10 Best-value Luxury Lower Zambezi Lodges & Camps

By Philip Briggs

Lower Zambezi National Park is one of Africa’s most underrated safari destinations. Set on the Zambian bank of the Zambezi River, it is one of the few parks where activities include day and night drives, bush walks, boat safaris and canoeing. Elephant and hippo viewing is exceptional, while lion, leopard and African wild dog are all pretty common. Lower Zambezi is serviced by many riverside camps and lodges. The accommodations located within the national park generally offer a superior (and more expensive) safari experience than those positioned outside the park’s western boundary.

The accommodations below are not ranked in a specific quality order.

38 Lower Zambezi Safaris

1. Baines’ River Camp

Baines’ River Camp is an elegant and exclusive lodge with a lovely riverside setting

Enjoy a taste of timeless elegance at this luxurious small camp named after Thomas Baines, an explorer and artist who accompanied the explorer David Livingstone on the Zambezi Expedition of 1858 to 1864. Despite the name, Baines’ is more lodge than camp, comprising eight double chalets and one family unit, all with air conditioning, ceiling fan and private terrace. The chalets are strung out along the Zambezi about 30km/19mi outside the national park, but there’s still plenty of wildlife around, including elephants. Game drives, bush walks, boat safaris and tiger fishing are all on offer, and there’s a swimming pool where you can chill between activities.

Baines' River Camp Tours

2. Anabezi Luxury Tented Camp

Anabezi Luxury Tented Camp Anabezi is a premier tented camp set deep inside the national park

Anabezi is arguably the ultimate Lower Zambezi camp. Combining stylish bush chic and a high level of comfort with a compelling bush atmosphere, it also benefits from lying deep inside the park, at least 50km/31mi past the main entrance gate. The 12 glass-and-canvas suites are spaced out along an 800m/2,600ft stilted wooden walkway overlooking the Zambezi and an associated floodplain. Each suite incorporates a walk-in net large enough to swallow an average-sized hotel room and leads out to a wooden deck with a private plunge pool. Plenty of wildlife can be seen from the lodge, and game drives are rewarding, thanks partly to the abundant wildlife but also to the remote location and low tourist traffic. Boat and canoe trips on the Zambezi are also very enjoyable.

Anabezi Tented Camp Tours

3. Kiambi Safari Lodge

Kiambi Safari Lodge Kiambi is a comfortable and reasonably priced safari lodge with a great riverside setting

Kiambi is a long-standing favorite with Lusaka-based residents thanks to its friendly management, mellow atmosphere and wallet-friendly rates. It boasts a wonderful stretch of Zambezi frontage in a game management area, 50km/31mi outside the national park. The lodge forms a great base for tiger fishing, bird watching and canoeing. Guided game drives take you to the park boundary by boat, a worthwhile adventure in itself. The stilted wood-and-thatch chalets overlook the river, and there are also family cottages and a large campsite.

Kiambi Safari Lodge Tours

4. Sausage Tree Camp

Sausage Tree Camp Private guides, personal butlers and huge deluxe tents enhance Sausage Tree’s aura of exclusivity

Established in 1996, Sausage Tree Camp is one of the oldest and most luxurious camps situated within Lower Zambezi National Park. Spaced widely along the Zambezi, the camp stands in an area of riverside forest dominated by mature sausage and mahogany trees. The seven customized safari tents have massive interiors decorated in a modern minimalist style, while sliding doors lead out to a private deck with a plunge pool and intimate river view. Common areas include an expansive teak deck and full-size swimming pool that look out to a cluster of reed-covered islands frequented by hippos, elephants and buffalo. Exclusivity is what it’s all about here. Each tent has its own butler, and activities, which include game drives, bush walks and canoeing, are privately guided.

Sausage Tree Camp Tours

5. Potato Bush Camp

Potato Bush Camp is a family-friendly setup whose four tented units are linked by raised walkways

Family-friendly Potato Bush Camp is under the same management as its near neighbor Sausage Tree Camp. Although slightly less luxurious, it offers a similarly unpackaged experience, comprising just three spacious and well-equipped safari tents and one family house, connected by elevated timber walkways. All units offer a superb Zambezi view, which can be enjoyed from a private plunge pool, outdoor lounge or hammock. The full range of guided activities is on offer, and as with other camps inside the park, you tend to see few other vehicles on game drives.

