If three lodges are two too many, head south to Moukalaba-DouDou National Park, the place Nyanga Lodge, which opened in early 2025, enjoys candy isolation as the only real luxurious safari property in what locals refer to because the “great apes national park.” Nyanga’s choices for 2026 embody outside eating experiences from a brand new treetop terrace to seashore dinners, all the higher to spy one of many park’s many primate species or marine spectacles like migrating humpback whales and nesting sea turtles. With its surrounding waters additionally wealthy in sport fish like tarpon, Nyanga will moreover launch the primary full season of its unique worldwide catch-and-release sport fishery in 2026.
For these in search of a good wilder expertise, the early 2026 opening of Sette Cama Eco Camp on the distant southern finish of Loango National Park guarantees to be a sport changer. The first property in Machaba Safaris’ Machaba Wild portfolio, this comfy base camp will deal with adventures that favor immersion over indulgence. With actions like jungle treks (monitoring chimpanzees, western lowland gorillas, forest elephants, and crimson river hogs), longer coastal trails (one of the best ways to see the identical jungle creatures on the seashore in addition to browsing hippos), and boat cruises and kayaking journeys (supreme for recognizing dwarf crocodiles, unimaginable chook life, and the shyer West African manatees), it’s all about lively engagement with Gabon’s extraordinary environments. Perhaps the last word and most intimate model of jungle immersion, Lowveld Trails Co. will launch its first full-season of multinight primitive strolling trails in mid-late summer season 2026, utilizing Sette Cama Eco Camp as its base.
While Gabon’s wonders are each distinctive and considerable, tourism infrastructure stays rudimentary at finest, and nice wildlife sightings should not at all times simple. With Anderson Expeditions, a pioneer in conservation-forward tourism in Gabon, resuming its tailor-made itineraries in 2026, non-public guides will assist friends navigate the primeval forests and crystalline streams. —Lee Middleton
Ngara, Nairobi, Kenya
Go for: an city enclave providing a daring, walkable slice of Nairobi’s meals, trend, and artwork scenes