Lwenge River Camp is OPEN!
After months of planning, building, moving poles, laying thatch, solving problems and watching the Kafue River flow past the construction site, we are very happy to say that Lwenge River Camp is now open!
Our first guests have arrived, the camp is functioning, the boats are on the river, the fires are being lit — and, most importantly, we are finally able to share the finished camp with you.
From an idea to a real safari camp
We introduced Lwenge earlier this year as a new way to experience the Kafue — a camp built around its position directly on the river, with a slightly different feel and rhythm from our established Musekese Camp.
Now that it is actually open, we can say with some confidence that it has lived up to what we hoped it would become.
The setting is the obvious starting point. Lwenge sits beneath large trees on the banks of the Kafue River, looking across towards a beautiful island and a vast stretch of undeveloped wilderness. The river is part of everyday camp life here: from the dining and lounge areas, from the swimming pool and from the guest rooms, there is always the possibility of watching elephants cross, hippos surface or birds moving along the river.
And then there is the wildlife.
Lwenge sits within the same exclusive operating area as Musekese Camp, meaning guests have access to the same exceptionally productive Kafue wilderness that we know so well. Lion, leopard, wild dog, elephant and a remarkable variety of plains game and birdlife are all part of the picture.
It also means access to some of the experiences that have become synonymous with this part of Kafue — including the Kamasot wildlife hide and the conservation and research work taking place through Musekese Conservation.
In other words, Lwenge is a new camp, but it is not a new safari area.
A different way to experience the Musekese Area
That distinction is important.
We don't really see Lwenge and Musekese as camps that guests need to combine. They are two different ways of experiencing the same remarkable wilderness.
Musekese remains our more established, conservation-focused camp beside Eden Lagoon, while Lwenge puts the Kafue River much more firmly at the centre of the experience.
Here, days can revolve around the river as much as the game drives — with boating, fishing, swimming, river views and the simple pleasure of sitting on a veranda watching the bush unfold in front of you.
For an itinerary, Lwenge therefore works particularly well alongside Ntemwa-Busanga Camp. The combination gives guests two very different Kafue environments: the open, wildlife-rich Busanga Plains and the riverine wilderness of the Musekese Area.
Five rooms for our first season
We opened Lwenge with five guest rooms, deliberately starting at a relatively small scale while we find our feet.
And, as with any new camp, there are still things we want to refine.
The fundamentals are there — the setting, the wildlife, the guiding, the food, the rooms and the overall experience — but over the coming months we'll continue to soften some of the edges, add furnishings and finishing touches, and allow the camp to develop its own character.
That is part of the fun of opening somewhere new.
We've already had our first guests through the doors, and their initial feedback has been hugely encouraging.
“We were very happy to see the new camp and absolutely amazed by our room overlooking the river. I cannot wait to come back here. We particularly loved the food, the room setup and, most of all, the remoteness and feeling of being in such a wild and untouched place..." Needham x 2 - August 2026
“Lwenge is very very cool! Love it.” Tony and Victoria x 2 - August 2026
“Beautiful Rooms. Comfortable Beds. Great wildlife. Lovely Food. Fantastic Guides.” Hipwood Family x 5 - August 2026
These first stays are also incredibly useful for us. They allow us to see how the camp actually works with guests in residence — what works beautifully, what can be improved and where we can add those little touches that make a stay feel special.
And we're already planning the next step.
For the 2027 season, we will add a sixth guest room, taking Lwenge to a total of six rooms.
Here are some more images of the Guest Rooms:
And here of the Main Areas:
When can you visit Lwenge River Camp?
Lwenge River Camp operates seasonally, from 1 May to 1 December.
The seasonal nature of the camp is very much part of the experience. As the Kafue changes through the year, so does the character of the river, the landscape and the wildlife around it.
For us, opening Lwenge is not about creating another safari camp simply for the sake of adding another camp.
It is about giving guests another way to experience an area of Kafue that we have spent many years working in, guiding in and conserving.
The river gives it a different rhythm. The same wilderness gives it an exceptional wildlife backdrop. And being part of the wider Musekese Area means that guests are connected to the conservation work, wildlife research and community initiatives that underpin our operation here.
So, after all the drawings, construction photos and promises of what it would become, Lwenge River Camp is finally open.
Access is easy too. Fly in to Lufupa Airstrip from Lusaka (1h15mins) or drive from Lusaka (5 hours).
And now we'd love for you to come and experience it for yourself...
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