Chikoko Tree Camp
Treehouse chalets · West bank, walking trails area · Remote Africa Safaris (Coppinger family)
High-end
Inside the park
Owner/family-run
You walk in and you walk out. Three treehouses in a roadless part of the park, run by a family that has been guiding here for generations. For walking purists this is the real thing.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Reached on foot, no vehicles anywhere nearby
- Three treehouses built into the tree canopy
- Run by guides from the same family for generations
- Hot water for evening showers on request
- Solar fans and charging points in every chalet
Cons
- Minimum age twelve, no exceptions mentioned
- No wifi anywhere on site
- Reached by canoe crossing, then on foot
- Open season dates differ by source; confirm directly
What's here
Arranged from the lodge:
- Game drives
- Guided walks
- Birding
Read from Chikoko Tree Camp's own website in July 2026. Anything not listed we could not confirm, which is not the same as it being absent.
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. South Luangwa National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entry$25 if you are in an operator vehicle instead of self-driving.
- $30per person, per day
- VehicleUnder 3 tonnes, foreign registered.
- $15per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $225 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
There is no single park fee here. On top of the gate fee, camps pass on vehicle fees, guide fees and bed levies, and what applies depends on whether the camp sits inside the national park or in the Game Management Area alongside it. Kafunta Safaris, who charge one combined figure covering the government levies, told us it comes to $60 per person per night at their two GMA camps and $90 at their camp inside the park. Treat that as the shape of it rather than a universal rate: the amounts move with each operator's lease.
The full fee schedule for South Luangwa National ParkRates at Chikoko Tree Camp
From $650 pppn. Walking-only camp; guests aged 12 and over.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Indicative 2026 rates from operators' own rate cards, gathered July 2026. Rates change by season and year, so always confirm with the lodge. Park fees are extra almost everywhere: budget about $30 per person per day, plus vehicle fees.
Questions about Chikoko Tree Camp
Is Chikoko Tree Camp good for families?
Not for young children. The minimum age is twelve, the same walking-focused rule the record states, and the camp is reached on foot after a canoe crossing from Tafika, eight kilometres upstream. This suits confident older children and adults rather than young families.
Can you self-drive to Chikoko Tree Camp?
No. There are no roads or vehicles in this part of the park. Guests reach Chikoko on foot from Tafika Camp, eight kilometres upstream, crossing the river by canoe along the way, so this is a fly-in-then-walk camp rather than a drivable one.
When is Chikoko Tree Camp open?
Sources differ slightly: the park record lists 25 May to 31 October, while the camp's own site lists 1 June to 31 October. Either way it runs a similar dry-season window, so confirm exact dates with Remote Africa Safaris before booking.
Is there wifi at Chikoko Tree Camp?
No. The site states plainly that there is no wifi, only a solar communal charging area and a charging port in each chalet. This is a deliberately unplugged camp built around walking trails rather than connectivity.
What does the rate at Chikoko Tree Camp include?
Remote Africa Safaris does not publish rates online for Chikoko; the record notes it as a walking-only camp for guests twelve and over. Ask the operator directly what the nightly rate covers, including meals, activities and park fees, before booking.