Secrets of South Luangwa

Nsolo Bush Camp
Nsolo Bush Camp is situated on a bend in the Luwi sand river, which cuts a path through the heart of Zambia's South Luangwa National Park.

This is a highly intimate luxury camp with just four individually-designed chalets, each of them situated on raised wooden decks with high thatched roofs and private verandahs. The rooms are spacious and beautifully furnished.  In traditional bush camp fashion, the bathrooms have no roofs and are set under the cover of the tree canopy!

Nsolo is one of the South Luangwa's remotest luxury safari camps. There is only a limited network of roads within the area, and as such most of the game-viewing takes place on walking safaris, although short night drives are also offered.

The Luwi river system is particularly renowned for its lion population – the territories of several prides meet in this area. The cats use the dry river bed as a thoroughfare and a means not only of locating their prey, which comes to drink, but also of locating their rivals who must be warned away.

There are few wilderness experiences more exciting than heading out on a walking safari early in the morning, having heard lions calling through the night, in search of fresh tracks to follow. With voices hushed and hearts beating, your mind will imagine a lion behind every bush! This is a true African safari experience, conducted on foot – big game viewing at its best!

Luwi Bush Camp
Luwi is a seasonal bush camp nestled under huge mahogany trees on the banks of a permanent lagoon. Situated deep in the heart of the National Park, it is one of the only Luangwa safari camps that is positioned away from the permanent waters and rich vegetation of the main river, enjoying an altogether more remote location.

Luwi Bush Camp sleeps only eight guests in its four safari huts, each of which has been constructed from grass thatch and mud brick. Every unit is subtly different, all utilising the tree cover and natural vegetation wherever possible. The design of the rooms lends the camp a wonderfully rustic feel.

There’s a cosy thatched bar area, which serves as the central hub. Daytime meals are typically served in the shade of the trees whilst dinner is taken under the stars accompanied by the sounds of the bush.

There is a large lagoon adjacent to camp that teems with hippo and crocodile at all times of day. This permanent water source attracts wildlife from far and wide so that the camp area is constantly busy with game.

Luwi was one of the South Luangwa's first remote safari camps. Norman Carr sited the camp back in the 1980s and it continues to offer perhaps the best traditional African bush experience in the Luangwa.

Typically, your day will start early, taking tea around the campfire and discussing the day ahead or the noises heard throughout the night. Your morning walking safari is likely to last three to four hours, returning you to camp in time for a hearty brunch. You can relax in the afternoon, viewing the wildlife attracted by the lagoon, before a further safari later in the day.

Mchenja Bush Camp
Mchenja (meaning “ebony”) occupies a stunning setting beneath a magnificent grove of ebony trees on the banks of the Luangwa River, in an area teeming with wildlife. One of Norman Carr’s flagship camps, Mchenja provides the highest levels of bush-camp luxury.

The camp comprises five stylishly designed tents, each under its own thatched roof and with a deck in front overlooking the Luangwa River.  The tents have inside baths and outside shower rooms. There is a small pool parallel to the bar, which is housed within a thatched “chitenje”, allowing guests to seek cool refuge after their morning's safari activities.

While staying at Mchenja, you can choose to track wildlife on foot during half or full-day walking safaris; from an open 4x4 vehicle; or a mix of the two!

The game viewing in this area is superb with night drives especially rewarding. The landscape, too, is absolutely beautiful, with several ebony groves situated around the camp.