Chiawa Safaris - Old Mondoro

Old Mondoro sits on the bank of the Zambezi River inside Lower Zambezi National Park, roughly thirty-five kilometres downstream from its sister camp, Chiawa — about an hour by boat. The camp holds five rooms and ten beds, which makes it one of the smallest camps in the valley. It runs entirely on solar power.

The rooms are strung along a channel off the main river, with open-fronted walls and wooden decks that face the water. To the south, the Zambezi spreads across a maze of islands; to the north, Faidherbia woodland — tall enough to dwarf buffalo, impala, waterbuck and elephant — runs back from the bank. Elephant bulls feed in the acacia grove above the camp with some regularity. Hippo use the channel the rooms face.

Activities run to game drives, guided walks, canoeing and boating. Meals are served either beside a fire or in an open-sided thatched dining room. The area produces reliable aardvark and wild dog sightings, which are less commonly seen at camps elsewhere in the valley.

Old Mondoro can be combined with a stay at Chiawa Camp as part of a multi-night itinerary covering both sites on the Lower Zambezi. Chiawa Safaris also manages Puku Ridge in South Luangwa National Park, which can be added to extend the trip.