6 New Safari Properties to Visit In 2023!

We are already a quarter of the way into 2023, yet there is still time to plan a last-minute African safari trip. There are still excellent opportunities for the upcoming safari season that should not be missed! To increase your safari appetite, we’ve compiled a list of 5 exciting new safari properties in Southern Africa that should be on your list of places to visit.

African Aerial safaris specialize in seamless, hassle-free travel between the various destinations in Southern Africa.

Contact us today to plan your visit to these spectacular properties!

Elevated on wooden decks, with panoramic views over one of Onguma’s most beautiful and active waterholes, is the exclusive and intimate Onguma Camp Kala.

Appealing to the sophisticated, luxury adventure traveler seeking authenticity and deep comfort, the camp is inspired by the site itself and the Etosha region. Celebrating both the environment and the culture – from the vast pale salt pans of Etosha to the landscapes of Onguma and the traditional Haikum bushmen, a nomadic hunter-gatherer people of the region – the camp is designed to blend seamlessly into its natural surroundings.

The thatched camp is centered around game viewing with numerous vantage points to take it all in – be it the comfortable lounge, the intimate cocktail bar, or the beautiful deck, which is sunny by day and warmed by a fire pit at night. The dining area has an open plan ‘show’ kitchen and an all-day pantry to ensure everyone feels right at home. For guests who want to be active, there is a gym, and for those who want to relax, they can while away the hours in the comfort of the ground-level photographic hide, enjoy a treatment in the spa or practice yoga and meditation on the yoga deck.

It doesn’t get more exclusive than this. Camp Kala has only four guest suites, each with their own private butler and linked by raised wooden walkways. Spacious and private, the open-plan suites have sumptuous twin or king-size beds, a state-of-the-art air-cooling system, a beautiful bathroom with bespoke double vanities, and a full-size free-standing bathtub and a generous shower. The comfortable seating area is equipped with a fully stocked personal bar.

Each suite has its own deck with a plunge pool, wood-fired hot tub, and a walkway to a private, shaded sala with a king-size outdoor day bed – perfectly placed for an armchair safari or a ‘sleep out’ under the stars.

Moving along the banks of the great Chobe River, the Zambezi Queen is a 42-meter long luxury houseboat offering unparalleled sophistication in one of the most remote locations on the planet. The Zambezi Queen navigates up to 25km of the Chobe River, allowing guests to explore different vantage points and enjoy authentic game viewing in complete comfort and elegance. The Zambezi Queen offers luxury accommodation in the form of 14 tasteful and luxurious suites – ten suites and four luxury suites, all with outer decks so you can soak up the revitalizing Chobe River breeze and appreciate uninterrupted views of the unique African landscape beyond. The refurbishment, which took six weeks to complete, focused on the interior and exterior of the luxurious houseboat, with paintwork, carpeting, furnishings, finishes and fabrics all updated to beautiful, modern, and exacting standards. The refurbished cabins are light and airy. The horizontal slatted natural oak headboard was influenced by the natural reeds and the combination of oval-shaped bedside pedestals adds an eclectic accent to the cabins. With its large sliding doors, the upper deck is a space of utter calm and tranquility. The interior combination of light-colored natural raw timber with a slight open grain seeks to bring the outdoors in by incorporating natural materials like rope, rattan and comfortable leather chairs. The bar on the top deck is clad in brass, reflecting light during sundowner drinks in the golden hour.

“Sitatunga Private Island Camp is an extraordinary place. It is a private island and is one of the few locations where one can still see the rare aquatic antelope from camp and by boat, which is the main activity here in addition to walking. It is deep Okavango Delta and, as such, is rich in birding. Head out on a boat to view elephants, crocodiles, and hippos all day, every day. I know you will enjoy every moment of it, as I do.”

Dereck Joubert, CEO of Great Plains Conservation

Sitatunga Private Island Camp is very ‘Robinson Crusoe, desert island-ish.’ It is designed with a ‘salvage’ inspired reference, complete with giant basket shapes as a nod to the Bayei and other local Okavango fishing ancestries. Thick shaggy thatch cover canvas roofs and walls. There is thick pole woodwork, feeling like masts salvaged from a shipwreck, but the very spacious inner floorspace is actually some of the largest we have ever built. Each suite is set up very high in the ebony trees, a traditional way to seek and find safety, take advantage of the views, and rest in the cool shade. And to spot sitatunga.

Each suite has its own lounge and plunge pool.

Sitatunga Camp, entirely surrounded by water, has a blue theme. Vintage Persian carpets, blue trade bead curtains, soft flowing silk and linen curtaining that picks up the breeze complete the interiors.

Each suite has a complimentary use professional camera and lens set, which is now synonymous with a Great Plains Conservation Réserve-Collection safari camp. High-quality binoculars are also available for guests to use on a complimentary basis. Sitatunga Private Island is our latest Réserve-Collection safari camp. Private and personally designed cuisine by our executive chef and his team is a steady and exciting experience, but also one that pays homage to Botswana’s river people and their style of food.

