Introducing Zambia

Overview

Nestled within a tree island in the game-rich and utterly beautiful Busanga Plains, Shumba Camp fuses its wild and remote location with stylish design for a superior safari experience.

Soak up these fabulous sweeping views of a wide array of animals including wild dog, antelope and prides of lion, from your elegant tent or the camp’s wide deck. The spacious tents here are perched on raised wooden platforms and enjoy both indoor and outdoor showers.

After a day of wildlife spotting, whether it’s been from a hot air balloon, 4×4 or boat, return to Shumba for some relaxing moments. Take a dip in the pool, dine on delicious food, indulge in a massage and spend a cultural evening around the boma.

Overview

In a small copse of sycamore fig trees, Busanga Bush Camp looks out across the vast grassy floodplains, at the heart of which it sits, and herds of passing game.

Made up of just four comfortable en suite tents, Busanga is an intimate and thoroughly authentic safari experience. Each has a veranda that soaks up the sweeping plains, a fine spot to watch the mist rise off the drying plains, a real spectacle when the sun is low in the sky.

There is also a lounge and bar area is under canvas at the tree line, and dining area is situated a little further back shaded by the canopy and lit by lanterns.

Activities at Busanga Bush Camp include day and night game drives, as well as boating during the early part of the season while unforgettable hot air balloon safaris fly from August to October. The Busanga Plains are famed for lion while wild dog and cheetah are also drawn to the prolific plains game, including puku, red lechwe, buffalo, wildebeest and the rare roan antelope. Hippo are also abundant, found in large pods in the channels. For birders, Kafue boasts around 500 species, including the endemic Chaplin’s barbet.

Overview

If low-impact exploring is your priority, Ila Safari Lodge is a leader in the space in Zambia’s Kafue National Park. This beautiful tented camp is an intimate option, with just 10 tented rooms suitable for both couples and families, but their environmental credentials cannot be understated: they were the first camp to introduce electric safaris in Zambia. This means your game drives are quiet and low on carbon footprint, and river cruises are smooth and serene without the noise of a motor. 

Your tent is powered by solar energy harvested on site, and the furniture is made from locally felled wood. Inside each one you’ll find rainfall showers and double vanity sinks, and outside there’s a private deck for you to watch the wildlife go by along the Kafue River. 

At the central, communal deck you can swap safari stories from the day with other guests, or just lounge by the pool in the heat of the African sun. Out in the bush, you might spot lions or elephants, have a carefully prepared breakfast beneath the trees, or take a walking safari with an expert guide.

All meals here are prepared using produce from local markets, as well as ingredients grown on the camp’s own farm. 

Overview

A more contemporary and certainly deluxe addition to the safari lodges of South Luangwa, Chinzombo is an ambitious property that cleverly maintains its authenticity on a secluded bend of the Luangwa river.

Within sixty acres of private land, its six standalone and geometrically-designed villas are incredibly spacious and brings together modern innovation with the atmospheric style of camping. One of the villas can accommodate a family of five, and these are all connected by a winding path lined with Msikzi trees leading you towards the main lounge and dining area complete with firepit, spa facilities, yoga and exercise areas.

Enjoy day and evening game drives in this pristine wilderness, along with the signature walking safaris.

Overview

A quietly luxurious bush camp, Mchenja sits in under the shade of a grove of ebony trees on the banks a great sweeping bend in the Luangwa River.

Five stylish octagonal tents have their own private en-suite open air bathroom plus Victorian style baths with river view. The central lounge is built around one of the old fallen Mchenja (ebony) trees and guests can cool off there in the camp’s plunge pool. Brunch is taken in the shady lounge but dinner is more often served on the river bank under the stars.

Guests staying at Mchenja can choose whether they want to view their wildlife on foot or an open vehicle. The camp is the perfect destination to complete a walking or driving safari that has combined stays at Mchenja’s sister bush camps, with a little more comfort and pampering after time in the bush.

Overview

This stunning hilltop lodge was built in the 1970s for Kenneth Kaunda, the former president of Zambia. It has thankfully retained its original colonial style, and outside the grand dining room a long veranda stretches with views down the valley to the Luangwa River itself. On warm evenings, dinner is served outside near roaring fires that all adds to the atmosphere. Dinner is often accompanied by the grunt of lions or the saw of leopards in the wooded valleys that surround the lodge.

Each of the ten suites at Chichele comes complete with a four-poster bed, air conditioning, luxurious bathroom and every amenity guests could wish for – all in the middle of the African bush. As with the rest of the lodge, the suites are decorated in an understated and elegant Victorian style. Watching the sun rise over the Luangwa Valley from a private suite is a rare privilege and well worth getting up early for.

From Chichele Presidential Lodge, you also have the particular privilege of being able to go on night game drives, when it is possible to see all sorts of animals that are seldom seen by day – such as leopard, hyena and bush baby.

Overview

Luwi Camp, nestled in the shade of huge mahogany trees, is close to a permanent hippo and croc filled lagoon. It is situated deep in the heart of the National Park, on the dynamic seasonal Luwi River after which it is named. The area is extremely remote with no other camps or people for many miles around.

The four rooms, which are re-built each season using natural materials, blend into the bush and are simple yet extremely comfortable with en-suite bathrooms and hot showers. With the emphasis on the use of natural materials in its construction, this camp is one of the most traditional of all of the Luangwa safari camps yet still offers high levels of comfort.

The wildlife in the area is prolific and memories of the experience of tracking big game on foot last a lifetime. Walks can be complemented by game drives and explorations upriver to discover the source of the Luwi or to find the elusive roan antelope or reed buck, eland and hartebeest which are almost never see in other parts of the park. The Luwi area is famous for its lions and the thrill of tracking them on foot is an experience not to be missed.

