Every year brings a raft of new safari camps and lodges across Africa, but some openings stand out more than others, not simply because they are new, but because they expand what’s possible. New regions open, familiar landscapes are reimagined, and travellers gain fresh ways to experience places they thought they already knew.
Looking ahead to 2026, several exciting camps are joining Expert Africa’s portfolio. They reflect our continued emphasis on smaller camps, thoughtful design, exploration, and a real connection to wilderness.
We’ve rounded up the new camps and lodges we’re most excited about for 2026 travel.
Grumeti Art Lodge, Tanzania
Set on a ridge with sweeping panoramic views across the western Serengeti, Grumeti Art Lodge takes its name from its impressive collection of contemporary African art. Located within the private Grumeti Reserve, the lodge brings a distinctive creative focus to a region best known for its wildlife – particularly the May-July wildebeest migration – and its vast, open landscapes.
Wildlife viewing here is private and flexible, made possible by the controlled visitor numbers, the scale of the reserve and the freedom it allows. This sense of space, combined with the lodge’s elevated position, creates an experience that is both expansive and exclusive.
The lodge itself blends contemporary architecture with a strong emphasis on African art and cultural expression. Thoughtfully designed interiors, private guiding and attentive service come together to create an atmosphere that is refined without being formal. For travellers seeking a Serengeti safari that pairs excellent game viewing with a high-end, design-led approach, Grumeti Art Lodge offers a rare and compelling fusion of safari and culture.
Kisima Ngeda, Tanzania
Kisima Ngeda is a welcome addition to Expert Africa – not because the camp is brand new, but because we’ve decided to open a whole new area in our itineraries: Lake Eyasi. This friendly camp is perched in a fever-tree forest beneath the Ngorongoro Highlands, on the edge of palm-fringed, seasonal lake, and makes a terrific tropical base, that feels a world away from the busier parks on the northern circuit.
This part of Tanzania is defined less by the spectacle of big-game densities and more by gentle encounters: bird-rich wetlands, forest hiking, and the chance to meet the local hunter-gather community, the last of their kind in Tanzania.
Kisima Ngeda is an attractive option for travellers seeking variety within a northern Tanzania journey: a place to add cultural depth, exploration on foot, and an excellent counterpoint to the Serengeti’s more dramatic moments.
Kusini Camp,Tanzania
Kusini Camp sits in the far south-west of the Serengeti, a landscape defined by wide, open plains punctuated by granite kopjes that rise from the grasslands. These rocky outcrops create natural vantage points and shelter, shaping both the movement of wildlife and the character of the area, and setting the southern Serengeti apart from other parts of the park.
The new Kusini Camp has recently opened with just 6 tents and has been designed to make the most of this dramatic setting, offering a simple base that keeps the focus firmly on the environment rather than the camp itself. The surrounding plains play a pivotal role in the annual migration cycle, particularly during the green season, when vast herds gather and predator activity intensifies around the kopjes.
Matemwe Attitude, Zanzibar
Matemwe Attitude offers a refined beach experience on Zanzibar’s north-east coast, particularly well-suited to couples and honeymooners looking to complement time on safari with a relaxed, sophisticated stay by the Indian Ocean. Set above a long stretch of white sand and turquoise water, the hotel enjoys a peaceful position facing Mnemba Island, well away from the island’s busier resorts.
Designed as an adult-only, all-villa property, Matemwe Attitude places a strong emphasis on privacy and a calm, unhurried atmosphere. Contemporary villas are oriented towards the sea, while shared spaces include an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, a restorative spa, and a choice of bars serving tropical cocktails.
The overall feel is understated rather than showy, with gentle activities such as sunrise yoga, guided beach walks and snorkelling filling otherwise lazy days. For those planning a bush-and-beach holiday, Matemwe Attitude works particularly well as a place to slow the pace, rest and reflect after the early starts and intensity of safari travel.
Nkasa Linyanti, Namibia
Nkasa Linyanti opens a lesser-known corner of Namibia: the Zambezi Region. Close to Nkasa Rupara National Park, where seasonal flooding transforms the landscape into a mosaic of wetlands, channels and grasslands, this is a greener, water-rich environment often more associated with Botswana than Namibia, and one that supports impressive birdlife alongside its wildlife.
Part of Nkasa Linyanti’s appeal is its strong sense of discovery. This is a far greener, more water-rich landscape than most of Namibia, and one that sits well away from the country’s usual safari circuits. Reaching it feels like a deliberate detour – ideal for travellers drawn to lusher ecosystems, or looking to add real contrast to a wider journey through Namibia.
