Singita Elela Opens in December: First Botswana Safari Lodge
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
There are openings worth flying ten thousand miles for, and Singita Elela is one of them. On December 11, 2026, Singita raises the curtain on its first lodge in Botswana, a stilted camp complex on the 170,000-hectare private concession formerly known as Abu. The site is one of the most water-rich, game-rich corners of the Okavango Delta, and Singita is the right operator to take it over.
The concession was a quiet handover. Travelers who know the Delta know the old Abu name. What they should know now is that Singita has rebranded the whole concession as the Singita Private Concession, and Elela is the first new property to land on it. Eight camps, three room categories, and a debut season that opens during the high water month travelers love most.
Where Elela sits
The lodge occupies NG26 in the northwestern Okavango Delta, the same chunk of wilderness that operated for decades as Abu Camp under various ownerships. The 170,000-hectare concession sits at the edge of the Delta's permanent water system, which means a year-round mix of floodplains, channels, and dry-island game viewing.
It is private wilderness, not park land. Vehicle traffic, walking, mokoro (the traditional dugout canoe), and boating are all on the table here in a way that is not true in the more publicly trafficked Moremi Game Reserve. Singita inherits an existing landing strip, a long conservation footprint, and a wildlife list that includes the Delta's full big-game roster: elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, hippo, wild dog, sable, and large breeding herds of plains game during the green season.
The brand fit is the real story. Singita has spent thirty years building a reputation as the most operationally consistent luxury safari company in Africa, with eighteen lodges and camps across South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and Rwanda before this. Botswana is the obvious gap they were missing. They closed it.
What they're doing differently
The architecture is the headline. Elela means "to flow" in Setswana, and the design follows the Delta's seasonal pulse rather than fighting it.
Eight stilted camps, not one lodge. Instead of a single building with separate suites, Elela is configured as eight discrete circular structures raised above the floodplain. Five are one-bedroom retreats. Two are two-bedroom retreats. One is a four-bedroom retreat that operates as a private villa.
Floor plans built for water. The stilts let the Delta's annual flood pulse pass under the camps without disturbance. From May through August, when the floodwaters peak in the northern Delta, guests see open water from their decks. From September through November, the same view becomes drying floodplain and short grass.
Private vehicle and host with every retreat. Every camp gets its own dedicated 4x4, professional guide, and on-site host. This is the same model Singita uses for villa products at Sasakwa and Pamushana, applied here across the entire camp portfolio.
Self-contained suites. Each retreat has a full lounge, dining area, and kitchenette in addition to the bedroom. Private pool, firepit, and outdoor deck on every unit. The intent is clear: you do not have to leave your camp to be in a complete experience.
All-inclusive rate structure. Singita's standard rate covers accommodation, all meals and beverages, the private guide and host, all game activities, return transfers from the Singita airstrip, laundry, and WiFi. There is no premium tier you need to bolt on to make the experience whole.
Eight camps, not eighty. The Delta does not have density problems by African standards, but Elela's footprint of fewer than fifty beds across 170,000 hectares is among the lowest guest-to-land ratios anywhere in the safari world.
Why it matters
Two things are happening at the same time in luxury safari. Rates are rising fast (Singita's existing properties have moved 15 to 20 percent over the last two years), and inventory is staying intentionally thin. Brands that already own great concessions are not adding beds. They are upgrading product on the beds they have.
Elela is the exception. It is genuinely new inventory at the top of the market, on a concession that most American safari clients have heard of for thirty years through the Abu lineage. That combination, new build plus pedigreed land, is rare. The closest analog in recent years was Wilderness's Mokete in the Mababe, which opened in 2024 and has been close to full ever since.
The other reason this matters is brand convergence. Singita has historically anchored Tanzania (Sasakwa, Faru Faru, Sabora at Grumeti), South Africa (Sabi Sand, Kruger), Zimbabwe (Pamushana), and Rwanda (Kwitonda for gorilla treks). With Botswana added, a single Singita-branded multi-country safari now becomes the cleanest itinerary in the business. One operator, one front-of-house standard, one phone call. That is a meaningful thing for the kind of client who has done two safaris already and wants the third to feel coherent.
