Kafunta River Lodge
Raised chalets · Floodplain edge, 10 km south of Mfuwe gate · Ron and Anke Cowan
High-end
In the GMA
Owner/family-run
Ron and Anke Cowan drove to Africa in a Land Rover in 1990 and never went home; they built this lodge in 1998 and still run it. There is a hide under the main deck looking onto a floodlit waterhole, and a geothermal hot tub fed by a natural spring, which nowhere else in the valley has.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Ground-level hide beneath the deck on a floodlit waterhole
- The valley's only natural hot spring bath
- Resident owners running the lodge since 1998
- All-inclusive rate covers meals, drinks and activities
- Open longer than its sister camps, into January
Cons
- Park fees of $60 per person a night, extra
- Wifi only in the main area, not rooms
- Eight-to-ten-hour self-drive from Lusaka if you skip flying
- Suite supplement adds $75 per person a night
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 Kafunta River Lodge
From $470 pppn. Up to $710 in peak season; long-stay rates from 5 nights. Park fees $60 pppn extra, a single charge covering the government levies for a GMA camp. All published rates include activities; Kafunta does not sell a room-only package (Anke Swanepoel, 16 September 2026).
All inclusive. The rate covers meals, drinks, activities and the transfers named below. Park fees are charged separately.
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 Kafunta River Lodge
Is Kafunta River Lodge good for families?
Yes, more than its sister camps. Kafunta welcomes children from age six, with younger children considered case by case, while Island Bush Camp and Three Rivers Camp both require a minimum age of twelve unless you privatise the whole camp.
Can you self-drive to Kafunta River Lodge?
Yes. Kafunta Safaris says self-drive is possible, though it takes longer than flying: around 8 to 10 hours from Lusaka to Mfuwe, or 5 to 6 hours from Lilongwe, followed by about a 45-minute drive on to the lodge. Most guests still choose to fly via Mfuwe airport.
What does the rate at Kafunta River Lodge include?
The rate includes meals, standard drinks and activities, confirmed directly by the lodge, which does not sell a room-only package. Park fees of $60 per person a night and a $75 per person suite supplement are charged separately, on top of the quoted rate.
Is Kafunta River Lodge good for a honeymoon?
Yes. It has a hide built under the main deck looking onto a floodlit waterhole, and a geothermal hot tub fed by a natural spring, the only one of its kind in the valley. Ron and Anke Cowan have run the lodge themselves since 1998.
How do you book Kafunta River Lodge?
Email reservations@kafuntasafaris.com or use the online enquiry form; a 20% deposit secures the booking. Cancellations more than 91 days before arrival carry no penalty, but cancelling between 90 and 46 days forfeits that deposit.