Africa’s ultra-luxury safari and adventure travel scene has added new properties and tour options this year, with more to come. The openings point to continued investment in remote camps, conservation-linked stays and experience-driven itineraries.
U.S. Travelers Heart Africa
Notably, Africa travel purveyor Asilia Africa reports that U.S. travelers now make up nearly half of all bookings, the largest share of any source market. New three-year data from the operator shows guests are also staying longer, particularly at its most remote camps, with average stays reaching 2.8 nights in 2025/26.
Asilia Africa operates camps across East Africa with a focus on conservation-led tourism, including Rekero Camp, on the banks of the Talek River in Kenya’s Masai Mara Reserve, which offers nine safari tents with ensuite bathrooms and views of dramatic river crossings during the Great Migration; Sayari Camp, in the northern Serengeti near the Mara River, provides 15 tented suites along with a swimming pool and spa treatments, with peak migration viewing from July through October; and Namiri Plains, set within Serengeti National Park, which was the area’s first camp and is known for big cat sightings, with solar-powered tented suites and access to walking safaris and hot-air balloon rides.
For more information, visit asiliaafrica.com.
Hoanib Elephant Camp, Kaokoland, Namibia
Hoanib Elephant Camp opened in May in a remote stretch of northwest Namibia known as Kaokoland, one of the driest regions on the continent. Ancient river systems here run only during seasonal rains, cutting dry channels through mountains and open desert plains for most of the year. Despite the harsh conditions, wildlife is still present, including a small population of desert-adapted elephants that move through the Hoanib River system, numbering fewer than 50 at any given time. Over generations, the elephants have developed longer legs and broader feet, traits suited to covering long distances between water sources.
The camp offers ten guest suites set within an extraordinary landscape. Ana trees line the seasonal riverbed, drawing on deep roots for water and offering shade and food for elephants, giraffe and oryx. West of the camp, the land gives way to the Skeleton Coast, where desert meets the Atlantic Ocean. Guided outings track desert lion and free-roaming black rhino, and the region is also home to the semi-nomadic Himba people.
Natural Selection partners with the Sesfontein Community Conservancy on elephant monitoring and conflict reduction efforts. A portion of each stay (1.5 percent), plus the Community, Conservation and Reserve fee, goes toward conservation and community projects in the valley.
For more information, visit naturalselection.travel.
andBeyond Suyian Homestead, Suyian Conservancy, Kenya
andBeyond Suyian Homestead is set to open in June 2027 within Kenya’s 44,000-acre Suyian Conservancy, joining the existing andBeyond Suyian Lodge, a 10-minute drive away, as the conservancy’s only tourism presence. The five-suite property is built for sole use by small groups, couples or multigenerational families, with room for up to 11 guests across roughly 6,000 sq. ft. of living space, including a master bedroom and a suite with a triple configuration. Common areas include an open kitchen, long dining tables, shaded terraces and an infinity pool.
A team of 13 staff plus two private guides run the property, with two six-seater 4×4 vehicles reserved exclusively for Homestead guests. Days are left unstructured, built around private game drives and guided walking safaris through a conservancy known for Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, African wild dog and occasional black leopard sightings. Beyond standard safari outings, guests can arrange camel experiences, horseback safaris, catch-and-release fishing, helicopter flights and cattle ranching, along with in-suite wellness treatments and access to the wellness center and Safari Shop at Suyian Lodge.
The conservancy is owned by the Suyian Conservancy Trust and managed under a Kenya Wildlife Service-approved plan with oversight from Space for Giants. About 80 percent of the Homestead’s energy will come from solar power, supported by borehole water and rainwater harvesting, and meals will be sourced within a 31-mile radius.
For more information, visit andbeyond.com.
Kanana Nyana, Okavango Delta, Botswana
Ker & Downey Botswana opens its eighth luxury camp, Kanana Nyana, on Oct. 15, 2026, on the western edge of Moremi Game Reserve overlooking the Xudum River and its floodplains. The camp has just four suites, hosting a maximum of eight guests, and pairs walking excursions, game drives and mokoro outings with guiding shaped by local knowledge, since many guides on staff grew up in the Okavango Delta.
Each thatched suite, built for two adults, draws its design from a different tree native to the region: the Marula, Sausage Tree, Jackalberry and Sycamore Fig. Suites include a king-size bed, a private deck, a plunge pool and a shaded sala, with color palettes of sage green, pale yellow and dusty pink.
Dining features Botswana beef alongside local dishes such as seswaa, pap and morogo, plus cocktails made with lerotse melon and vanilla syrup. Two safari vehicles, each limited to four guests despite six seats, support wildlife viewing, and mokoro trips reach a heronry drawing up to 70,000 birds between May and October. Wildlife in the area includes lion, leopard, elephant, cheetah, African wild dog and red lechwe, along with more than 500 recorded bird species.
For more information, visit kerdowneybotswana.com.
Anantara Tented Camp Kafue River, Kafue National Park, Zambia
Minor Hotels has opened Anantara Tented Camp Kafue River, its first tented safari property and part of the brand’s 25th anniversary year. The 13-key camp sits within Kafue National Park, one of Africa’s largest protected areas, where the government and African Parks are carrying out long-term ecological restoration. Each accommodation offers nearly 25 feet of private river frontage and sits more than 11 feet above ground on timber platforms, preserving wildlife movement below while framing views of the Kafue River. The park’s recovering wilderness supports hippos, elephants, large predators, antelope and more than 500 bird species, reached through game drives, river safaris, guided walks, bush picnics and catch-and-release fishing.
The three Horizon Terrace Suites stand 45 feet above ground, reached by a glass elevator, with star beds and wraparound decks. Nine Pool and Bush Villas include private plunge pools and indoor spa rooms, while the 4,300-sq.-ft. Presidential Villa adds private boat access and its own spa zone. Dining includes a floating river pontoon plus Luzuba Harvestry and Twalumba Bar & Lounge, with Spice Spoons offering Zambian cooking classes. Access is by charter flight to Chunga airstrip from Livingstone or Lusaka, or a four-hour drive from Lusaka International Airport.
For more information, visit anantara.com.