The camp has a wine cellar and Boutique.

This is a barefoot luxury, but not far from the crocodiles and hippos in the deep reed bed lined channels of one of the greatest rivers on Earth.

Tswalu offers a true wilderness experience on the southernmost edge of the Kalahari, and privileged access to the largest privately protected area in South Africa. From the landmark Korannaberg mountains to the southern Kalahari’s typical arid savannah and iconic ochre dunes rippling away to the horizon, days on safari are unscripted and unhurried.

Pioneering and nomadic in spirit, Loapi Tented Camp’s six individual safari homes are surrounded by open savannah grasslands and accommodate two or four guests for the ultimate private wilderness experience. The 4 one-bedroom homes and 2 two-bedroom homes, spanning over 300 square meters (about 3200 square feet) and over 400 square meters (about 4600 square feet), respectively, are for those desiring complete privacy on safari. Sustainably designed and environmentally sensitive, each tented home is tucked into the contours of a valley between the Korannaberg mountains. The six homes are at least 50 meters (165 feet) apart to ensure privacy and solitude. Personal service is provided by a dedicated butler and all meals are prepared by a private chef in the interactive kitchen. As with all our camps, a private safari vehicle, guide and tracker is guaranteed.

Designed as contemporary glass and steel pavilions, the living and dining areas form the heart of each home with the kitchen, fully stocked pantry, and bar. Deep, shaded decks feature day beds for relaxation, an environmentally friendly plunge pool and a fire pit for sundowners and early morning coffee. The bedrooms are cocoon-like sanctuaries under canvas, connecting guests to the sights and sounds of nature while providing exceptional comfort and insulation from the Kalahari’s extreme temperatures.

Restaurant Klein Jan

With the addition of Restaurant Klein JAN to the Tswalu dining guest experience, the culinary traditions, ingredients and regional produce of the Northern Cape are the shining stars on a seasonal menu rooted not only in the southern Kalahari’s remote and dramatic landscapes but also in the resourceful, creative people of this remote, unexplored region. The opening of Klein JAN on the reserve has deepened the culinary collaboration between South African-born chef, Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, and the Oppenheimer family. Tswalu’s commitment to celebrating local provenance, heritage and culture, as part of its journey towards greater sustainability makes this the perfect home for the celebrated chef’s first restaurant on home soil. Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen was the first South African chef to achieve a Michelin star for his namesake restaurant in Nice, France.

Sustainable Food

Storytelling is a fundamental aspect of the dining journey at Klein JAN. Working closely with Tswalu’s executive chef, Marnus Scholly, Jan spent two years delving into the authentic flavors, heritage foods and cultures of the Northern Cape. Local provenance and sustainable procurement inform the restaurant’s multi-course menu, which will change with the seasons. At the heart of this ambitious project is Klein JAN’s subterranean root cellar, located four meters below the ochre sands of the Kalahari. The crypt-like root cellar, 20 meters in extent, has a carefully controlled temperature and humidity It is a visually beautiful storehouse for raw, cured, preserved and dried ingredients destined for the kitchen.

This brand-new lodge will open towards the end of 2023, and you’ll only have two years to visit it. Wilderness Safaris’ Mokete is a limited-edition camp in the Mababe Concession, a lesser-visited area of Botswana known for large herds of buffalo, elephants, and zebra, as well as predators that follow them like lions, cheetahs, and painted dogs. Lions actively hunt throughout the day while a high density of hyenas constantly competes with other predators; cheetah, wild dog, bat-eared fox, jackal, African wild cat and serval. The mopane belt to the east of the great plains is home to leopard and numerous woodland species, while the edges of the marsh have prolific bird life. It’s a thrilling, non-stop show and a photographer’s dream. Accommodating just 18 guests in nine tents, pioneering Mokete promises intimate encounters all year. Whether sharing a drink with elephants in the middle of the day or hearing hyena calls in the dead of night, it’s a feast for the senses.

Pilatus has a new one – the PC-12 NGX! The third generation of the world’s best single-engine turboprop offers the most comfortable and modern cabin experience ever in the PC-12 NGX, designed together with BMW Designworks. Inspired by the design of the PC-24 jet, the new PC-12 NGX executive seats feature full reclining, taller seat backs, and even more seated headroom. With over seven million flight hours, the PC-12 has proven itself as the world’s most versatile and valued business aircraft.

African Aerial Safaris will use the new PC 12 NGX for the first time in June on a flying safari to Botswana and Zimbabwe. “We are incredibly excited about the capabilities the PC 12 NGX brings to our operation. It flies further and faster than the Cessna Grand Caravan, allowing us to connect a broader range of destinations around Southern Africa seamlessly. The Cessna Grand Caravan and the PC 12 aircraft are extremely capable machines, each a market leader in their unique segment, allowing us to offer our clients the choice between the best aircraft for safaris in Africa.