Introducing Elela – Singita’s journey into the Okavango Delta

"My first experience of the Okavango Delta was decades ago, with my family. One evening, gliding along a waterway on a mokoro, the sun was setting on one side of us, and a full moon was rising on the other. For a moment, everything felt perfectly aligned," says Jo Bailes, Singita's CEO.

That moment marked the beginning of a long-held intention to expand Singita's impact into Botswana. To work alongside local partners and communities to care for the Delta and offer an experience that truly captures its essence

“For years, we waited for the right opportunity. Recently, it came in the form of concession NG26 – the home of our first property in the region.” Elela. In Setswana, this means ‘to flow’.

Elela's eight private camps (five one-bedroom, two two-bedroom and one four-bedroom) each come with a private vehicle, guide, tracker, and Camp Manager. Days here are shaped by instinct. Wake when you're ready. Eat when you're hungry. Go where curiosity leads. Each camp is circular, raised on stilts, and open on all sides, offering perpetual 360-degree views of the Delta.

Windows line every room, and mesh walls invite the landscape in. As the light and climate shift, the Delta calls you into each day – onto the water when it's warm, around the fire when it's cold, into the bush when you're curious, or to rest when you need it. Because each camp is entirely private, you follow the call on your own terms.

Each camp at Elela is set far enough apart, within a concession large enough, that you often feel like the only ones there. Indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, a kitchen, a pool heated in winter, and a lounge where wellness rituals can be arranged on request are designed to feel like a place you already know. Camp Managers are always available to arrange whatever else the day calls for.

NG26, the concession that holds Elela, is a true representation of the Delta ecosystem. Made up of ancient, meandering waterways that fill with the rains and recede as the seasons change, it's an ever-shifting patchwork of species-rich islands, lagoons, grasslands, and swamps – 420,000 acres of wildlife-rich wilderness in the Delta’s central western region, shared only by our partners and us.

Whether by vehicle or boat, on foot, in a helicopter, or in a mokoro – a traditional dugout canoe guided by a poler who knows these channels intimately – there are so many ways to explore the landscape, so much to discover. In the moments between, you can fish these channels, tell stories around fires and shared tables, under star-filled skies, and enjoy wellness rituals and yoga sessions in the comfort of your camp. Children of all ages are welcome.

At the heart of Elela is its hub, which is accessible by walkways that stretch over seasonal channels or a short drive along sand roads. Here, guests can dine together, engage with students at the regional campus of the Singita Community Culinary School, use the communal fitness space, and explore the two-storey Conservation Lounge – an interactive space filled with stories of the natural and cultural heritage of the region and the work being done to preserve it.

The hub is also where Elela's character becomes clear. With no separation between front and back of house, there is freedom to engage with any of our people at any time,. We want each guest to become part of the ecosystem, and connect more deeply with our community and the Delta itself.

Every season, every month, and every day here holds something new. The Delta's waters attract a perpetual abundance of wildlife – large mammals, an exceptional diversity of birdlife, towering termite mounds that quietly reshape the landscape, and frogs that punctuate each night with a soothing chorus. No two days offer the same sightings. No two drives cover the same ground. No two mornings offer the same light. This is why Elela is open year-round.

We'd love for you to be among the first to experience it. Bookings are open now — reach out to us.