Zambia is home to many excellent safari resorts and camps. Zambia offers many possibilities for everyone, whether you’re searching for a more conventional opulent getaway with all the contemporary conveniences or the ultimate rustic camp with few walls and maximum bush ambience. It can be a little overwhelming to sort it all out, so here are some of our top picks for Zambia safari hotels and camps.

There is no set order of quality for the hotels listed below.

1. Kafue National Park’s Mukambi Safari Lodge

Zambia’s largest national park may be explored from Mukambi Safari Lodge, which is located on the east bank of the Kafue River. Three different lodging options are available to guests: luxurious standing tents, thatched chalets, or a family-friendly two-bedroom riverfront house.

All apartments feature individual balconies with shade that face the river and queen-size or king-size mattresses with walk-in mosquito nets. A spa and massage area, an infinity pool, and a craft store with goods created by a local women’s community group are among the facilities.

Lions, leopards, jackals, elephants, a wide variety of antelope, and birds are among the wildlife that can be spotted on game drives, boat cruises, and guided walks. Hippos are common on the river, and the camp is home to an African wild cat, one of the continent’s rarest carnivores.

2. Victoria Falls, also known as Chundukwa River Lodge

Located on a sizable farm that is home to the largest and oldest stable in the region, Chundukwa River Lodge is situated on the Zambezi River, 25 kilometers/16 miles upstream of the majestic Victoria Falls. Horseback rides are a common sport here, as one might anticipate, but the grounds are also excellent for jogging, cycling, and walking.

The earthy décor, vibrant fabrics, and friendly welcome offered by the Zambian owner-managers provide this modest lodge—which has just five cottages—a posh air while nevertheless retaining an African charm.

There is also a good amount of wildlife in the area: birds are everywhere, otters breed in the ponds, monitor lizards hide in the underbrush, and hippos feed on the grass at night.

3. South Luangwa National Park’s Kafunta River Lodge

Since its founding in 1998, the same highly skilled Australian-German couple has owned and operated Kafunta, one of the most opulent lodges in the Luangwa Valley. Located on the east bank of the Luangwa River, facing South Luangwa National Park, it consists of ten stilted thatched chalets and apartments.

Walking safaris that include stays at two remote bush camps operated by the same business can be arranged from Kafunta. Visitors with less energy can unwind in an infinity pool that is supplied with natural hot spring water. Elephants can also be seen coming to drink from a photographic hide beneath the main deck.

4. Lower Zambezi National Park’s Baines’ River Camp

This charming camp, which is located on the north bank of the powerful Zambezi River, has eight chalet suites and a two-bedroom family cabin. It is immediately outside Lower Zambezi National Park. The chalets’ furnishings have been meticulously chosen. Each apartment features an own balcony with a view of the river, air conditioning, a fan, and a dressing space.

Baines’ is renowned for its fine dining and spotless service, but the guiding is just as good. Activities include game drives, boat excursions, and canoeing in a park known for its buffalo, hippo, and elephant populations. In Lower Zambezi, lions, leopards, and African wild dogs are also frequently observed.

5. Victoria Falls’ Toka Leya Camp

Toka Leya Camp is located on the Zambezi River’s bank, just upstream of Victoria Falls, and is part of the always amazing Wilderness group of upscale wilderness estates. Since it’s in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, there’s generally a lot of wildlife there, including elephants and hippos. Twelve enormous tented apartments with decks overlooking the river are available for lodging; each is situated on a separate wooden platform.

Naturally, a day trip to the unparalleled Victoria Falls is the primary activity available. However, the camp is also perfectly situated for boat excursions, birdwatching on the Zambezi River, and wildlife drives to search for Zambia’s rare white rhinos.

6. South Luangwa National Park’s Mfuwe Lodge

The ideal starting point for safaris in South Luangwa National Park is Mfuwe Lodge. When you stay here, you can see a lot of animals without having to travel far. With views of a sizable lagoon that draws thirsty animals during the dry season, each of the 18 chalets is thoughtfully situated under the shade of old mahogany and ebony trees.

The surrounding area offers excellent wildlife watching, with big cats—particularly leopards—stealing the show. Elephants may even wander past the lodge’s reception area in November in pursuit of wild mangos.

7. Kafue National Park’s Busanga Plains Camp

Busanga Plains Camp is the most “bushy” of Zambia’s finest safari camps. In the center of Kafue National Park’s well-known Busanga floodplains sits this tiny seasonal jungle camp. Only four safari tents make up the camp, which has a rustic common area with a campfire and outdoor bucket showers.

The food and service are fit for a king, but the surroundings are modest and perfectly in harmony with the natural world. You won’t be slumming it here, I assure you.

8. The Victoria Falls’ Tongabezi Lodge

Just 12km/7mi upstream of Victoria Falls, Tongabezi Lodge is an award-winning ecolodge situated in expansive, verdant grounds that stretch down to the Zambezi River. It consists of a dozen uniquely furnished homes and cottages, all of which exude style and provide evocative river views. The garden is a veritable birdwatcher’s paradise, featuring a stunning infinity pool.

Hippos, crocodiles, and other birds can be seen on the river while you ride an eco-friendly electric dhow, which is a contemporary version of a traditional sailboat. Tongabezi is also an excellent starting point for day trips to the Victoria Falls and a variety of other exciting activities, such as game drives and white-water rafting.

9. King Lewanika of Time + Tide (Liuwa Plain NP)

One of Africa’s remaining big wilderness places is the isolated Liuwa Plain National Park in Zambia’s far west. Time + Tide King Lewanika, a seductive lodge named for the local king who initially provided protection to the region in the 1880s, is also located there.

King Lewanika offers six solar-powered canvas and wood cottages with spacious interiors decorated in a vintage safari style, making it the only catered lodging option in Liuwa Plain. The lodge provides boat safaris, bush walks, and guided wildlife drives. The second-largest wildebeest migration in Africa, an abundance of lions and spotted hyenas, and some spectacular bird watching are among the highlights.

 

10. Kafue National Park’s Ila Safari Lodge

In Kafue National Park, Ila Safari Lodge provides opulent tent accommodations. The tents provide expansive views of the Kafue River and mix in perfectly with the untamed environment. Ila’s stellar eco-credentials and low carbon footprint, however, are its primary points of distinction.

It features locally produced building materials, solar-powered electricity, and the creation of Zambia’s first electric game-drive vehicle. The welcoming employees are local villagers who have received on-the-job training, and vegetables are farmed in a communal garden.