Mwamba Bush Camp
Reed and bamboo chalets · Mwamba confluence, 6 km north of Kaingo · Shenton Safaris
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High-end
Inside the park
Owner/family-run
Built deliberately on a site poachers once used, Mwamba is four woven reed chalets rebuilt every season. Its Last Waterhole Hide is the only one you can walk to unescorted, and by late season it becomes the last water for miles: guests routinely skip drives and sit there all day.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Last Waterhole Hide reached unescorted from your chalet
- Built on a former poachers' camp, deliberately
- Walk in directly from sister camp Kaingo
- Only four chalets, so camp stays quiet
- Late-season water draws game right past camp
Cons
- No public rates; budget roughly $800 to $950 at peak
- Rebuilt from reed each season, deliberately rustic
- Open only 17 May to 31 October
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 Mwamba Bush Camp
On request. No public rates; expect roughly $800 to $950 in peak season.
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 Mwamba Bush Camp
Is Mwamba Bush Camp good for families?
Mwamba's own site did not return usable content when we checked, and we found no minimum age or child policy in the park record either. With only four reed chalets for up to eight guests, ask Shenton Safaris directly whether the camp suits children before booking.
Can you self-drive to Mwamba Bush Camp?
This is not confirmed on Shenton Safaris' own site, which did not load for us. Guests can walk in from the neighbouring Kaingo Camp, but arrival from Mfuwe airport is not described as a self-drive route, so confirm transfer arrangements directly with the operator.
How much does Mwamba Bush Camp cost?
Shenton Safaris does not publish rates for Mwamba. The park's own record estimates roughly $800 to $950 per person per night in peak season, but this is an estimate rather than a confirmed price, so check current figures with the camp before booking.
What is special about the Last Waterhole Hide at Mwamba?
It is the only hide here guests can walk to unescorted, built deliberately on a site poachers once used to help push poaching out of the area. By late season it becomes the last water for miles, and guests often sit there all day instead of driving out.
When is Mwamba Bush Camp open?
The camp's season runs from 17 May to 31 October, according to the park record, then the reed chalets are rebuilt before the next one. Outside that window Mwamba does not exist in its physical form, so plan your trip inside those dates.