Best Places to Go in Africa in 2026

Gabon’s tourism industry might still be in its infancy, but 2026 will see it emerge as Africa’s (and arguably the world’s) most exhilarating rainforest destination with the January opening of Loango Savannah Camp. Located on the iconic Iguela Lagoon – where forest elephants splash en route to a coastline made famous by Gabon’s surfing hippos – this new tented camp is one of three properties in the northern part of Loango National Park. Dubbed Africa’s Last Eden, Loango – a wonderland of pristine forest, savannah, and lagoons pouring into the wild Atlantic – offers, among other things, what some insiders are calling the best gorilla trekking experience in Africa.

If three lodges are two too many, head south to Moukalaba-DouDou National Park, where Nyanga Lodge, which opened in early 2025, enjoys sweet isolation as the sole luxury safari property in what locals refer to as the “great apes national park.” Nyanga’s offerings for 2026 include outdoor dining experiences from a new treetop terrace to beach dinners, all the better to spy one of the park’s many primate species or marine spectacles like migrating humpback whales and nesting sea turtles. With its surrounding waters also rich in game fish like tarpon, Nyanga will additionally launch the first full season of its exclusive international catch-and-release sport fishery in 2026.

For those seeking an even wilder experience, the early 2026 opening of Sette Cama Eco Camp at the remote southern end of Loango National Park promises to be a game-changer. The first property in Machaba Safaris’ Machaba Wild portfolio, this comfortable base camp will focus on adventures that favour immersion over indulgence. With activities like jungle treks (tracking chimpanzees, western lowland gorillas, forest elephants, and red river hogs), longer coastal trails (the best way to see the same jungle creatures on the beach as well as surfing hippos), and boat cruises and kayaking trips (ideal for spotting dwarf crocodiles, incredible bird life, and the shyer West African manatees), it’s all about active engagement with Gabon’s extraordinary environments. Perhaps the ultimate and most intimate version of jungle immersion, Lowveld Trails Co. will launch its first full season of multi-night primitive walking trails in mid-late summer 2026, using Sette Cama Eco Camp as its base.