Cost and booking window
Rack rates have been published for the December 2026 to January 2028 season. Low season nightly rates for two guests start at $3,100 in a one-bedroom retreat. Peak season rates for the four-bedroom villa run up to $33,950 per night. Most one-bedroom shoulder-season pricing lands in the $4,500 to $6,500 per night range for a couple, all-inclusive.
A typical seven-night Botswana safari combining Elela with one of Singita's sister Okavango or Linyanti partners runs $20,000 to $35,000 per person for the ground portion, before flights. Business class from Oklahoma City via DFW to Johannesburg, then on to Maun, generally adds another $8,000 to $12,000 per person depending on class and season.
The booking window is the urgent piece. Singita inventory at flagship lodges typically sells out twelve to fifteen months in advance for high season, and Elela is going to behave the same way. Repeat Singita clients have first call, and the brand is honoring those holds before broader release. If December 2026 through August 2027 is the target window, the conversation needs to happen this summer.
What to ask before you book
Which camp footprint matches your party? A couple wants a one-bedroom. A family of four or a couple traveling with a single grown child usually wants a two-bedroom for privacy. The four-bedroom is a true buy-out scenario, not a configuration you split with strangers.
Are you anchoring to the flood or to the dry season? June through August is high water (mokoro and boat focus, photogenic light). September through November is dry season (better predator viewing, hotter days). The same lodge offers two different experiences depending on the month.
How does the second leg connect? Botswana is at its strongest paired with either Cape Town for a city-and-coast finish, or Victoria Falls for a one-night add-on at Royal Livingstone or Matetsi. We almost always recommend one or the other.
What is the air piece? The light aircraft transfer from Maun to the Singita airstrip is part of the experience, but it has weight limits and timing windows. The international air strategy from OKC needs to dovetail with that.
What does the conservation contribution look like? Singita's properties build a conservation levy into the rate. It is worth understanding where that money goes if conservation is part of why you are booking.
How Haus Travel can help
We have arranged Africa safaris for Oklahoma City clients since 1975, and we have direct booking relationships with Singita across all four of its existing country portfolios. That matters in two ways for Elela. First, we can hold space at the lodge before broader inventory opens, on the same terms as the brand's repeat-guest list. Second, we can pair Elela with the right secondary camp (Mombo, Duba Plains, Vumbura, Selinda) so that the seven-night arc actually plays the way the country wants you to play it.
We coordinate the air piece from start to finish. That includes the international leg out of OKC, the Maun connection, the light aircraft window, and the return through Cape Town or Victoria Falls. We also pre-arrange amenities at Elela (typically a sunset bush dinner or a private mokoro morning) that you would not get assembling the trip on your own. Email blake@haus-travel.com or call the office, and we will start a hold against December 2026 or January 2027 inventory while it is still possible.
FAQ
When does Singita Elela open?
Singita Elela opens on December 11, 2026, in Botswana's Okavango Delta. It is the brand's first lodge in Botswana.
Where is Singita Elela located?
The lodge sits on the 170,000-hectare Singita Private Concession (formerly the Abu Concession) in NG26, in the northwestern Okavango Delta. Access is by light aircraft from Maun to the Singita airstrip.
How much does Singita Elela cost per night?
Low season nightly rates for two guests start at $3,100 in a one-bedroom retreat. Peak season rack rates for the four-bedroom retreat run up to $33,950 per night. Rates are all-inclusive of meals, beverages, private guide, game drives, transfers, laundry, and WiFi.
How many rooms does Singita Elela have?
Elela has eight camps total: five one-bedroom retreats, two two-bedroom retreats, and one four-bedroom retreat. The whole lodge sleeps fewer than fifty guests.
What is the best time of year to visit Singita Elela?
For floodwater scenery and mokoro activity, May through August is ideal. For dry-season predator viewing, September and October are strongest. December through March is green season with newborn game and dramatic skies.
Is Singita Elela good for families?
Yes. The two-bedroom retreats and the four-bedroom villa are configured for multigenerational travel, and Singita has well-established protocols for children on safari, including dedicated young-guest activities at most of its lodges.
How do you get to Singita Elela from Oklahoma City?
The typical routing is OKC to Dallas-Fort Worth, then on to Johannesburg on a long-haul carrier, then a regional flight or charter to Maun, Botswana, and a light aircraft transfer to the Singita airstrip. Total transit time is roughly 30 to 36 hours door to door.