Come for canoeing through reed-fringing channels, sundowners on the Linyanti River, terrific birdwatching and the joy of a intimate camp (only 6 tents).
Nxabega Under Canvas, Botswana
Nxabega Under Canvas offers a simpler way to experience a well-established and highly regarded private reserve within the Okavango Delta. Located within the same broad, wildlife-rich area as the long-standing Nxabega Camp, it provides access to consistently strong game viewing across a varied landscape of floodplains, islands and woodland.
The appeal here lies in understatement. Deliberately low-key, the camp is designed to keep the focus firmly on time in the bush rather than on the camp itself. Days are shaped by unhurried exploration, with the freedom of a private concession allowing guides to follow wildlife movements and spend long periods observing behaviour as it unfolds.
Accommodation is under canvas and comfortably simple, with opportunities to explore on foot, by vehicle or by canoe. Evenings are relaxed and informal, often centred around shared meals lit by hurricane lanterns. For travellers who prefer a pared-back, traditional safari style, Nxabega Under Canvas offers an appealing balance: excellent guiding and game viewing, paired with thoughtful simplicity and a strong sense of immersion.
Olimba Camp, Zambia
Olimba Camp sits in a particularly wildlife-rich area of Zambia’s South Luangwa Valley, a region long regarded as one of Africa’s finest destinations for immersive safaris and exceptional guiding. The camp takes its name from a much-loved, local leopard, and reflects the quality and consistency of the leopard sightings for which the area is renowned.
This camp was started as the base for the BBC filmmakers who spent five years here filming Kingdom, documenting the lives and interactions of South Luangwa’s predators and prey. Their decision to work from this exact location speaks volumes about the depth of wildlife behaviour that can be observed, as well as the patience, skill and knowledge of the guiding that underpins it.
Rebuilt as a small, intimate safari camp, Olimba places emphasis on time, space and observation. The focus is firmly on the bush itself: unfiltered encounters and thoughtful guiding. Owned and operated by the Coppinger family, well known for their long association with South Luangwa, Olimba offers a first-class, authentic safari experience rooted in deep local knowledge.
Osonjoi Lodge, Tanzania
A recently opened addition to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, set high on the rim with expansive views across the crater below. This elevated position is central to its appeal, offering a panorama that few locations can rival, alongside easy access to one of East Africa’s most remarkable wildlife areas.
The lodge has been designed to take full advantage of its setting – early mornings descending into the crater, quieter moments spent taking in the views, and calm evenings removed from the busier parts of the northern safari circuit.
It works particularly well as part of a journey linking the Serengeti, Lake Eyasi and Tarangire, adding a distinctive highland contrast to more open savannah landscapes.
Sandibe Under Canvas, Botswana
Opening in March 2026, Sandibe Under Canvas will offer a pared-back safari experience within one of the Okavango Delta’s most wildlife-rich private concessions. Designed to sit lightly within its surroundings, the camp strips safari back to its essentials, placing the focus firmly on the bush, the wildlife and the experience of being immersed in place.
With just three tents, the atmosphere is quiet and highly exclusive, allowing for an unhurried pace. Days are spent out exploring a concession long celebrated for its predator sightings and consistently excellent game viewing, with guiding that prioritises observation and time in the field.
For travellers who value simplicity over excess, and who are drawn to a purist safari style without compromising on guiding or location, Sandibe Under Canvas offers a rare opportunity to experience the Okavango in its most intimate and authentic form.
Singita Elela, Botswana
One of the most anticipated new lodge openings in Botswana this year, Singita Elela will be a strong addition to the Okavango Delta for travellers drawn to one of safari’s most established and respected names. Set within the Abu Concession, the lodge benefits from low vehicle densities, varied habitats and consistently high-quality wildlife viewing.
The Abu Concession offers a well-rounded Delta experience, with a mix of floodplains, islands and woodland that supports a wide range of species.
Singita Elela itself will doubtless reflect the brand’s hallmark emphasis on creative design and attentive service. It is undoubtedly going to be a lodge particularly well suited to travellers who value comfort and a quietly assured safari experience.
Taken together, these camps reflect a clear direction for safari travel in 2026: smaller places, deeper engagement with landscape, and the confidence to explore beyond the obvious. Whether opening up new regions, reimagining familiar ones, or offering more flexible ways to travel, they offer fresh and rewarding ways to experience Africa’s wild places. We’d be happy to help you explore how these camps could fit into a future safari.
To talk to us about your tailor-made African safari, including these new camps, call us on 0203 405 6666.
