Trip Ideas Intelligent Traveler The New Safari Camps and Lodges that T+L Editors Are Eyeing for Next Year T+L’s picks of the most noteworthy camps, lodges, and wildlife cruises to launch this year. By Heather Richardson Heather Richardson Heather Richardson is a freelance journalist based in Cape Town, South Africa. She writes about travel, conservation, and environmental science for publications such as National Geographic, Nature, BBC Future, and The Guardian. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on December 2, 2023 Close The riverside Zambezi Grande, in southern Zambia. Photo: Courtesy of Zambezi Grande Planning a safari in the year ahead? Here, T+L’s picks of the most noteworthy camps, lodges, and wildlife cruises to recently launch. Angama Amboseli, Kimana Sanctuary, Kenya Set on a community-owned conservancy near Amboseli National Park — known for super-tusker elephants — the plush property has 10 tented suites decorated in canvas and rattan, all with views of Mount Kilimanjaro. Mokete, Mababe Depression, Botswana Rarely visited by Americans, the Mababe Depression outside the Okavango Delta is home to vast herds of buffalo and elephants, plus predators such as lions. This temporary camp, where the tents have retractable roofs for stargazing, is a luxurious placeholder for a more permanent property from the operator Wilderness that is due to open in 2026. Okahirongo Elephant Lodge, Kaokoland, Namibia Namibia’s Okahirongo Elephant Lodge. Courtesy of Sanctuary Retreats After an extensive refurbishment by Sanctuary Retreats, this hideaway in Namibia’s arid Kaokoland region is the perfect place for spotting desert-adapted elephants, giraffes, and zebras. Plains Camp, Samara Karoo Reserve, South Africa The unique selling point of this camp, which has just four off-grid tents with antique furnishings, is the rugged environment of the Karoo, where the surrounding reserve has seen the Big Five reintroduced through rewilding efforts. Tanda Tula Safari Camp, Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, South Africa This spot near Kruger National Park has been completely rebuilt, so it’s an even better perch from which to see Kruger’s plentiful big cats, including leopards. Zambezi Grande, Lower Zambezi River, Zambia Right on the riverbank, this newly redesigned 10-room lodge, with its palette of dark woods, olive greens, and browns, is a great base for game drives, sunset cruises, and walking safaris. Zambezi Queen, Chobe National Park, Botswana Guests of the Zambezi Queen take a game drive by tender. COURTESY OF ZAMBEZI QUEEN BY MANTIS This luxurious vessel sails the Chobe River, which forms a portion of the border between Botswana and Namibia. It relaunched in April after a top-to-bottom refurbishment that brightened up its 14 suites and public areas. Two-, three-, and four-night cruises afford first-rate wildlife watching, as elephants and hippos roam the banks. A version of this story first appeared in the September 2023 issue of Travel + Leisure.