Kakuli Bush Camp

Highlights

• Five rooms only, including a two-bedroom family room, so the camp never feels busy
• Prolific leopard sightings and a resident lion pride in the northern sector of South Luangwa
• Walking safaris in the footsteps of Norman Carr, the pioneer of Zambian walking safaris, whose local nickname gave the camp its name
• Morning and afternoon game drives, cultural visits and an optional sleepout under the stars
• Boat and foot excursions in the green season, when the Luangwa runs high from January to April
• A seasonal carmine bee-eater colony nearby, one of the best places in the park to see them
• Elevated main lodge with a lounge, library, bar and campfire overlooking the river and a permanent lagoon
• Two activities a day, all meals, standard drinks and laundry included

Information

• Lodge type: Bush Camp
• Location: Northern South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
• Lodge size: 5 rooms (4 standard, 1 two-bedroom family room)
• Recommended stay: 3-7 nights
• Malaria risk: Yes — South Luangwa is a malaria area; take prophylaxis on your doctor's advice
• Getting there: 1-hour Proflight flight from Lusaka to Mfuwe, then a 2-hour game-drive transfer to camp

Discover Kakuli Bush Camp: Your Gateway To Unforgettable Safari Adventures In Zambia!

Kakuli Bush Camp is a five-room Time + Tide camp set high on the bank of the Luangwa River in the northern sector of South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. It is small, contemporary and solar-powered, and it exists for one purpose: putting you in the heart of superb leopard and lion country, on foot as well as by vehicle.

The name carries real history. "Kakuli" means old buffalo bull, the nickname local people gave Norman Carr, the man who pioneered walking safaris in Zambia, and the camp is run very much in his spirit. Leopard sightings here are prolific, a resident lion pride works the area, and elephants, giraffe, hippo and crocodile are daily company along the river.

The dry season runs from 20 May to 15 November, when the bush thins, wildlife concentrates on the river and walking is at its finest. From January to April, when the Luangwa runs high, Time + Tide switches to boat and foot excursions, a greener and far quieter side of the valley that few visitors ever see.

Rooms and Suites

The camp has five rooms: four standard rooms with one bedroom and one bathroom, and a family safari room with two bedrooms and two bathrooms. Beds are made up as doubles or twins with feather-top mattresses, fans keep the air moving, and every room has both an indoor and an outdoor shower.

The rooms sit in a long, low line along the bank, designed so the river fills your view the moment you open your eyes. Each has a private verandah with a swing and a covered open-air seating area, the best seat in the house through the midday hours, when elephants wander down to drink and hippos grunt from the shallows below. Wi-Fi reaches the rooms, should you need it.

Cuisine and Wine

All meals and standard drinks are included, from soft drinks and beer to house wine and spirits. The day follows the light: breakfast at sunrise, coffee in the bush on the morning activity, lunch back in camp, sundowners as the river turns copper, and dinner followed by a nightcap at the campfire.

The kitchen cooks with Zambian ingredients and real flair. A sample menu runs from wild munyanya vichyssoise and baked tilapia to roasted pork fillet, finished with a munkoyo panna cotta. Reserve wines, champagne and premium spirits are charged separately, which is worth knowing if you plan to celebrate.

Facilities

Life in camp centres on an elevated main lodge with dining areas, a lounge, a library, a bar and a campfire, all looking out over the Luangwa River and a permanent lagoon. It is the natural gathering point between activities, with a book in hand and binoculars within reach.

The camp runs on solar power. Wi-Fi is available in the rooms only, the main area is deliberately connection-free, and phone signal is limited, so plan on being properly off-grid. British three-pin plugs in the main lounge keep camera batteries charged, and spa treatments can be arranged at extra cost.

Activities

Two guided activities a day are included, chosen from morning and afternoon game drives, walking safaris and cultural visits to local communities. Time + Tide rates the dry season as the ideal time to explore on foot and by vehicle, and walking is the real draw here: this is the valley where the walking safari was born.

The northern sector holds a resident lion pride and outstanding leopard viewing. Elephants and giraffe come down to the river to drink, and birders can tick off Lilian's lovebirds and, in season, the carmine bee-eater colony close to camp, one of the best places in the park to see these scarlet birds.

Add a Time + Tide Sleepout for a night under the stars (charged as a supplement), or visit in the green season, from January to April, and swap the vehicle for a boat on the high river. We can build the camp into a wider Zambia safari, pairing it with other South Luangwa camps, the Lower Zambezi or Victoria Falls.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Kakuli Bush Camp and how do you get there?

Kakuli is a Time + Tide camp on a high bank of the Luangwa River in the northern sector of South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. Most guests fly Proflight from Lusaka to Mfuwe, about an hour in the air, then take a two-hour game-drive transfer to camp. Transfers to and from Mfuwe Airport are included in the rate, so the drive in doubles as your first game drive.

When is the best time to visit Kakuli?

The best time is the dry season, 20 May to 15 November, when this Time + Tide camp in South Luangwa, Zambia, offers its finest walking and game drives as water dries up and wildlife gathers on the Luangwa River. From January to April, when the river runs high, Time + Tide also offers seasonal boat and foot excursions, a quieter and greener way to see the valley.

What activities are offered at Kakuli Bush Camp?

Guests at this Time + Tide camp in South Luangwa, Zambia, get two guided activities a day, chosen from morning and afternoon game drives, walking safaris and cultural visits. A sleepout under the stars is available at a supplement, and boating runs in the high-water months from January to April. The area is known for prolific leopard sightings, a resident lion pride and a seasonal carmine bee-eater colony.

Can children stay at Kakuli?

Yes. Time + Tide welcomes children of all ages at its five-room camp in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. One of the five rooms is a family safari room with two bedrooms and two bathrooms, which keeps parents and children together under one roof. With only one family room in camp, it is the first to go in peak season, so book it early.

Is South Luangwa a malaria area?

Yes. South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, where Kakuli sits on the Luangwa River, is a malaria area, so anti-malaria prophylaxis is advised for every guest. See a travel clinic or your doctor about the right medication well before you travel, and pack long sleeves, long trousers and insect repellent for dawn departures and evenings around the campfire.

What is included in the rate at Kakuli?

Rates at this Time + Tide camp in South Luangwa, Zambia, include accommodation, all meals, standard drinks (soft drinks, beer, house wine and spirits), two activities a day, laundry, service charge, Mfuwe Airport transfers and local road transfers between camps. Reserve wines, champagne, premium spirits, spa treatments, flights, visas, travel insurance and gratuities are extra.

In Conclusion

Kakuli Bush Camp is the camp to choose if you want South Luangwa at its rawest and most rewarding: five rooms on a high riverbank, prolific leopard, a resident lion pride and the walking tradition Norman Carr began in this valley. It is small enough that your guide shapes each day around you, and wild enough that the bush is never more than a verandah away.

Timing decides the experience. Come between 20 May and 15 November for walking safaris and the densest game on the river, or from January to April for boating on a full, green Luangwa. Getting there is simple: a one-hour flight from Lusaka to Mfuwe, then a two-hour game drive into the northern sector of South Luangwa National Park.

Uyaphi.com has been planning African safaris since 1999, and 27 years of putting travellers in the right camp at the right time of year is exactly what a remote camp like this rewards. We are owner-run from Cape Town, with no booking fees and no credit card surcharges. Tell us your dates and how you like to travel, and we will build Kakuli into a Zambia safari around you, flights, transfers and all.