Potato Bush Camp Tours

6. Time + Tide Chongwe Camp

Time + Tide Chongwe Camp This camp stands on the park’s western boundary where the Chongwe River flows into the Zambezi

This stunning camp has a perfect location at the confluence of the Chongwe River, the national park’s western boundary, and the mighty Zambezi. It comprises eight classic safari tents, all decorated with locally crafted furniture and colorful African fabrics. The tents have a large open-air bathroom and terrace looking over the forest-fringed river. The camp lies immediately outside the national park, on the west bank of the Chongwe, but is well placed for game drives, boat safaris and other activities inside the park. There is also a rewarding photographic hide where a variety of nocturnal creatures might be seen after dark.

Chongwe Camp Tours

7. Chiawa Camp

Chiawa Camp Family-owned Chiawa has been offering high-quality Lower Zambezi safaris since it opened in 1989

Pioneering Chiawa, the oldest camp in Lower Zambezi, has been owned and operated by the Cumings family since it was established back in 1989. From modest beginnings, a succession of upgrades has transformed this labor of love into a modern bush retreat whose eight standing tents are among the largest and most luxurious in Zambia. Chiawa has received numerous awards over the years, and is renowned for its exceptional guiding standards and beautiful riverside location inside the park. For more of a wilderness experience, a stay at Chiawa can be combined with a couple of nights at its more rustic sister camp Old Mondoro, which consists of five chalets perched alongside the Zambezi, 35km/22mi deeper into the park.

Chiawa Camp Tours

8. Chula Island Camp

Chula Island Camp Set on an island in the Zambezi, Chula is a relatively luxurious variation on a classic mobile camp

Chula is distinguished from other camps in Lower Zambezi by its setting on a small island. Named after the frogs (‘chula’ in the local Goba tongue) whose atmospheric chorus often fills the night air, this small mahogany-shaded camp offers excellent in-house wildlife viewing and birding. The five tents cater for a maximum of 10 guests, and combine the wilderness ethos of a bush camp with all the luxuries one could reasonably expect under the circumstances. Chula is a great choice for those seeking a thrilling and exclusive bush experience rather than full-blown luxury.

Chula Island Camp Tours

9. Kanyemba Lodge

Kanyemba Lodge Kanyemba is a well-run lodge notable for its Italian cuisine and dedication to community projects

Community-minded Kanyemba Lodge stands on the forested bank of the Zambezi, some 50km/31mi outside the national park. It consists of six air-conditioned rondavels (round chalets) with slate floors, thatch roofs and large riverfront decks, as well as a three-bedroom house aimed at families. A large and blissful infinity pool looks out over a stretch of river frequented by hippos and elephants, while the Italian-influenced cuisine includes delicious artisan pizzas fresh from a wood-fired oven. Despite being somewhat far from the park, all the usual guided activities, including boat trips, bush walks and game drives, are on offer. Part of the lodge’s proceeds go toward funding Makanya Pre-School and Mafungautsi Primary School, which together help educate 300-plus local youngsters.

Kanyemba Lodge Tours

10. Lolebezi Safari Lodge

Lolebezi Safari Lodge Lolebezi is a stylish safari lodge with a thrillingly remote location in the east of Lower Zambezi

Despite being a relative newcomer to the scene, Lolebezi Safari Lodge (which opened in 2022) is rapidly gaining a reputation as one of Lower Zambezi’s top luxury lodges. Managed by Zimbabwe-based African Bush Camps, it consists of four double suites and two family units, all with air conditioning, private plunge pool and superb views over a wild stretch of the Zambezi. In addition to offering all the usual activities, the lodge incorporates a spa with qualified staff and a yoga deck. It is situated in the remote east of the park, where you can expect excellent wildlife viewing, largely undisturbed by other vehicles.