Skip to content

Lusaka Province · Zambia

Chiawa Camp

The Lower Zambezi's founding camp, still family-run after three decades

Safari Lodge ★★★★★ Lower Zambezi National Park Seasonal opening
The setting of Chiawa Camp
Location image, not the property. Someone35 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Chiawa was the first camp licensed inside the Lower Zambezi National Park and remains in the hands of the family that built it. The nine tented suites sit under a canopy of mahogany and winterthorn along the riverbank, with the Zambezi escarpment rising on the Zimbabwean side opposite.

What distinguishes the camp is how much of the activity happens on water. Canoe trips thread the side channels past hippo pods, motorboats run upstream for sundowners, and the tiger fishing has a serious following. Land activities include walking safaris and night drives, and the camp's guiding standards are among the most respected in Zambia.

The area is good for elephant that wade between islands, buffalo herds, leopard and wild dog. Rooms are unfenced and open to the river, so the sounds at night are entirely unfiltered.

At a glance

What to expect

  • Canoeing safaris
  • Tiger fishing
  • Motorboat cruises
  • Walking safaris
  • Night game drives
  • Riverfront tented suites
  • Spa treatments
  • All meals and select drinks