Big Lagoon Trails Camp

Highlights

• Just three chalets and never more than six guests in camp
• Walking-only safaris in a roadless, vehicle-free corner of South Luangwa, reached by canoe
• A permanent lagoon in front of camp, with armchair game viewing at its best from September
• Four-hour morning walks with a guide, an armed National Park scout and a tea bearer
• Regular sightings of eland, roan, kudu, elephant, giraffe, wild dog and lion
• Reed-and-thatch chalets under ebony trees, each with an open-air safari shower
• Bush cooking over a wood fire, with bread baked in the coals
• Solar power, porters for all luggage and no Wi-Fi
• Combines easily with sister camp Chikoko Tree and parent camp Tafika

Information

• Lodge type: Walking Safari Camp
• Location: South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
• Lodge size: 3 chalets (maximum 6 guests)
• Recommended stay: 2-3 nights, ideally combined with Chikoko Tree Camp and Tafika Camp
• Malaria risk: Yes – South Luangwa is a malaria area; antimalarial prophylaxis is advised
• Getting there: From Mfuwe Airport, 1.5-2 hrs by road, or a 15-min light-aircraft flight to Mwanya airstrip plus a 15-min drive; then a 5-min canoe crossing of the Luangwa River and a 20-min walk into camp

Discover Big Lagoon Trails Camp: Where Rustic Charm Meets Wildlife Wonders

Big Lagoon Trails Camp is a three-chalet, walking-only bush camp on the west bank of the Luangwa River in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. There are no roads and no safari vehicles on this side of the river. You arrive by canoe, walk in, and spend your days exploring the bush on foot.

The camp sits in a grove of muchenja (ebony) trees overlooking a broad lagoon that holds water year-round. Elephant, buffalo, giraffe and kudu come down to drink in full view of the deck, so some of the best game viewing happens between walks with a cup of tea in hand. In-camp sightings peak from September, when the surrounding bush dries out and the lagoon becomes the obvious place to be.

Big Lagoon began life as Crocodile River Camp. In 2022 Remote Africa Safaris moved it about a kilometre to the historic Big Lagoon site, and it now forms the Chikoko Trails with its sister camp, Chikoko Tree. The walking area has a strong history behind it. The late Norman Carr, who pioneered walking safaris in the Luangwa, singled it out as prime walking country and chose the Chikoko site for his own walking camp in the 1960s.

Rooms And Suites

The camp has three chalets, two twins and one king, so there are never more than six guests in camp. Local craftsmen built each one from reed, grass and thatch, using simple materials in an imaginative design, and every chalet looks out towards the lagoon.

Inside are proper beds with cotton sheets, generous mosquito nets, a solar fan and a USB charging point. Each chalet has its own en-suite bathroom with a flush toilet and an open-air safari shower, so you wash under the stars. Hot water is brought for evening showers, and at other times on request.

The chalets are deliberately rustic, and that suits the camp. Only reed walls stand between you and the bush, and lion roars and hyena whoops carry you to sleep. Mornings begin with a friendly knock on the door and first light over the water.

Cuisine And Wine

Meals are cooked over a wood fire in a simple bush kitchen, and they are far better than the setting suggests. Bread is baked in the ground under hot coals, and salad greens and vegetables come from the Tafika garden across the river.

A typical day of meals runs like this:

• Breakfast around the fire before the morning walk
• Tea or coffee with something sweet, served mid-walk by the tea bearer
• A buffet lunch back in camp
• Afternoon tea with freshly baked cake at 15:30
• Sundowners and snacks around the campfire
• A three-course dinner by candlelight

The bar and house wine are included in the rate, and superior wines are available on request. The kitchen caters for dietary requirements despite the remote location, so let us know about any when you book.

Facilities

Facilities are simple and solar-powered. The main area is a shaded thatched space with dining, lounge and bar, opening onto a deck above the lagoon, with hammocks for the midday siesta.

• Solar power throughout, with a 220V communal charging station (no hairdryers)
• USB charging point and solar fan in each chalet
• No Wi-Fi; the camp keeps in radio contact with Tafika Camp
• Porters carry all luggage and supplies, so you walk with only water, binoculars and a camera
• Limited laundry service
• Unfenced camp, so wildlife moves freely through it

Activities

Walking is the only activity here, and it is one of the purest walking safari experiences in Zambia. Every walk is led by a Remote Africa Safaris guide with an armed National Park scout and a tea bearer, and groups are capped at six walkers.

