A Zambia , returned to Zambia for two months in September and November 2021 to go on a self-drive safari and explore its national parks. During this lengthy journey, we asked him to list some of the nicest lodges and camps he had seen.

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

1. Livingstone’s Chundukwa River Lodge

Chundukwa River Lodge has the atmosphere of a true home away from home. This tiny lodge, which is owned and run by a kind couple from Zambia, has five roomy cottages with adobe-style walls, wooden flooring, and thatched roofs. Intimate views of the Zambezi and the extensive use of warm African fabrics contribute to this organic vibe.

The magnificent Victoria Falls, located 25km/15mi upriver, is undoubtedly the primary draw in this region of Zambia. Chundukwa is a well-liked starting point for horseback rides since it runs Livingstone’s biggest and oldest stable. It’s also a terrific place to run and walk on the farm-like property. Wildlife includes an otter family living in one of the ponds, monitor lizards crashing through the bush, and hippos feeding in the garden at night.

2. South Luangwa Flatdogs

When staying at Flatdogs, you don’t have to worry about seeing elephants. With a prime location in expansive wooded grounds overlooking the Luangwa River at a crossing point frequented by hundreds of elephants every day, Flatdogs is one of the oldest camps in South Luangwa. It is also perfectly situated for game drives on a circuit known for its high densities of lion, leopard, African wild dog, and other species, and it is only 1km/0.6mi from the main park entrance gate.

There are two swimming pools and great tented and chalet accommodations at Flatdogs. The chalkboard café, which has lots of outdoor seating and a Mediterranean vibe evocative of the Cape Winelands, is our favorite aspect of this laid-back camp, though.

3. Kafue, Chisa Busanga

This little solar-powered lodge, which is run by Green Safaris, has a lot of wow factor. They stay in nests, which are tall stilted treetop units with an oval form and a facade of interconnecting sticks that resemble the tidy basket-like structures made by weaver birds, rather than tents or rooms. To optimize the bush atmosphere and vistas, all four of the nests are open at the front, and one even offers an elevator for those with restricted mobility.

Even if Chisa Busanga’s architecture isn’t particularly noteworthy, the setting alone would make it worth a visit. It is situated on the edge of a wooded island in the isolated Busanga floodplain, which is rightfully considered Kafue National Park’s best place to see wildlife. Busanga, which is only accessible during the dry season, is well-known for its large number of black-maned lions.

It is also a fantastic location to search for side-striped jackals, cheetahs, and African wild dogs. Large herds of the swamp-loving red lechwe, elephants, and the indigenous roan antelope are among the other frequently sighted animals. The wattled crane, grey-crowned crane, coppery-tailed coucal, and rosy-throated longclaw are among the outstanding birds.

4. Kafue’s Ila Safari Lodge

Ila Safari Lodge, also run by Green Safaris, is located in the center of Zambia’s largest national park and offers features that are complementary to those of Chisa Busanga, which is a short drive or flight to the north. Large herds of elephants and buffalo, which frequently roam the grounds, as well as the recognizable black-maned lions of Kafue National Park, may be found in the vicinity of Ila Safari Lodge, which boasts an impressive site on the forested bank of the Kafue River.

It is constructed using sustainable local resources, just like the other lodges run by Green Safaris, and game drives are conducted in solar-powered electric Land Cruisers. The ten opulent tents are solar-powered as well and are situated on raised terraces above the Kafue River.

5. Lower Zambezi, Kiambi

Kiambi, which is located in a Game Management Area that borders the Lower Zambezi National Park, is a well-liked safari camp because of its laid-back atmosphere and reasonably priced accommodations. There are family cabins and a sizable campsite available, but we stayed in a really cozy stilted wood-and-thatch chalet with a view of the river.

Kiambi offers excellent in-house birdwatching and is a perfect starting point for boat tours, paddling, and tiger fishing. It is somewhat distant from the gate, making it inconvenient if you intend to drive yourself inside the national park. It is better to take part in one of the lodge’s guided game drives, since they will transport you to the park’s edge via river, which is an experience that is well worth it.

