Old Mondoro

Highlights

• Elephants feeding through camp beneath towering winterthorn trees
• Day and night game drives in a remote part of the Lower Zambezi
• Boat safaris and canoeing on the Zambezi River (conditions permitting)
• Catch-and-release tigerfishing on the Zambezi
• Birdwatching along the river, including bee-eater nesting banks and the chance of Pel's fishing owl
• Guided walking safaris through the winterthorn groves

Information

• Lodge type: Intimate bush camp, sister camp to Chiawa Camp
• Location: Lower Zambezi National Park, Zambia, 90 minutes by boat downstream of Chiawa Camp
• Lodge size: 5 bush chalets plus a two-bedroom Family House
• Recommended stay: 3–7 nights
• Malaria risk: Yes. The Lower Zambezi is a malaria area, and antimalarial prophylaxis is recommended.
• Getting there: A scheduled light-aircraft flight from Lusaka to Jeki Airstrip takes about 35 minutes, followed by a vehicle and boat transfer to camp

Escape to Old Mondoro Bush Camp: Where Luxury Meets The Wild Heart Of The Lower Zambezi

Old Mondoro is a small bush camp of five chalets and a two-bedroom Family House, set under towering winterthorn trees on the banks of the Zambezi River in Zambia's Lower Zambezi National Park. It is the smaller, wilder sister camp to Chiawa Camp, a scenic 90-minute boat journey upstream.

The camp suits travellers who want a raw, uncrowded safari without giving up comfort. With so few guests, the river, its channels and its floodplains feel like your own.

Elephants are the signature sight. Bulls wander through camp to feed beneath the winterthorns, often at lunchtime, and in October the guides time walks between the chalets and the main area around them.

Rooms and Suites

Old Mondoro has five bush chalets and a two-bedroom Family House. Each chalet has its own veranda, a small seating area and storage, and a door at the back leads to an open-air bathroom with a large bath and a strong shower, where you can bathe with the bush all around you.

Lighting is electric, with a spirit lamp as a back-up, and every chalet has a plug point for charging camera batteries. The design is deliberately simple: the river and its wildlife are the luxury here. The Family House gives families or small groups a private base of their own.

Cuisine and Wine

Old Mondoro serves brunch and afternoon tea in its open-sided main area, and dinner under the stars. Elephants are frequent lunchtime visitors, which makes even a midday meal memorable.

Evenings usually begin around the fire pit at the river's edge, drink in hand as hippo call from the channels, before guests move to the table for dinner beneath the night sky.

Facilities

Old Mondoro's main area is a large, open-sided tented structure overlooking the Zambezi River, with deep sofas, a tea, coffee and cold-drinks station, and the dining area. Guests gather here between activities to socialise, swap sightings and watch elephant, buffalo and hippo along the riverbank.

The fire pit at the water's edge is the natural meeting point at the end of each day. The camp is small enough that guides, hosts and guests quickly feel like one party around the fire.

Activities

Old Mondoro offers day and night game drives, guided walking safaris, boat safaris, canoeing when river conditions allow, and catch-and-release tigerfishing on the Zambezi River. It is a superb mix of land and water activities for any safari in Zambia.

Game drives explore a remote section of the park, where elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard are the headline sightings, and night drives reveal the nocturnal side of the bush. Walks for guests aged 12 and over lead through the winterthorn groves. Boat safaris pass bee-eater nesting banks and wooded river edges where Pel's fishing owl may appear, and canoes glide silently along the quieter channels. Anglers can take on the Zambezi's famously hard-fighting tigerfish, with every fish released. Fishing permits are an extra cost.

In Conclusion

Old Mondoro is a small, wild river camp in Lower Zambezi National Park. Its five chalets and Family House sit under winterthorn trees where elephants feed through camp, and its activities cover day and night drives, walks, boating, canoeing and tigerfishing. Pair it with its sister camp, Chiawa Camp, 90 minutes upstream by boat, for the classic Lower Zambezi combination.

Old Mondoro Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Old Mondoro in Zambia?

Old Mondoro is a small bush camp on the banks of the Zambezi River inside Lower Zambezi National Park in southern Zambia. Five chalets and a two-bedroom Family House stand beneath towering winterthorn trees, facing the river's channels and floodplains. The camp is the sister to Chiawa Camp, a scenic 90-minute boat journey upstream, and the two are often combined on a single safari.

How do you get to Old Mondoro?

Old Mondoro is reached through Jeki Airstrip in Lower Zambezi National Park. Jeki is about 35 minutes by scheduled light aircraft from Lusaka, or about 70 minutes from Mfuwe in South Luangwa. From Jeki, guests continue to camp by a combination of vehicle and boat. Guests coming from Chiawa Camp travel downstream by boat, a scenic journey of about 90 minutes.

When is Old Mondoro open, and when is the best time to visit?

Old Mondoro is open from 1 May to 15 November, during the Lower Zambezi dry season. Game viewing is good from June and improves steadily as the bush dries and animals concentrate along the Zambezi River. October is especially memorable at the camp, because elephant bulls move through to feed beneath the winterthorn trees.

What activities are offered at Old Mondoro?

Old Mondoro offers day and night game drives, guided walking safaris for guests aged 12 and over, boat safaris, canoeing when river conditions allow, and catch-and-release tigerfishing on the Zambezi River. Guided activities are included in the rate, but fishing permits cost extra. Boat trips pass bee-eater nesting banks and wooded river edges where Pel's fishing owl may be seen.

Is Old Mondoro in a malaria area?

Old Mondoro is in a malaria area, as is all of Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia. Travellers should consult a doctor or travel clinic before departure about antimalarial prophylaxis. Long sleeves, trousers and insect repellent in the evenings add further protection against mosquito bites anywhere in the Zambezi Valley.

Can Old Mondoro be combined with Chiawa Camp?

Old Mondoro and Chiawa Camp are sister camps in Lower Zambezi National Park, and combining them is the classic way to experience the area. The transfer runs downstream by boat from Chiawa Camp, a scenic journey of about 90 minutes that doubles as a river safari. Chiawa is the larger camp, and Old Mondoro the smaller, wilder finale.

Plan Your Old Mondoro Safari with Uyaphi.com

Old Mondoro is the camp to choose when you want the Lower Zambezi at its rawest and most personal. Five chalets and a Family House under winterthorn trees, elephants feeding through camp, and a full mix of day and night drives, walks, boating, canoeing and tigerfishing make it one of the most complete small-camp safaris in Zambia. The camp is open from 1 May to 15 November. Come in September or October for the elephants, and stay at least three nights. For the full Lower Zambezi experience, start at Chiawa Camp and travel downstream by boat to finish here.

Uyaphi.com has been arranging tailor-made African safaris since 1999. That is 27 years, nearly three decades, of planning trips across Southern and East Africa. We handle the details: the flight to Jeki, the best weeks for your interests, the right balance between Chiawa and Old Mondoro, and how the Lower Zambezi fits with South Luangwa or Victoria Falls. We charge no booking fees and no credit card surcharges. Tell us when you'd like to travel and what you most want to see, and we'll build your Old Mondoro safari around you.