Things to do in Lower Zambezi National Park
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Lower Zambezi National Park
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Rains and closed season, with most camps shut, roads impassable and malaria risk highest.
Camps reopen, green and quieter with cooler nights, good birding and game still dispersed.
Cool dry season, the most comfortable months for walking, with cold mornings on the river.
Hot dry season, the best game concentration, tiger fishing and carmine bee-eater nesting.
Late dry heat and first storms, with most camps closing around mid November.
What's on
- Tiger fishing peak September to November
Low, warm, clearing water is the most reliable window for tigerfish on catch-and-release, with a permit.
- Carmine bee-eater nesting August to October
Southern carmine bee-eaters nest in colonies in Zambezi riverbanks, viewed from a distance by boat.
Best things to do in Lower Zambezi National Park
Lower Zambezi National Park
A riverfront floodplain park of winterthorn forest and channels, opposite Mana Pools, best seen from a camp.
Chifungulu Channel
The best known canoe channel, a quiet braid of the Zambezi past islands, lagoons and riverbank forest.
Chongwe River
The tributary at the park western edge, where its confluence with the Zambezi is a classic valley viewpoint.
Kulefu Island
A river island used by simple fly camps, reached by boat for the wildest, least built version of the riverfront.
Zambezi Escarpment
The wooded escarpment walling the valley to the north, seen from the river in almost every park photograph.
Chiawa
The gateway community and conservancy area west of the park, visited respectfully on lodge-run community visits.
Where to stay in Lower Zambezi National Park
Inside the park: Zambezi riverfront
classic Lower Zambezi canoeing, walking and river game viewing
Seasonal camps along the river inside the park, reached by Jeki airstrip and boat, with game at the camp.
Outside the park: Chongwe, Chiawa and the Royal airstrip area
full-service bases that drive and boat into the park
Camps and lodges west of the park on the Chongwe and Zambezi, near Royal airstrip, with park activities by transfer.
Gateway: Chirundu and the Kafue confluence
self-drive, budget and Lusaka weekend stays in the wider valley
The road gateway town area on the Lusaka to Zimbabwe route, with the cheapest real lodge base in the valley.
Access hub: Lusaka
flights to Jeki and Royal, first and last nights
The capital is where international arrivals connect to seasonal Proflight and charter flights to the park strips.
Think twice about
- Zambezi and Kafue rivers for swimming or wading
Hippos and crocodiles are present throughout both rivers. Never swim, wade or dangle limbs in the water.
- Chirundu border post as a safari base
A busy truck border town for transit, fuel and supplies, not a place to base for game viewing or to walk at night.
- Lusaka to Chirundu road after dark
A major truck route with overtaking risk, animals and pedestrians. Drive it in daylight and allow extra time.
- Anywhere in the park on foot without a guide and armed scout
Movement on land in the park is guide-led for a reason, with elephant, buffalo, lion and hippo moving freely.
Best restaurants in Lower Zambezi National Park
Sausage Tree Camp
Camp dining as an occasion, with multi-course dinners on the deck or privately, included for guests only.
Lolebezi
The most contemporary lodge dining in the park, with a cafe and pizza bar pattern for staying guests.
Royal Zambezi Lodge
Generous lodge dining on a deck over the Zambezi, included for guests at this fishing and family lodge.
Gwabi River Lodge
A lodge restaurant and bar on the Kafue River serving cooked meals to guests and campers at local prices.
Latitude 15°
The Lusaka hub dinner at the Latitude 15 hotel restaurant, the reliable table before a safari flight.
Outdoor things to do in Lower Zambezi National Park
Chiawa Safaris
The original Lower Zambezi operator, for walking, drives, boating and canoeing from Chiawa and Old Mondoro.
Sausage Tree Camp
A luxury in-park camp for private guiding, canoeing, walks, boat trips and tiger fishing on the channels.
Time + Tide Chongwe
An outside-park base running drives, walks, canoeing, boat cruises, tiger fishing and a sleepout.
Royal Zambezi Lodge
The tiger fishing base outside the park, with guided catch-and-release boat fishing and park drives.
Classic Zambia
Walking and canoeing specialists running simple fly camps and multi-day trails from Kutali and Chula Island.
Gwabi River Lodge
The budget river option outside the park, for boat cruises, fishing and canoe trips at local lodge prices.
Best hotels in Lower Zambezi National Park
Lolebezi
A contemporary luxury lodge on private river frontage in the eastern park, with plunge pool suites and a spa.
Chiawa Camp
The first camp in the park, family run since 1989, with large tents, a suite and outstanding guiding.
Sausage Tree Camp
A small luxury in-park camp with spacious suites, plunge pools and strong private guiding and hosting.
Anabezi
A luxury tented camp in a quiet eastern section, with large suites on decks in winterthorn forest.
Old Mondoro
The smaller, wilder sister of Chiawa, with five chalets facing a Zambezi channel under winterthorn trees.
Amanzi
The intimate, rustic-luxury sister camp to Anabezi, in a quiet part of the park with good birding.
Kutali Camp
A simple tented camp on Kulefu Island built for walkers and canoeists, the least built in-park base.
Time + Tide Chongwe Suites
Two luxury suites at the Chongwe confluence, with plunge pools, butler service and private guiding.
Is Lower Zambezi National Park expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ZMW 3,600 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ZMW 13,000 a person |
| Splurge | ZMW 28,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Lower Zambezi National Park: months ahead
- Kulefu Island: months ahead
- Chiawa Safaris: months ahead
- Sausage Tree Camp: months ahead
- Time: months ahead
- Royal Zambezi Lodge: months ahead
- Classic Zambia: months ahead
- Gwabi River Lodge: a few days ahead
- Book in-park camps, September and October stays and private fishing boats months ahead.
- Confirm your exact camp opening dates for your year, as most camps close from mid November to April or May.
Is Lower Zambezi National Park safe?
- The Lower Zambezi is a high malaria area all year, so take prescribed prophylaxis and treat any fever after travel as urgent.
- Never swim in the Zambezi or Kafue, obey your walking guide and armed scout, and use a camp escort after dark.
- Serious medical care is in Lusaka, so insurance covering safari activities and air evacuation is essential.
Lower Zambezi National Park travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Do not treat an outside-park lodge as inside the park for game viewing, or a Lusaka road transfer as a quick trip.
- Do not plan any independent walk, swim or canoe trip in the river, and do not schedule tight same-day flight connections.
Getting around Lower Zambezi National Park: public transport and more
- Fly from Lusaka to Jeki or Royal airstrip in about 30 to 40 minutes on seasonal Proflight or charter flights, then transfer by vehicle and boat.
- By road, Lusaka to Chirundu is about 130 km and two and a half to three hours, then valley roads east are slower and seasonal.
- There is no public transport plan that reaches an in-park camp, and no fuel or shops inside the park.
Who Lower Zambezi National Park suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
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