• Morning walk: about 4 hours, starting early to beat the heat, with a tea stop halfway
• Afternoon walk: 2.5-3 hours, leaving after tea at 15:30 and returning before sunset
• Walking transfers: a 4-hour walking safari or a 1h45 direct walk to Chikoko Tree Camp, with porters carrying your bags
• Bushcraft: learn to make fire the old way, with sticks and elephant dung
• Birding: South Luangwa has 469 recorded bird species, and the guides are keen birders

The group sets the pace. You follow elephant and hippo paths, read the previous night's lion tracks, and stop for the small things a vehicle would drive past: insects in the dung, an elephant shrew, the smell of an elephant bull downwind. Eland, roan, kudu, giraffe, buffalo, wild dog and lion are all regulars in the area.

The ground is mostly flat but uneven in places. Bring light, comfortable walking shoes and wear neutral browns and khakis, because white and bright colours are not allowed on walks. Walks are for guests aged 12 and over, and the camp is open from 25 May to 31 October.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Big Lagoon Trails Camp and how do you get there?

Big Lagoon is on the west bank of the Luangwa River in northern South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, a few kilometres upstream from its parent camp, Tafika. From Mfuwe Airport you either drive for 1.5–2 hours, or take a 15-minute light-aircraft flight to Mwanya airstrip and then drive for 15 minutes. From there, a 5-minute canoe crossing and a 20-minute walk bring you into camp.

Is Big Lagoon Trails Camp in a malaria area?

Yes. Big Lagoon is in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, which is a malaria area. See a doctor or travel clinic before you leave, and take antimalarial prophylaxis as prescribed. Each chalet has a generous mosquito net. Long sleeves, trousers and insect repellent in the evenings reduce the risk further. The camp opens only in the dry season, from 25 May to 31 October.

What is a walking safari at Big Lagoon Trails Camp like?

Walking is the only activity at Big Lagoon, which sits in a roadless, vehicle-free area of South Luangwa reached by canoe. Groups of up to six walk with a Remote Africa Safaris guide, an armed National Park scout and a tea bearer. Morning walks last about four hours, with a tea stop. Afternoon walks last 2.5–3 hours and return before sunset. Expect elephant, buffalo, giraffe, eland, roan, wild dog and lion.

When is Big Lagoon Trails Camp open, and is there a minimum age?

Big Lagoon is a seasonal walking camp in South Luangwa, Zambia, open from 25 May to 31 October each year. Walks are for guests aged 12 and over only. Early in the season, mornings are cooler and the bush is greener. From September, dry-season heat draws wildlife to the permanent lagoon in front of camp, which gives the best in-camp viewing. October temperatures can reach around 40°C.

How many nights should you spend at Big Lagoon Trails Camp?

Two to three nights at Big Lagoon is ideal. Most guests begin with two to four nights at Tafika, the main Remote Africa Safaris camp in South Luangwa. They then cross the river and spend two to three nights each at Big Lagoon and its sister camp, Chikoko Tree. The walk between the two trails camps takes about 1h45 direct, or four hours as a full walking safari.

What are the chalets like at Big Lagoon Trails Camp?

Big Lagoon has three reed-and-thatch chalets under ebony trees, two twins and one king, so the camp never holds more than six guests. Each faces the lagoon. Every chalet has cotton bedding, a large mosquito net, a solar fan, a USB charging point and an en-suite bathroom with a flush toilet and open-air shower. Hot water is provided for evening showers and on request.

In Conclusion

Big Lagoon Trails Camp is made for travellers who want to walk Africa rather than watch it from a vehicle seat, and few places in Zambia do it better. It has three chalets, six guests, no roads and a lagoon full of game at the front door, in walking country first chosen by Norman Carr.

Book it for the walking. You go out in a small group with an armed scout, spend unhurried mornings on elephant paths, and return in the afternoon to the deck to watch the lagoon. Safari is stripped back to what matters, and you still get a good bed, a hot shower and a three-course dinner by candlelight.

Book it as part of a circuit. The camp is at its best combined with Chikoko Tree and Tafika, walking from camp to camp while porters carry your bags. It also fits well into a longer Zambia safari with Victoria Falls or the Lower Zambezi. Go between June and October, and aim for September or October if you want the most action at the lagoon.

Uyaphi.com has been planning African safaris from Cape Town since 1999. Those 27 years have gone into matching travellers to the right camps, the right season and the right connections, including the Mfuwe flights and transfers that keep a walking safari running smoothly. Send us your dates and we'll build your South Luangwa walking safari around the Chikoko Trails.