Mfuwe Lodge
Thatched lodge · Just inside Mfuwe gate, between two lagoons · The Bushcamp Company
High-end
Inside the park
Safari company
Famous for one thing above all: every year elephant families stroll straight through the lobby to eat fallen wild mangoes, an event that happens nowhere else in Africa. Beyond the spectacle it is a comfortable, well-run base close to the gate.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Wild elephants walk through reception for mango season, October to mid-December
- Open year-round, unlike the seasonal bush camps
- Three family rooms plus a separate family house
- Pool and spa on site
- Only 45 minutes from Mfuwe airport
Cons
- Park fees, premium drinks and gratuities cost extra
- Wifi is only in the main area, not chalets
- Only three of eighteen chalets are family rooms
What's here
- Swimming pool
- Spa or massage
Arranged from the lodge:
- Game drives
- Guided walks
- Night drives
Read from Mfuwe Lodge'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 Mfuwe Lodge
From $565 pppn. Up to $751 in peak season. 45 minutes from Mfuwe airport.
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 Mfuwe Lodge
Is Mfuwe Lodge good for families?
Yes. The lodge welcomes all ages, with three family rooms among its eighteen chalets and a separate family house for more space. Bushcamp Company's general rates cover most meals and game drives; park fees and premium drinks cost extra. Book early, since the family rooms are limited.
Can you self-drive to Mfuwe Lodge?
The operator's site does not confirm self-drive access. Most guests fly into Mfuwe airport, a 45-minute transfer from the lodge, and the site gives no directions for arriving by road. Ask Bushcamp Company directly if you plan to drive yourself to the gate.
What does the rate at Mfuwe Lodge include?
Bushcamp Company's rates generally cover accommodation, laundry, house drinks, most meals and scheduled game drives and walking safaris, plus VAT and the government service charge. Gratuities, premium drinks, add-on activities and park fees or bed levies are not included, so budget separately for those.
Is Mfuwe Lodge open all year?
Yes, unlike the company's seasonal bush camps, Mfuwe Lodge stays open all year. Its best-known event is wild elephants walking through the open reception to reach fallen mangoes, which happens from October to mid-December. Outside that window it still runs as a normal base near the gate.
How do you book Mfuwe Lodge?
Email the Bushcamp Company reservations team with your party size, dates and camps of interest; they reply within about 24 hours with a proposal. You then have up to 21 days to confirm, with a 20% deposit required to secure the booking.