Nkonzi Bush Camp

Nkonzi Bush Camp sits on the Mushilashi River inside South Luangwa National Park, about two hours and forty-five minutes by road from Mfuwe Airport — the last stretch of that drive runs through the park itself. The camp holds five walk-in safari tents and takes a maximum of ten guests at a time. It opens on the first of June and closes on the thirty-first of October.

Gavin Opie, who founded the camp and holds both of South Luangwa's senior guiding qualifications, leads most of the walking safaris and game drives himself, alongside a second full-time guide. Walking safaris are central to what the camp does: on foot, with no vehicle between you and the bush, you read spoor, watch behaviour, and move at a pace that lets you notice things a drive would pass. Game drives run in the morning and afternoon, with night drives after dark. Two wildlife hides add a fixed vantage point — one inside camp, one beside a permanent natural spring — used for bird watching, game photography, and watching lion, elephant, and wild dog come to water.

Each tent has wooden-framed beds with white cotton linen, an open-air en-suite bathroom with a bucket shower and flush toilet, solar-powered charging points, and a private outdoor lounge with sun beds. A dining and lounge tent pitched under mature riverine trees serves as the shared gathering space, with a fully stocked bar and a small library. The camp is built each season from locally sourced natural materials and runs entirely on solar power.