HOTTEST NEW SAFARI LODGES 2023

We are brimming with excitement to bring to our guests these fresh new lodges opening their doors for the very first time, imagining YOU being the first to experience these much anticipated openings.

We are here to answer any of your questions and help you pick which of these beautiful new lodges you would like to visit next.

Warmest regards,

Jen, Simon and the Bellingham team xx

This is undoubtedly one of the most exciting openings of a new lodge on the African continent, by the much loved Angama team. Angama Amboseli is an intimate lodge of just ten tented suites set in the private Kimana Sanctuary, near Amboseli National Park with maximal heart-stopping views of the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro. Angama Amboseli guests will enjoy exclusive traversing and unrestricted game viewing in an area known for its incredible density of general wildlife, Africa’s large cats and most excitingly, the famed big-tusker Elephants of Amboseli.

Opening: 1 November 2023
Rates from US$ 1 650 per person per night sharing.

Tswalu’s new camp will comprise of six individual tented safari homes, each functioning as a stand-alone, independently run mini camp. With at least 100 metres (330 feet) between each home, guests are assured of privacy and seclusion throughout their stay. The camp’s safari homes each have unimpeded views south across the grassy plains to distant hills in the valley beyond. Each home comes with a dedicated homathi, or butler and a private chef. With a private vehicle, guide and tracker always at the ready, guests can choose to spend all day tracking some of the elusive species, visit nearby pans where resident Lion prides converge, or take a picnic breakfast to the top of Bushman Hill where Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra and Kudu are often spotted. Or best of all you may just wish to relax on the deck and gaze at the view, relishing the solitude and silence.

OPENING: 1 July 2023
Rates from ZAR 40 200 (~ USD 2 250) per person per night sharing.

In November 2022, Onguma launched Camp Kala, an ultra-luxurious lodge situated overlooking a very productive waterhole in the 34,000 ha Onguma Nature Reserve on the eastern flank of Etosha National Park in Namibia. The interior design was executed by the phenomenal Fox Browne Creative team. Our favourite feature is the outside deck with both a wood-fired hot tub and a cool plunge pool, with sensational views over the waterhole. The camp has just 4 suites and offers impeccable butler services as well as an excellent spa for those who enjoy being pampered.

OPENED: November 2022
Rates from N$ 23 000 (~ USD 1270) per person per night sharing.

Natural Selection has been on a roll and this is their new high-end camp in the Okavango. With only 3 premier tents on a private island, in front of a Hippo-filled lagoon, it doesn’t get much better than this. If you can tear yourself away from the bliss of your “tent”, you have the choice of land (game-drives), water (boating and mokoro) or air (ballooning and helicopter) safaris. This vast concession is located just north-west of the well renowned Vumbura and Duba concessions and offers prime wildlife habitat known for its Buffalo herds and Lions that hunt them.

OPENING: June 2023
Rates from US$ 1 650 per person per night sharing.

Sitatunga Private Island Camp in Botswana’s Okavango Delta will offer two luxury guest suites in addition to the private 2-bedroom Sitatunga Private Island Suite. This is the newest offering from Great Plains and is set on the idyllic Sitatunga Private Island, a reference to one of the most beautiful antelopes in Africa. Many of these antelope live around this island.

OPENING: 15 July 2023
Rates from US$ 1 848 per person per night sharing.

This newbie has been opened by two veteran Snow Leopard trackers, Dorjay Stanzin and Abdul Rashid. When we first started running Snow Leopard Expeditions, the only choice was camping in Ladakh National Park, but slowly a few lodges have opened and we are delighted that for the first time there is something to cater to guests looking for more of a “safari style” offering. The new suites celebrate the Great Silk Road heritage and each have centrally heated rooms with 24/7 running hot water, hand woven yak rugs, Tibetan inspired furnishings, and down duvets to keep you blissfully cocooned. Of course the exceptional team of guides are equipped with only the finest in Swarovski optics through which to view the Grey Ghost and more.

OPENED: October 2022 (suites)
Rates from US$ 1 050 per person per night sharing.

Photo credits: Lodge photos by suppliers.