Nkwali Camp
Stone and thatch chalets · East bank, 6 km from Mfuwe gate, with a private pontoon · Robin Pope Safaris
High-end
In the GMA
Safari company
Nkwali's trick is its private pontoon: you cross straight into the park without joining the queue at the main gate. Open all year, comfortable rather than showy, and a sensible first stop in the valley.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Private pontoon crossing straight into the park
- Open all year, unlike most camps upriver
- Children from age seven welcome, younger than sister camps
- Dedicated honeymoon villa among the chalets
- Rate includes meals, activities and the bar
Cons
- Limited wifi and limited phone access
- Park entry fees charged separately
- Six chalets only, so it books out
What's here
- Campsite
Arranged from the lodge:
- Guided walks
- Birding
- Fishing
Read from Nkwali 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 Nkwali Camp
From $535 pppn. Up to $755 in peak season. Open all year.
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 Nkwali Camp
Is Nkwali Camp good for families?
Yes, more than its Nsefu Sector sister camps. Robin Pope Safaris welcomes children from age seven at Nkwali, lower than the age-twelve rule at Nsefu and Tena Tena, and there is a family unit among the six chalets for a group travelling together.
Can you self-drive to Nkwali Camp?
The site does not describe a self-drive road route; access is by boat or across Nkwali's own pontoon for exclusive entry into the park, skipping the main gate queue. Robin Pope Safaris arranges transfers from Mfuwe Airport for guests flying in.
Is Nkwali Camp good for a honeymoon?
Yes. It has a dedicated honeymoon villa among its six chalets, and the camp is open all year, so a couple is not limited to the shorter seasons that apply at Nsefu or Tena Tena upriver.
What does the rate at Nkwali Camp include?
The rate is inclusive of accommodation, activities, meals and the bar. Park entry fees are charged on top and are not part of the quoted price, which runs from $535 to $755 per person per night depending on season.
When is Nkwali Camp open?
Nkwali is open all year, which makes it one of the more flexible bases in the valley compared with the seasonal bush camps further upriver. Long-stay discounts also apply for guests staying more than seven nights across Robin Pope Safaris properties.