Zambia’s national parks provide the ideal opportunity to enjoy game viewing and to get away from busy city life. Kim Emmanuel looks at some of the most remote camps.
1. Wilderness Safaris’ Shumba Camp
Wilderness Safaris’ Shumba Camp is situated on a tree island in the middle of the Busanga Plains in the Kafue National Park.
Its six tented units are built on raised platforms, with indoor and outdoor showers. The bar and dining area is shaded by fig trees with views over the open plains. Dinner takes place either on the deck or in the boma. Guests enjoy cultural interactions with the staff, who entertain through song and dance and offer local cuisine when possible.
Facilities and activities include a pool, game drives, seasonal hot-air ballooning (August, September and October), and seasonal boating (water levels permitting and mostly at the beginning of the season).
The area attracts game such as lion, wild dog and cheetah.
2. Wilderness Busanga Bush Camp
Shumba Camp’s sister camp, Busanga Bush Camp, is a short drive away and includes four safari tents, each with its own veranda. The lounge and bar area are under canvas and have uninterrupted views over the plains.
The dining area is shaded by the canopy of a tree and most meals are served in the open air. Activities include game drives, seasonal hot-air ballooning (August, September and October), and seasonal boating (water levels permitting and mostly at the beginning of the season).
Busanga Bush Camp’s wildlife offering includes some of Kafue’s 491 bird species, antelope, and lion.
Shumba Camp and Busanga Bush Camp can be accessed by Wilderness Air, which operates from Livingstone and Lusaka Airports directly to the Plains Airstrip. In June and July, there is a 20-minute game drive from the airstrip, followed by a 20-minute mokoro ride and a further 10-minute drive to the camp. From August to November there is a 40-minute road transfer from the airstrip to the camps. The camps operate seasonally between June and October.
3. Mfuwe Lodge
Mfuwe Lodge is in the South Luangwa National Park and is a 45-minute drive from Mfuwe International Airport.
The lodge is open all year round and accommodates all age groups. Its 18 chalets include two suites, three family rooms, three double and 10 twin rooms.
Each chalet has its own private deck and is equipped with a shower, twin wash basins and toilet, international power sockets, toiletries, hair dryers, personal safe, mosquito nets, and fans.
The two suites have a king-size bed downstairs with en suite bathtub and shower. There is a sitting area upstairs with a daybed and a small bathroom with a toilet and sink.
Family chalets, double chalets and twin chalets each have a sitting area, en-suite shower, twin wash basins, and toilet. The family chalets have a king-size bed with a daybed downstairs. Double chalets have a king-size bed and twin chalets have two three-quarter size beds.
Activities include game drives, guided walks, night drives and visits to the local village, school and textile company.
4. Luangwa North Camp
Luangwa North Camp on the banks of the Luangwa River is built on stilts about 2.5 metres above the ground and functions on solar energy 100% of the time.
The four en-suite bungalows have views of the Luangwa River from the deck. Showers in the en-suite bathrooms also have views of the river. The furniture, shelves, tables and sofa-chairs are designed with typical African and bush themes.
Activities include game drives, walking safaris, as well as a village experience.
The lodge operates between June and October each year.
Keira Irwin, Commercial Director at Proflight, says there is an airstrip for charter flights. The drive from Mfuwe in South Luangwa takes 12 hours, or four hours from Mpika, which is the closest town to the north.
5. Kuyenda Bushcamp
Kuyenda Bushcamp is in the remote southern part of the South Luangwa National Park, on the banks of the Manzi River.
The camp has three twin chalets (two queen-size beds in each), and one double chalet (with one king-size bed). Each chalet has a shower, twin wash basins and toilet. The central dining area, lounge and bar overlook a grassy plain with abundant wildlife.
Activities include guided walks, game drives, and night drives.
The camp is open from June to November. Guests are met at Mfuwe International Airport and transferred to Mfuwe Lodge for refreshments before travelling for about another hour to the camp.
Children of 12 years and older are welcome. Children under 12 years of age are not allowed to go on walking safaris in the park, therefore families travelling with children aged 11 years and under will need to reserve the entire camp on a private basis and also hire a private guide and vehicle for the duration of their stay. This enables the adults to go on walking safaris while the younger children can go on game drives with the guide in the extra vehicle.
6. Matamanene Camp
Matamanene Camp is the only permanent camp in Liuwa Plain National Park.
The camp provides four tents on a small island of trees in the heart of the park. The tents are raised slightly off the ground and offer twin, or double beds with en-suite bathrooms.
The chitenje, large central area, includes a small library and seating area, bar and dining area.
According to Irwin the camp can be accessed by boat and road from Lukulu or Mongu, both of which are the best part of a day away from the camp. Alternatively you can fly into Kalabo and drive for four hours, she adds.
7. Chamilandu Bushcamp
Chamilandu Bushcamp is in the South Luangwa National Park on the banks of the Luangwa River.
