Nsolo Camp

Highlights

• Walk with specialist guides through some of the finest on-foot country in Africa on guided walking safaris in Zambia
• Stay in one of just five thatched chalets raised on timber decks above the Luwi River
• Spend a night under the stars on the Time + Tide Sleepout, the camp's signature experience
• Watch elephants, warthogs and vervet monkeys wander through camp along an old elephant path
• Follow lion prides that use the dry Luwi riverbed as their highway
• Look for wild dogs from a den the pack returns to regularly near camp
• Walk the Time + Tide route between bush camps: 9.5 km from Luwi, 12 km to Mchenja, 14 km to Kakuli
• Shower in the open air, with nothing between you and the bush but a reed screen
• Find the honeyguide, the remarkable little bird that gives Nsolo its name
• Meet the people of the Luangwa Valley on a guided cultural visit

Information

• Lodge type: Bush Camp
• Location: South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
• Lodge size: 5 Chalets
• Recommended stay: 3-7 nights
• Malaria risk: High — South Luangwa is a malaria area; take prophylaxis on your doctor's advice
• Getting there: About 70 minutes by scheduled flight from Lusaka to Mfuwe Airport, then about 2 hours by game-drive transfer to camp

Explore Nsolo Camp: A Historic Gem In The Heart Of South Luangwa National Park

Nsolo Camp is a five-chalet walking safari bush camp run by Time + Tide on a bend of the seasonal Luwi River, in the remote interior of South Luangwa National Park. It is one of the original bush camps of Norman Carr Safaris, the company Time + Tide grew from, and it still runs on the same simple idea: a handful of guests, a superb guide and the bush on foot. No other camps share the area, and the nearest tar road is a long way off.

The name comes from the local word for the honeyguide, the bird famous for leading people to wild bees' nests. It suits the place. Life here is guided by the bush rather than the clock, and the camp sits right on an elephant path, so the traffic through the chalets is grey, wrinkled and unhurried. Warthogs graze the clearings, vervet monkeys raid the trees, and a cold Zambian beer from the bar tastes better for the company.

For much of the year the Luwi is a sand river, and the dry bed becomes the main corridor for everything that moves. Lion prides use it as a thoroughfare, and the operator reports a wild dog den near camp that the pack returns to regularly. That combination makes the walking and driving around Nsolo some of the most exciting in the park, and the camp doubles as the base for Time + Tide's signature sleepout.

Rooms And Suites

Nsolo has five thatched chalets, each raised on a timber deck along the curve of the riverbed. They are built from local materials and shaped around the trees, so no two are quite the same, and every one feels wonderfully private.

• Double or twin set-up, with deep feather-top beds and mosquito nets
• Open-air en-suite bathroom with flush toilet, basin and hot outdoor shower
• Private shaded deck with chairs facing the Luwi riverbed
• Solar power, fans and Wi-Fi in the rooms

The deck is the real luxury. Afternoons between activities are spent with binoculars and a book, watching elephants pick their way across the sand below. The open-air shower is the other highlight: hot water, a reed screen and a canopy of leaves, and after dark a sky full of stars.

Cuisine And Wine

All meals are included at Nsolo, built around a bush camp rhythm of early starts and long afternoons. Breakfast comes before the morning activity, lunch is served in camp, afternoon tea and cake follow the siesta, and dinner is eaten together in the evening once the day's sightings have been properly argued over.

The kitchen cooks generous, fresh home-style food, and some of the best meals are served out on the dry Luwi riverbed, with a table laid on the sand under the trees. Standard bar drinks and house wines are part of the rate, and sundowners are poured on the afternoon activity. Premium wines, champagne and top-shelf spirits are charged separately.

Facilities

The heart of Time + Tide Nsolo is an open-sided thatched lounge, bar and dining area built under big shade trees beside the riverbed. It is the place for afternoon tea, a drink at the bar and the evening fireside debrief, with game often in view while you do it.

• Lounge, bar and dining area overlooking the Luwi riverbed
• Campfire for evening drinks under the stars
• Battery charging in the main area, powered by solar
• Wi-Fi in the chalets only — the main area stays screen-free
• Laundry included in the rate

The camp is open from 20 May to 15 November, the heart of Zambia's dry season, when the bush thins out and animals concentrate on the remaining water.