6. Chuma & Sanctuary Sussi, Livingstone

This amazing stilted lodge is located 12km/7mi upriver of Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River. There are twelve opulent thatched tree cabins with air conditioning and a deck overlooking the river. Wildlife abounds because it is located in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park: elephants occasionally visit, and warthogs and bushbuck are always present.

In the riverbank woodland, elevated wooden walkways provide a convenient location for canopy bird viewing; among the fascinating species we observed were Schalow’s turaco, trumpeter hornbill, Livingstone’s flycatcher, and grey-headed bush-shrike. The excellent cuisine and kind staff at this all-inclusive property really surprised us. We really loved the guided activities, which included the mandatory trip to Victoria Falls, a wildlife drive in Mosi-oa-Tunya (where we spotted the nation’s only white rhinoceros), and an enjoyable river boat with lots of hippos and birds.

7. Livingstone’s Sindabezi Island

The substance of dreams about desert islands is Sindabezi. Situated on a sandy forested island in the midst of the Zambezi River, this more rustic of Green Safaris’ two Livingstone lodges consists of just five tented rooms. Built nearly entirely of canvas, wood, thatch, and other organic materials, it is a very environmentally friendly setup that is powered by solar energy.

The pinnacle of barefoot luxury, Sindabezi caters more to those looking for an active itinerary than to those who prefer to relax in an off-grid environment. Nevertheless, it also has a significant safari element: hyenas whooping across the lake after dark, elephants and buffalo drinking on the other bank, and hippos wallowing in the river.

8. Lower Zambezi, Anabezi

It would be hard to give this fantastic lodge, which is located in the best wildlife watching location of Lower Zambezi National Park, too much praise. The accommodations are the epitome of bush chic: open-plan suites with glass and canvas that feature an own wooden deck with a plunge pool and a walk-in net bigger than the typical hotel room.

The rooms are widely separated by an 800-meter (2,500-foot) stilted wooden walkway that views out over a wildlife-rich area of the Zambezi and its surrounding floodplain. These game drives are just amazing. A band of over 30 African wild dogs gave us our best-ever encounters, and we also got up close and personal with lions and leopards. Boat or canoe journeys on the Zambezi are a treat, and even if you’re not lucky with carnivores, you’re sure to see lots of elephants in the nearby winter-thorn forest.

9. South Luangwa’s Sungani Lodge

We were honored to be among the first visitors to Sungani, which was constructed by the active Davy family between 2019 and 2021 and is arguably the most upscale lodge in the Luangwa Valley. The resort, which is very stunning and was built entirely on stilted platforms, has eight enormous open-plan tented suites with private plunge pools and chic décor inspired by Africa. These look out over a perennial lagoon that is home to a variety of aquatic birds, elephants, buffalos, and hippos.

Sungani operates almost like a private reserve because it is one of only two lodges in the isolated Lusangazi area of South Luangwa National Park, along with its even smaller sister property Kulandila. Although the amount of wildlife doesn’t quite match that of more heavily visited areas of South Luangwa, there is still a lot to see—we had up-close looks at lions and leopards—and the lack of other cars more than makes up for it.

10. Luangwa, South Luangwa, Shawa

Shawa, a small, environmentally friendly resort run by Green Safaris, is located on the east bank of the Luangwa amid a stunning riverine forest. There are just five lodging units in the tiny camp, which are amazing A-frame tents that resemble tepees and are situated atop towering stilted platforms with a view of the forest canopy. One of the amenities is a plunge pool that is well situated to watch sunsets across the river.

Shawa is the first camp in South Luangwa to deploy electric Land Cruisers with solar-powered batteries for “silent safaris.” Walking safaris with knowledgeable guides are also available. The immersive wildlife experience at the camp was quite enjoyable. Hippos grunt in the river, turacos and hornbills soar over the canopy, elephants trim the trees surrounding the tents, and distant carnivores and hooting owls break up the nightly hum of insects and frogs.