Overview

This camp sits in a stunning location, on the confluence of the main Zambezi and Chongwe Rivers, offering a rustic but comfortable option for those that want to experience Africa in a similar pioneering style as the courageous explorer Dr David Livingstone, 150 years ago.

We recommend Chongwe Camp for travelers wanting to encounter one of Africa’s remotest areas, and the animals of the relatively undiscovered wilderness that is the Lower Zambezi. Chongwe River Camp is the sister to the Chongwe River House, and offers a more informal and adventurous experience that allows guests to get closer to Zambia’s wild and pristine tranquility.

Each of the eight river facing tents is secluded in the shade of a large grove of old Winterthorn trees, ensuring the tents stay cool in the heat of the midday sun. The camp also gives you uninterrupted views of the river and the wildlife that comes there to drink or cool down. A range of guided activities can be tailored to meet specific interests to ensure your time here is truly memorable.

Also part of the camp are the Chongwe suites which offer sublime luxury and service against a beautifully wild setting. Nestled under ancient winterthorn trees at the confluence of the Chongwe and Zambezi Rivers are the Cassia suite (one bedroom) and the Albida suite (two bedrooms). The suites are perfect for honeymooners or families and friends travelling together. Both have butler service, plunge pools overlooking the river and private dining options. Also included are private game viewing activities.

Overview

You’ll find this luxurious bush camp on the banks of the Zambezi River in the Lower Zambezi National Park. The seven tented suites and one expansive family house are individually designed and boast their own plunge pools and stunning river views. Dine in the central dining and bar area, out on your own private deck or enjoy a private sunset cruise or dinner out under the stars beyond the bounds of camp.

After a day in the bush, fishing, birdwatching and game drives, take some time to cool down in the outdoor pool under the trees.

The camp’s location within the park allows the team to offer truly immersive safari experiences, not only on land by four-wheel game-viewing vehicles, but also on foot and even by boat or canoe. And with expert private guides and “Muchindas” (butlers) to see to your every need, you can be assured of excellent and attentive service.

Overview

Sitting on the banks of the Zambezi River, an area that abounds with savannah wildlife, Chiawa camp is family owned and friendly safari camp experience in the idyllic surroundings of the Lower Zambezi.

The multi-award winning camp began as the first photo safari in operation in the park, today its reputation as a superior lodge for families and honeymoons is known afar. From the open-sided communal lounge to the tents’ private decks with outdoor showers, every feature of the camp connects guests to its stunning surroundings.

The plunge pool, luxury suites and wooden raised decks all boast remarkable views over the Zambezi River where the resident wildlife, from elephants to lions, gathers.

Accommodating a maximum of 18 guests, the camp has evolved over time and after a recent renovation offers an even higher degree of comfort and luxury.

Creative, seasonal menus are a highlight of any stay and meals are served in the alfresco dining area.

Overview

In the eastern sector of the Mosi Oa Tunya National Park and about 12 kilometres from Victoria Falls, Wilderness Toka Leya gets immediate and fantastic views over the Zambezi River, and taking advantage of these are its twelve tented rooms.

Each comes with a large decking area at the front leading out from large glass sliding doors, behind which is your large stylish open plan lounge area and bedroom.

The camp’s main area is situated on a large decking area, and underneath a canopy of trees right beside the main channel of the Zambezi River. Perfect for atmospheric campfires on the bank and spotting the resident wildlife.

Here there is also a very spacious open-plan lounge and dining room, set beneath an enormous canvas roof and with open sides to maximise the views. The wall at the back of the living area is a really great feature; it’s made of “log tiles”, which gives the room a very natural feel.

Each tent has its very own solar panel, water geyser and batteries in keeping with the camp’s aim to lessen its environmental footprint.

Overview

Set on a quiet, secluded spot some distance up the Zambezi river, the Royal Chundu River Lodge oozes sophistication and grace. Overlooking the unspoiled expanse of the Zambezi River and the Zimbabwean savanna of the Matetsi Private Game Reserve, it’s a place to come and relax by the river, watching for the wildlife that pass by. The lodge is a Relais & Châteaux property, only one of two in Zambia. The other is The River Lodge’s sister property, The Island Lodge.

Royal Chundu properties support a selection of positive impact initiatives including Pack for a Purpose, a foundation school and a seed project.

Composed of 10 luxurious suites sleeping 20 people in total, River Lodge is the main hub at Royal Chundu and the larger of the two lodges. Each magnificent and spacious river-front suite features thatched roofs and opens on to a private deck for uninterrupted river views. Suites come with double showers and king-size beds.

For evening meals, enjoy the unique African experience of the dining outside at the beautiful boma. There’s also a dining room for intimate indoor occasions. Excellent spa facilities will help you unwind while activities are a mix of river-based relaxation and Falls-based adventure.

Overview

Set on the banks of the Zambezi in a secluded spot upstream from Victoria Falls, Tongabezi delivers luxury and tranquility in equal measure.

The five cottages and seven open-fronted houses that make up the camp have bags of personality and character. Some come with private wooden decks and plunge pools overlooking the river, others open-air clawfoot tubs inviting romantic evenings under the stars. The garden house, with a protected lawn and plunge pool, provides total privacy. Attention to detail is evident in everything from the elegantly canopied beds to carefully chosen artwork.

This is one of the most romantic places to stay in the area, the atmosphere inviting and hidden spots for relaxation plentiful. The lodge makes the most of its location away from the falls, providing a welcome haven after a day marvelling at the Zambezi’s majesty. The welcome is exceptional – and the team friendly and warm.