings. Outside this luxury cocoon lies a wildlife-packed wilderness with leopards and lion prides found nearby.
From £1,130pp per night, includes full board and guided safaris; greatplainsconservation.com
11. Tsodilo Hills Sleep-Out Camp, Kalahari, Botswana
While Botswana is famous for wildlife safaris, it also has remarkable cultural sites. Breathtakingly remote, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Tsodilo Hills has one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world. Desert & Delta Safaris, who run the nearby Nxamaseri Island Lodge, invite guests staying three nights or more there to experience this atmospheric place by sleeping in a low-impact camp of three small, simple pods. It comes at no extra cost, as guests share campfire tales before rising at dawn to hike in the hills and see the paintings at their best.
More information: Stays at Nxamaseri Island Lodge from £505pp per night, includes full board and guided safaris; desertdelta.com
12. Mwamba Lodge, Tarangire, Tanzania
Dotted with ancient baobab trees, Tarangire National Park has a timeless atmosphere. This is an excellent place to see elephants – you’ll find vast congregations of them near the park’s namesake river – plus zebras, cheetahs and lions are often encountered as well. Located on a rocky hilltop within the Randilen reserve on the edge of the park, Mwamba has grandstand views from its glorious deck and from the infinity pool just below. Unusually for a safari lodge, its room rates do not include park entry fees or game drives, making this a good-value option if you have no wish to go on drives twice a day.
More information: From £275pp per night, includes full board; greatlakessafaris.com
Read next:
The best African safaris for any traveller
A wildlife guide to Malawi, Africa’s unsung safari destination
