Nsefu Camp

Highlights

• Walking with a guide and armed National Park scout on one of the finest safaris while in Zambia, in the park where the walking safari was born
• Day and night game drives in open-top Land Cruisers through the Nsefu Sector
• Elephants crossing the Luangwa River on the meander in front of the chalets
• Quiet hours in the reed hide overlooking the waterhole beside camp
• Sleeping in Zambia's first safari camp, built by Norman Carr in 1951
• Exploring the flooded lagoons by boat in the Emerald Season

Information

• Lodge type; Historic bush camp
• Location; Nsefu Sector, South Luangwa National Park
• Lodge size; 6 rondavel chalets
• Recommended stay; 3-7 nights
• Malaria risk; High — South Luangwa is a malaria area; antimalarial prophylaxis is advised
• Getting there; Lusaka to Mfuwe Airport is about 1 hour by scheduled flight, then 1–2 hours by road to camp (by boat in February and March)

Nsefu Camp: Where Zambia's Tourism Legacy Began

Nsefu Camp is Zambia's first photographic safari camp: six thatched rondavels built by Norman Carr in 1951 on the banks of the Luangwa River, in the Nsefu Sector of South Luangwa National Park. The original buildings are now protected as a national monument, and the sector lies well away from the busier Mfuwe area, so game viewing here is effectively private.

The camp moved to its present site in 1953, on a sweeping meander of the Luangwa where elephants regularly wade across in full view of the verandas. By the mid-1990s it had fallen into disrepair. In 1998 Robin and Jo Pope took on the lease and rebuilt it around the original rondavels, keeping the 1950s character and adding modern bathrooms and cooling. Few safari camps in Africa can claim three-quarters of a century on the same riverbank.

Rooms and Suites

Each of the six chalets is an original 1950s rondavel of brick, stone and thatch, with a shaded veranda looking along the Luangwa River. The rooms are compact and simply furnished — the historic footprint was kept deliberately — and the central bed is raised high enough to watch moonlight on the river without lifting your head from the pillow. An Evening Breeze cooling unit works inside the mosquito net, a real blessing on hot October nights. Steps lead down to a partly open-air en-suite bathroom with a flush toilet and a walk-in shower that looks straight out into the bush.

Wi-Fi is limited and there is no cellphone signal, which most guests soon count as a gift. The chalets sit fairly close together, so this is a sociable, intimate camp of a dozen guests rather than a place for total seclusion.

Cuisine and Wine

All meals and bar drinks are included, so the only decision is where to take them. Days start with a hearty breakfast before the morning walk or drive, lunch may be a picnic out in the bush, and dinner is served under the stars with the sound of hippos grunting in the river below.

The bar carries a well-chosen wine list to go with it. Don't miss a sundowner on the banks of the Luangwa — gin and tonic in hand, the river turning copper, elephants on the far bank.

Activities

Walking is the reason to come to Nsefu. South Luangwa is where Norman Carr pioneered the walking safari, and every walk here is led by a professional guide with an armed National Park scout, reading tracks, dung and birdcalls at the pace of the bush. Morning and afternoon drives in open-top Toyota Land Cruisers cover more ground, and the afternoon drive rolls on after dark with a spotlight, the best chance of leopard on the hunt.

• Guided walks with an armed National Park scout (a canopied vehicle can be requested)
• Day and night game drives in open-top Land Cruisers
• Viewing hide overlooking the waterhole in front of camp
• Boating on the flooded lagoons in the Emerald Season
• Private vehicle and guide (at extra cost)
• Kawaza Village visit, with the fee going to community projects
• Mobile spa treatments (at extra cost)

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Nsefu Camp and how do you get there?

Nsefu, the historic Robin Pope Safaris camp, stands on the Luangwa River in the Nsefu Sector of South Luangwa National Park, eastern Zambia. Most guests fly from Lusaka to Mfuwe Airport, a scheduled flight of about one hour, then transfer by road to camp in one to two hours, often game viewing along the way. In February and March the final stretch is made by boat.

When is Nsefu Camp open, and when is the best time to visit?

Robin Pope Safaris opens Nsefu from 22 May to 20 November, with an Emerald Season opening in February and March when guests arrive by boat. Game viewing in South Luangwa peaks from July to October, when the bush dries out and animals concentrate along the Luangwa River. September and October are the hottest months and the best for big sightings.

Is Nsefu Camp in a malaria area?

Yes. South Luangwa National Park in Zambia is a high-risk malaria area, and antimalarial prophylaxis is advised for every visitor, along with repellent and long sleeves in the evenings. Speak to a travel clinic before departure. At Robin Pope Safaris' Nsefu camp each bed has a mosquito net with a built-in cooling unit.

Can children stay at Nsefu Camp?

Children aged 12 and over are welcome at Robin Pope Safaris' Nsefu camp in South Luangwa, Zambia. With only six chalets set close together and a focus on walking safaris, it suits families with teenagers who are keen on wildlife. Families wanting their own schedule can book a private vehicle and guide at extra cost.

What makes Nsefu Camp different from other South Luangwa camps?

Nsefu is Zambia's first safari camp, built by Norman Carr in 1951 and now a protected national monument. Robin Pope Safaris runs it as a six-chalet camp in the Nsefu Sector of South Luangwa, away from the busier Mfuwe area, so game viewing is effectively private. Walking safaris, night drives and a waterhole hide complete the picture.

What is included in a stay at Nsefu Camp?

A stay at Robin Pope Safaris' Nsefu camp in South Luangwa, Zambia, is fully inclusive of accommodation, all meals, bar drinks, laundry and the scheduled activities: guided walks, day and night game drives and use of the waterhole hide. National park entry fees are charged separately, as are a private vehicle and guide, spa treatments and gratuities.

In Conclusion

Nsefu Camp is where Zambian safari began, and three-quarters of a century later it is still one of the most rewarding places in Africa to walk with wildlife. Come for the history, the river and the near-private Nsefu Sector; stay for the slow pleasure of following a guide on foot through the bush where the walking safari was born.

Plan three to four nights here between late May and November, ideally July to October when the game crowds the Luangwa, and pair it with another Robin Pope Safaris camp to see more of the valley. We take care of the rest: your flights from Lusaka to Mfuwe, road transfers, timing and the rest of your Zambia safari, from Victoria Falls to the Lower Zambezi.

Uyaphi.com has been planning tailor-made African safaris from Cape Town since 1999 — 27 years of booking, visiting and getting to know the camps of Southern and Eastern Africa. Tell us when you'd like to travel and we'll build your South Luangwa safari around you, with no booking fees and no credit card surcharges.