Singita Elela – A glimpse of what’s to come!
In the first 10 to 12 years of building Anderson Expeditions I guided nearly every safari and spent 150+ days a year in camps and lodges across Africa with my guests. This was the primary way I built up the knowledge base of countries, parks and properties which we feel is a unique advantage whilst custom designing itineraries for our clients.
Having shifted away from the extensive guiding travel I am now able to handpick a few trips every year to visit new camps, lodges, parks and operations that we think will be valuable considerations for our future safari planning.
In July I was invited by Singita on a special reconnaissance trip to see their new concession in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. They purpose built a tented camp on a palm-filled island to host a small group of Singita partners. We visited the nearly completed Elela (opening in December) which, to my mind, will be the finest lodge in Africa. The attention to detail is quite exceptional and takes the guest experience to the next level, even from a Singita reference point!
We also visited by helicopter an idyllic remote island which is the proposed site for the second camp on the vast concession, called Bonolo (opening 2028). Understandably photos and details are not publicly available until they are released by Singita but suffice to say that both camps will offer something truly unique for the safari traveller.
Beyond the camps what was enlightening was understanding the commitment Singita has for their people. The staff village is unlike any staff facility I have encountered before. Set before a large scenic lagoon the rooms have been thoughtfully and generously designed and the facilities will provide well deserved downtime and genuine lifestyle quality away from the frontline looking after our guests!
The energy requirements for the camps are facilitated by a world class solar facility. It was rather surreal to be touring a state of the art renewable energy installation whilst watching impalas and zebras graze past.
Notwithstanding the site visit element of our trip we did manage also to go fishing, game drive, boat down the Delta channels and mokoro (traditional canoe) to a secret island sundowner spot!
There is no doubt this Singita concession is a very special place – it will have an elite team and fine tuned pair of camps to provide access to a corner of Africa that feels wild and unexplored.
On our final morning we followed lions calling from our camp and were then treated to a sighting of two large male lions vocalizing whilst wading through an Okavango lagoon. Perhaps a perfect portrayal of the Singita Elela and Bonolo camps, arriving with a ROAR into the African safari landscape.
I’m planning a trip back there in 2027 – there’s no reason you shouldn’t be doing the same!