Activities

Walking is the main reason to come to Nsolo, and the guiding is among the best in Zambia. South Luangwa is the birthplace of the African walking safari, and on foot you read the bush in a way no vehicle allows — fresh lion tracks in the sand, the alarm call of a bushbuck, the warm dung that says elephants passed minutes ago.

• Walking safaris — morning walks with an armed scout, tracking lion and wild dog along the riverbed and through riverine woodland
• Game drives — morning and afternoon drives in open vehicles, ending with sundowners
• Walking between camps — the Time + Tide route links Nsolo with Luwi (9.5 km, about 2.5–3 hours), Mchenja (12 km, about 4 hours) and Kakuli (14 km, about 4–4.5 hours)
• Time + Tide Sleepout — a night sleeping out in the open bush, booked at a supplement
• Cultural visits — an introduction to the communities of the Luangwa Valley

Two activities a day are included in the rate, and the small numbers mean your guide can shape each outing around what you want to see.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Nsolo Camp and how do you get there?

Nsolo is a Time + Tide bush camp on the seasonal Luwi River in the remote interior of South Luangwa National Park, Zambia. Guests fly from Lusaka to Mfuwe Airport on a scheduled flight of about 70 minutes, then transfer to camp on a game drive of about two hours. The transfer is part of the safari, with wildlife viewing along the way.

How many rooms does Nsolo Camp have?

Nsolo has five thatched chalets, each raised on a timber deck overlooking the Luwi riverbed in South Luangwa. Every chalet has a double or twin set-up with feather-top beds, an open-air en-suite bathroom with a hot outdoor shower, and a private shaded deck. Rooms run on solar power and have fans and Wi-Fi, which is not available in the main area.

What activities are offered at Nsolo Camp?

Nsolo in South Luangwa specialises in walking safaris, led by expert guides tracking lion and wild dog along the dry Luwi riverbed. Morning and afternoon game drives and cultural visits are also offered, with two activities a day included in the rate. Guests can add the Time + Tide Sleepout, a night under the stars, at a supplement, or walk to neighbouring Time + Tide camps.

Can you walk between Nsolo Camp and other Time + Tide camps?

Yes. Nsolo sits on Time + Tide's walking route through South Luangwa National Park, linking it with three sister bush camps. Luwi is 9.5 km away, about 2.5 to 3 hours on foot. Mchenja is 12 km, about four hours, and Kakuli is 14 km, about four to four and a half hours. Each stretch is walked with a professional guide.

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

Nsolo in South Luangwa is open from 20 May to 15 November, covering Zambia's dry season. May and June bring green bush and cool mornings, ideal for walking. From August to October the vegetation thins and wildlife gathers at the last water, so game viewing peaks, though temperatures climb steeply in October and November.

Is Nsolo Camp in a malaria area?

Yes. Nsolo lies in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia, which is a malaria area, so the risk is high throughout the year. Visitors should consult a doctor or travel clinic about antimalarial prophylaxis before travelling. Mosquito nets are provided over the beds, and long sleeves, trousers and insect repellent in the evenings add useful protection.

In Conclusion

Nsolo Camp is the right choice for travellers who want South Luangwa the way it was meant to be seen: on foot, with a great guide, from a camp of only five chalets and no neighbours. The wildlife does the rest — lions on the riverbed, wild dogs nearby and elephants walking through camp.

The best way to experience it is as part of a Luangwa circuit. Three or four nights here, combined with the walk to Luwi, Mchenja or Kakuli and a night on the Time + Tide Sleepout, makes one of the great walking safaris in Africa. Come between June and October for the strongest game viewing, or in late May and June for green bush and cooler walking.

Uyaphi.com has been arranging tailor-made African safaris since 1999 — 27 years of planning trips across the continent, and of knowing which camps deliver. We will build your flights, transfers and camp sequence around your dates and budget, with no booking fees and no credit card surcharges. Tell us when you want to travel, and we will take care of the rest.