11. Kafue’s Mayukuyuku Bush Camp

Mayukuyuku, which translates to “water hitting rocks,” is a fitting name for this little, owner-run tent camp on the Kafue River that is located downstream of a series of rapids. Four opulent tents with thatch shading, individual terraces overlooking the wooded riverside, and outdoor restrooms at the back are available for guests.

Vervet monkeys play in the hammocks in front of each tent, antelope and hippos frequently walk through the camp, and among the diverse wildlife is a resident pair of the highly sought-after African finfoot. Located in the center of Kafue National Park, Mayukuyuku is ideally situated for boat cruises on an elephant-favorable section of the Kafue River and game drives on the fruitful Shishamba Loop.

12. Kafue’s Nanzhila Plains Camp

In the largely unexplored Nanzhila Plains, south of Kafue National Park, we adored this tiny, family-run camp. The camp, which is modest and unassuming, provides spacious lodging in three standing tents and three bandas (thatched huts), all of which face a marsh that draws a constant flow of antelope. Because Nanzhila Plains is the most dependable location in the world for the rare black-cheeked lovebird, a colorful tiny parrot native to southwest Zambia, bird watching is one of the main draws here. It’s also great to see wildlife.

We had an amazing view of lions mating, and cheetahs are something of a Nanzhila specialty. Antelopes include Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, sand, roan, and eland, as well as the defassa waterbuck, which is the most southern species in Africa. The best part is that this camp has a true wilderness feel and you are unlikely to meet other tourists while you are there because it is the only one within a 50 km/30 mi radius.

13. Kafue’s Konkamoya Lodge

The fact that Kafue National Park still has room for the kind of tiny, owner-run lodges that are becoming more and more uncommon throughout Africa is one of its alluring features. Located on the southern side of Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, the Italian-run Konkamoya is arguably the most upscale and fashionable of these distinctive lodges.

Delicious Italian cuisine that wouldn’t be out of place in a top-notch city restaurant is served in four spacious standing tents with netting walls that let in a refreshing lake breeze. It is also impossible to criticize the location. The shallows of Lake Itezhi-Tezhi, which was formed in the 1970s after a hydroelectric dam was built on the Kafue River, are dotted with a ghost forest of stumps that evoke Lake Kariba.

Our visit’s highlights included a long twilight encounter with a courageous leopard and a mega-herd of at least 150 elephants on the lake floodplain. Wading birds are common in the shallows, and the African fish eagle and western osprey hawk from the dead trees. The European bee-eater, lilac-breasted roller, and broad-billed roller are among the colorful bush-dwellers. Birdwatching is also very good here.

14. Liuwa Plain, Time + Tide King Lewanika

Tide + Time In one of Africa’s remaining major undiscovered wilderness sites, King Lewanika is the sole resort. This is Liuwa Plain, a national park so far away that the only ways to get there are by plane or by crossing the Luanginga River in a hand-pulled pontoon with your own 4×4. The lodge is named for the venerable Lozi king who, in the 1880s, had the vision to grant Liuwa Plain regal protection. And it really is a king’s lodge. The enormous interiors of the six open-fronted, solar-powered cottages are outfitted in the manner of vintage safari and were constructed from canvas, wood, and other natural materials.

Game drives, bush walks, and canoe safaris in the nearby wilderness are just a few of the professionally led activities available at the all-inclusive Lewanika lodge. Since the only member of the famous Big Five you’re likely to encounter is a lion, we don’t think Liuwa is a place for first-time visitors to Africa.

However, seasoned safari enthusiasts will enjoy the broad spaces and wilderness vibe of Liuwa. The second-largest wildebeest migration in Africa, the chance to observe habituated spotted hyenas interacting around their burrows, and some amazing bird watching are among the wildlife highlights.