Kaingu Lodge

KaingU sits on the Kafue River in the Namwala Game Management Area, on a stretch where the river spreads around granite boulders, rapids, sandbanks, and islands large enough to support leopard. Kafue National Park is a ten-minute boat ride across the water.

Guests sleep in one of six Meru-style tented chalets, each set on a private raised deck over the river, with a thatched roof for shade, an en-suite bathroom with both indoor and open-air showers, and solar lighting. Families or small groups can take Finfoot, a two-bedroom house with two en-suite bathrooms, a shared living area, and a deck. Three private campsites, each with its own shower and toilet block, sit close to the rapids downstream. For something more unusual, Tonga tree baskets — platforms constructed from local Muchinga timber and set in trees at river locations — sleep up to six and are staffed by a guide.

Game drives run inside Kafue National Park. Boat cruises cover the rock channels and islands; hippos, crocodiles, and elephants are regularly seen from the water. Guided walks use the granite outcrops around camp. The lodge also runs canoeing, catch-and-release fishing, and night drives.

The kitchen bakes sourdough in a wood-fired oven and builds dishes around baobab, marula, and local bush nuts. Vegetables come from a farm roughly twenty kilometres south of the lodge. Because the location is remote and deliveries are scheduled, dietary requirements need to be stated at booking.