Your Timeless Journey Awaits...
Image supplied by Elewana Sand River Camp
Another roundup of the latest and most relevant news we receive from our partners on the ground in Africa - collated and curated for you in our Timeless Africa Highlights for January 2024.
The first of three new Elewana Explorer Camps – Serengeti Explorer has opened in January.
Elewana Collection has announced the launch of Elewana Explorer; a brand utilising safari lodges that have stood for over 30 years pioneering tourism in Northern Tanzania and reimagining the properties to cater to a modern audience of luxury safari-goers.
Set in South Central Serengeti, Serengeti Explorer will provide a luxury safari sanctuary in the heart of the Serengeti. The new style safari lodge will provide luxury, space and freedom as well as a host of experiences to enhance the safari adventure.
Serengeti Explorer Camp offers:
Opening: January 2024
Tawana Lodge will open its doors in May 2024; it is being created together with Chief Tawana Moremi, the paramount chief of the Batawana tribe, this new camp is set in the shade of towering ebony trees on the banks of the Gomoti River in the iconic Moremi Game Reserve.
It’s 8 expansive guest suites (including two spacious family rooms) are air-conditioned over beds, with their lounge, private terrace, plunge pool, outdoor sala and uninterrupted views of the Gomoti river and surrounding game-rich grasslands. The camp is also 100% solar powered, with 24-hour electricity in the rooms.
The main area in the camp is atmospheric, with an elegant lounge, indoor and outdoor dining spaces, as well as a curated library filled with reference works on the history of Moremi Game Reserve and the local Batawana tribe. A walk-in wine cellar, a wood-fire pizza oven and an open-air dining kgotla, all add to the Tawana culinary experience. For downtime between game activities, Tawana will include an intimate spa facility offering a bespoke menu of facial and body treatments, and holistic wellness journeys. A well-equipped gym and 16-metre lap pool will help guests stay in shape whilst travelling.
Opening: May 2024
Following the openings of Simbavati Grumeti which is located in the Ikona Wildlife Management Area (WMA), nestled between the Serengeti National Park and the Grumeti River and Simbavati Migration Camp which is located near the Mara River in the north of the Serengeti National Park; Simbavati Serengeti Hills and Simbavati Tarangire will complete the circuit and will be opening in 2024.
Simbavati Serengeti Hills is located 50km to the west of Seronera, and Simbavati Tarangire will be located in the Tarangire National Park.
Opening: Tbc in 2024
Simbavati Grumeti Lodge
Natural Selection GweGwe Beach Lodge in the Eastern Cape of South Africa along the Wild Coast Opens March 2024.
Set within the 5000-hectare Mkambati Nature Reserve private concession, you will find plains game, birdlife and coastal forest. Mkhambathi Nature Reserve (or Mkambati Nature Reserve) is a protected area at Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, with the Pondoland Marine Protected Area off its coastal edge.
From Hiking and cycling trails mixed with Kayaking escapes on sea or river, snorkelling with dolphins, whale watching (seasonal), swimming in rock pools, or relax at the beach bar.
The facility has 9-ensuite rooms.
Opening: March 2024
An oasis of style and comfort in the middle of the Kalahari Desert. Set away from the main camp. The central lounge and dining area is flanked by two expansive bedroom suites, each offering a private veranda with views of the Makgadigadi Plains. One bedroom has an extra-large king-size bed, while the other has 2 x king-size beds. Both have day beds. Central dining room with kitchen, lounge, library, deck with large pool.
The camp will open on the 21st of May 2024 until the end of October 2024.
Opening: May 2024
A new luxury safari lodge by One Nature Hotels is coming soon. An exclusive sanctuary where the Serengeti’s heartbeat meets the tranquil embrace of the Mara River. Situated in the Northern Serengeti, One Nature Mara River is just a brief 30-minute drive from the Kogatende Airstrip. Elevated on a platform, it provides a prime vantage point for witnessing the Great Wildebeest Migration as it unfolds across the Mara River.
Opening: June 2024
This small 3 tent camp puts the focus entirely on the safari experience, keeping the accommodation pared back and simple in style, ensuring nature is the real star of the show. The camp is located in the prime wildlife region of Ruaha, on the banks of the Mwagusi River, at the site that was previously home to Kwihala Camp. As promised, we have reimagined what this area could offer and are excited to share this new concept with you.
There are just three guest tents, each simple in their design, made of mosquito net mesh to maximise the outside-in views. Each has an en-suite bathroom with a flush toilet, bucket shower and hand basin, and a weatherproof cover that can be folded back on clear nights to sleep under the stars.
The camp is booked on an exclusive-use basis for up to 6 guests, hosted by one of Asilia’s top safari guides.
Their Southern Tanzania camps have enhanced their safari offering for the upcoming season (from 1 June 2024) to include private vehicles for game drives for all guests. Private vehicles were already included at Jabali Private House, Usangu Expedition Camp, and the new Kokoko Camp, but will now also be offered at Jabali Ridge and Roho ya Selous. Other activities such as walking, boating safaris and airstrip transfers will remain shared activities but the teams in camps will offer these privately wherever possible, depending on guest choices in camp.
Opening: 1 July 2024
Azulik Lodge sits 60 meters above the crystal clear Indian Ocean waters on a sand dune in the Sanctuary. With Azulik Lodge you really can embrace the best of both worlds; a tropical beach holiday combined with a wildlife experience. Booked on an exclusive basis.
The lodge is ideally suited for groups of friends or family who want a private, exclusive bush and beach experience They offer extreme privacy for the most discerning guest. The team offers dedicated personalized 5-star service.
Four luxury semi-rigid thatched tents with an en-suite bathroom with an outdoor shower. The bungalows have a private viewing platform, with a hammock to make the most of the astonishing views
They are completely solar-powered, so your holiday will be kind to the environment. They grow their vegetables and we engage in fair trade with the local community. They endeavor to protect all of the unique vegetation and animals located within the sanctuary and around the lodge.
Transfers to the lodge can either be via boat (45 min) or helicopter (10 min). If the transfer is via boat, you may be required to wade through knee-deep water, so bear this in mind when choosing your attire. If the transfer is via boat, you will be met by Azulik game-viewing vehicle, and driven the 20-minute drive to the lodge. Here a warm welcome and an ice-cold cocktail await you.
Opening: tbc in 2024 private villa for couples or honeymooners
Enjoying a secluded setting on Sasakwa Hill, the exclusive-use villa’s expansive configuration offers an unparalleled new opportunity to experience this wilderness in full. It will feature individually designed suites inspired by some of the region’s most iconic species – as well as private terraces, outdoor showers, jacuzzis, a 10-person movie room, and an oversized infinity pool.
Opening: May 2024
2 more Elewana Explorer Camps coming in 2025
Elewana Collection has announced the launch of Elewana Explorer; a brand utilising safari lodges that have stood for over 30 years pioneering tourism in Northern Tanzania and reimagining the properties to cater to a modern audience of luxury safari-goers. Ngorongoro Explorer & Tarangire Explorer are opening in 2025.
Read our travel stories for inspiration and updates.
