Coming December 2026: Elela Set to Redefine Safari Luxury in Botswana
Inside Singita’s first camp in the Okavango Delta, a new chapter for conservation-driven tourism by Walter Alala, MIHI GM – Operations | LMR Group by Choice Hotels
A new luxury safari camp is about to emerge from one of Africa’s most extraordinary wetlands. Deep inside Botswana’s Okavango Delta, Singita Elela is introducing a completely new way to experience this ever-changing wilderness.
Scheduled to open in December 2026, Elela marks Singita’s first property in Botswana. Its name comes from Setswana and means “to flow”—a fitting description for a destination shaped by water that expands and retreats with the seasons.
The Setting
Elela occupies the NG26 concession in the central-western Okavango Delta, covering roughly 170,000 hectares (420,000 acres) of pristine wilderness. The landscape is a constantly shifting mosaic of floodplains, lagoons, grasslands, islands, and waterways, supporting an extraordinary variety of wildlife.
Design That Disappears
The camp is designed to blend into its environment rather than dominate it. There will be eight private camps featuring elevated circular structures connected to the landscape by walkways. Guests can explore the Delta by safari vehicle, on foot, by boat, or in a traditional mokoro—the narrow dugout canoe used to navigate shallow waterways.
Beyond the Wildlife Drive
The experience isn’t limited to game drives. Elela’s central hub includes dining, wellness, and conservation spaces, while the property is also connected to a regional community culinary school. Planned as a year-round destination, the camp reflects the reality that the Okavango changes dramatically from season to season.
For travelers fascinated by places that feel genuinely remote, this is an intriguing new chapter for the Okavango Delta.
Imagine waking up surrounded by water channels, hearing wildlife beyond your tent, then stepping into a mokoro and drifting silently through the reeds.
Would you experience the Okavango from a luxury camp like this?
About Singita
Singita’s story began nearly a century ago when Luke Bailes’ grandfather transformed a former hunting concession in South Africa’s Lowveld into a conservation reserve. What started as 30,000 acres has since blossomed into a network of award-winning lodges across four countries, all united by a single, unwavering vision. This enduring 100-year purpose is rooted in the belief that tourism must actively protect the wild places it depends on, turning private land into a sanctuary for both wildlife and future generations.
Since opening its first property in 1993, sustainability and community empowerment have remained the cornerstones of the Singita ethos. Each lodge is designed with a deep reverence for nature, aiming to inspire awe in travelers while directly funding anti-poaching and habitat restoration efforts. By blending ultra-luxury hospitality with meaningful conservation impact, Singita proves that high-end travel can be a powerful force for good—preserving Africa’s precious wilderness while creating lasting social change for local communities.
Walter Alala, MIHI is a Hospitality Consultant & Speaker and the General Manager – Operations | LMR Group by Choice Hotels. Cover image: Singita Pamushana Lodge (Zimbabwe) Pool at Sunset.
