Track & Trail River Camp
Chalets, tents, a self-catering house and camping · Riverbank near Mfuwe gate · Peter Geraerdts
Mid-range
In the GMA
Owner/family-run
Owned by a wildlife photographer, which shows in the vehicle setup and the guiding. It covers the full range from a $15 campsite to full-board river chalets, and it is one of the friendliest bases in the valley for self-drivers.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Owned and guided by a wildlife photographer
- Set up specifically for self-drive travellers
- Everything from a $15 campsite to full board
- Spacious honeymoon suite for a special stay
- Self-catering Hippo Hide house on its own lagoon
Cons
- Closed January to March for the rains
- Walking safaris capped at six, minimum age twelve
- Park fees paid separately at the gate
- Activities booked only through the camp, no outside operators
Straight from the lodge
About the guides
Peter Geraerdts opened Track and Trail in 2007 and still runs it with his wife Chichi, who runs the food and the front of house. He guides himself, and he is a wildlife photographer, which is why the vehicles and the walks are set up around getting people into position rather than past a checklist. Most of the guiding team has been with him about eight years, which on a river where staff move between camps is worth knowing.
- Opened in 2007 and owner-run ever since.
- Peter Geraerdts holds a Grade 2 Zambian professional guide licence and has been guiding since 2010.
- The two guides are Steve, Grade 2, and Vickson, Grade 1, the higher of the two Zambian licences.
- He has photographed wildlife since 2008 and speaks Dutch, English and Spanish.
- Most of the guides have been with the camp for around eight years.
- Walking is led by a guide with an armed scout alongside; minimum age twelve, maximum six people.
Told to us by Peter Geraerdts, August 2026.
Straight from the lodge
The Hippo Hide, a house on its own lagoon
Set apart from the rest of the camp, this is a self-catering cabin on a lagoon with its own deck and loungers, where you can sit and watch animals come down to drink, fish and bathe. Peter Geraerdts puts the warning plainly: the resident elephants come close and look tame, and they are as wild as they get.
- A kitchen with utensils, crockery, pots and pans, a fridge, a microwave, and a gas stove and oven.
- One bedroom with an ensuite bathroom and a king bed, plus a sleeping couch in the living area.
- Built for a couple with one or two children.
- A few minutes' walk from the restaurant and the pool and gym.
- After dark a watchman walks you over to the main lodge, or you drive if you have a vehicle.
- Guests staying here use all the facilities of the camp.
Told to us by Peter Geraerdts, August 2026.
What's here
- Swimming pool
- Bar
- Family rooms
- Campsite
Arranged from the lodge:
- Game drives
- Guided walks
- Night drives
Read from Track & Trail River 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 activities cost
Activities here are booked and paid separately rather than bundled into the bed price, so this is what a day actually adds. Park fees are not included in any of it and are paid at the gate.
| Activity | Detail | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Morning game drive | 06:00 to 10:00, tea and a snack, minimum two people | $60 |
| Night game drive | 15:30 to 19:30, sundowner and a snack, minimum two people | $60 |
| Full day drive | 06:00 to 18:00, lunch and sundowner, minimum three people | $195 |
| Walking safari | 06:00 to 10:00, minimum age twelve, minimum three people | $70 |
| Private vehicle | On top of the activity rate | $200 |
| Village tour | Two hours: local market, Tribe cafe, Project Luangwa | $25 |
| Kawaza village | Four hours, plus a $30 donation paid direct to the village | $40 |
| Katemo school | Four hours, plus a $30 donation paid direct to the school | $40 |
| Chipembele | Three hours at the wildlife education centre, plus a $20 donation | $35 |
| Airport transfer | One way, minimum two people | $30 |
- Park entry is paid at the gate and is not in these figures: $25 for international visitors, $20 for SADC and residents. Permits run 06:00 to 20:00.
- Activities have to be booked through the camp; outside operators are not allowed to run drives from here.
- Maximum nine people in a vehicle, six on a walk.
- Give them a day's notice for anything you want arranged.
From Track and Trail's own activity sheet, revised 14 May 2024. We have asked whether the 2026 figures differ and will update this when they tell us.
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 Track & Trail River Camp
From $15 pppn camping. Camping $15 in low season and $17.50 in high. Accommodation only from $59; full board from $195; safari packages $280 to $467. Park fees on top.
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 Track & Trail River Camp
Is Track & Trail River Camp good for families?
The record and site do not publish a general minimum age for an overnight stay, only for the walking safaris, which require guests to be at least twelve. With family chalets alongside romantic doubles and safari tents, ask the camp directly about younger children before booking.
Can you self-drive to Track & Trail River Camp?
Yes, and the camp is built for it. It takes around nine to ten hours from Lusaka or five to six hours from Lilongwe, on roads the camp describes as now tarred throughout, ending at the camp five minutes from the park entrance.
What does a day's activities cost at Track & Trail?
Activities are booked and paid separately from the room rate. A morning or night game drive costs $60, a full day $195, and a walking safari $70, all before the park entry fee of $25 for international visitors or $20 for SADC residents, paid at the gate.
When is Track & Trail River Camp closed?
The camp closes from 10 January to 25 March, when heavy rain scatters the wildlife and turns the dirt roads difficult to travel. Outside that window it runs camping through to full-board chalets, including the self-catering Hippo Hide house.
How do you book Track & Trail River Camp?
A 25% deposit is required within 21 days of booking or the dates are released, with the balance due 30 days before arrival. Activities have to be booked through the camp itself, since outside operators are not allowed to run drives from here.