The camp comprises two twin guest chalets (two queen-size beds in each), and one double guest chalet (king-size bed). A guide/tour leader is available.
Chamilandu Bushcamp’s open-fronted thatched chalets are on two-metre-high wooden stilts. Each chalet is en suite with twin showers, twin wash basins and toilet. The central dining area, lounge and bar offer views over the Luangwa River. There is a hide next to a watering hole.
Activities include guided walks, game drives, as well as night drives.
The camp is open from June to November with the same policy in place as Kuyenda Bushcamp for children under 12.
Guests will be met at Mfuwe International Airport and driven to Mfuwe Lodge (45 minutes) for refreshments before travelling on to Chamilandu Bushcamp (two hours).
8. Wilderness Safaris Toka Leya Camp
Wilderness’s Toka Leya Camp is on the Zambezi River, just 12km upstream of the Victoria Falls and a few kilometres from Livingstone.
The camp has 12 en-suite safari-style tents (including three family tents), each with a deck.
Wooden walkways connect the units and main area.
Facilities include a dining, lounge and bar area; infinity pool; a sundeck; a fire pit and a pizza oven.
Activities include rhino tracking, game drives, guided walks, a gym and horse riding.
Guests can enjoy a guided tour of the Victoria Falls, spot wildlife such as buffalo, rhino and giraffe on game drives in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, and take a sunset cruise along the Zambezi.
Hippo, crocodile and elephant are regularly seen near the camp.
The camp allows for self-drive access from Livingstone (10 minutes), Victoria Falls (20 minutes), the Namibian border, Sesheke (two hours), the Zimbabwean border (30 minutes), as well as Livingstone’s Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport (20 minutes). As an added value, guests are transferred to the jetty on arrival for a five-minute boat transfer to the camp. Passengers arriving by air at either Livingstone Airport (Zambia) or Victoria Falls Airport (Zimbabwe) then have 30-minute and 75-minute road transfers respectively.
9. Chindeni Bushcamp
Chindeni Bushcamp is situated in South Luangwa National Park on the edge of an oxbow lagoon with the Chindeni Hills providing the backdrop.
Chindeni has two twin guest tents (two queen-size beds in each), and two double guest tents (king-size bed in each). A guide/tour leader is available. Each chalet is en-suite with shower, wash basin and toilet.
Activities include guided walks, game drives, and night drives.
Guests will be met at Mfuwe International Airport and taken by road to Mfuwe Lodge (45 minutes) for refreshments before travelling on to Chindeni Bushcamp (2hours and 30 minutes).
The camp operates between May and December with the same policy in place as Kuyenda Bushcamp for children under 12.
10. Bilimungwe Bushcamp
The camp is in the southern part of the South Luangwa National Park in a grove overlooking a series of waterholes near the Luangwa River.
There are two twin chalets (two queen-size beds in each), and two double chalets (king-size bed in each). A guide/tour leader is available.
Rebuilt in 2011, the camp’s open-fronted thatched chalets on wooden decks each comprise indoor and outdoor showers, twin wash basins and toilet. The shady central dining area, lounge and bar offer great game-viewing opportunities, overlooking a waterhole.
Guests will be met at Mfuwe International Airport and taken by road to Mfuwe Lodge (45 minutes) for refreshments before travelling on to Bilimungwe Bushcamp (two hours).
The camp is open from May to December and the same policy as Kuyenda Bushcamp applies for children under 12.
11. Kapamba Bushcamp
The camp is situated on the banks of the Kapamba River in a peaceful, secluded area of the South Luangwa National Park.
The camp comprises two twin open-fronted guest chalets (two queen-size beds in each) and two double open-fronted guest chalets (king-size bed in each). A guide/tour leader is also available to guests. The en suite bathrooms have a double-size sunken stone bath and twin showers and are open-fronted to allow guests to unwind in a hot tub overlooking the Kapamba River.
Activities include guided walks, game drives, and night drives.
Guests will be met at Mfuwe International Airport and taken by road to Mfuwe Lodge (45 minutes) for refreshments before travelling on to Kapamba Bushcamp (three hours).
Kapamba is open from April to January and the same policy as Kuyenda Bushcamp applies for children under 12.
12. Zungulila Bushcamp
Zungilila Bushcamp is situated on a tranquil bend of the Kapamba River, overlooking the plains in an untouched area of the park.
The camp comprises two twin tents under thatch (two queen-size beds in each) and two double tents under thatch (king-size bed). Each tent has an en-suite toilet with outdoor shower and its own private deck with sunken plunge pool. The central dining area, lounge and bar, plus sunken deck with boma, offer open views over the Kapamba River and Muchinga Escarpment.
Activities include guided walks, game drives, and night drives.
Guests will be met at Mfuwe International Airport and taken by vehicle to Mfuwe Lodge (45 minutes) for refreshments before travelling on to Zungulila Bushcamp (3 hours 30 minutes).
Zungulila is open from May to January with same policy applying to children under 12 as at Kuyenda Bushcamp.
