Lion Camp: Our View

Lion Camp is a long established camp in South Luangwa. In 2018 Lion Camp was bought by new owners, rebuilt, and totally upgraded. The modest, classic safari camp that was there before has been replaced by a more stylish, contemporary, camp which we absolutely love!

South Luangwa is famous for its rustic, small, bush camps but the new Lion Camp offers something very different. This is a truly luxurious camp more like the high end tented camps you would find in the Okavango Delta or safari parks in Zimbabwe.

But there has been no compromise on either the intimacy or the safari experience. With just 10 tented rooms, this is still a small camp. The location is also superb! It is located inside the park in their remote northern section. Not only does this area have superb game viewing but it is also uncrowded, as there are few other camps in this section of the park. So clients can be sure of an exclusive, peaceful, safari.

Lion Camp is a real change from the simple, traditional, South Luangwa bush camps, which is why it is a welcome addition to the options available. For clients looking for high end accommodation inside the park, with more facilities than most other South Luangwa bush camps, and which also offers a superb safari experience, Lion Camp would be a fantastic option.

Lion Camp: Quick Facts

• 10 tented rooms including 1 honeymoon suite with its own sleep out deck
• All rooms have airconditioning, Wi-Fi access and electric charging points - all very rare in South Luangwa!
• Superb location in the remote northern sector of the park
• Day & Night game drives and walking safaris offered
• Children 10 years or older are welcome. Please note that there are no specific family rooms though
• Excellent facilities include swimming pool, photographic hide, small gym, and photographic studio
• About 3 hours transfer from Mfuwe airport – final 2 hours are done as game drive through the park

Lion Camp: The Details

When it reopened in 2018, the refurbished Lion Camp set new standards of luxury for a bush camp inside South Luangwa Park. Lion Camp remains one of the most luxurious camps in the park. The 10 tented rooms consist of 8 Luxury Suites, 1 Deluxe Suite, and 1 Honeymoon Suite. The Luxury suites are spacious, light, and airy, on elevated wooden decks. They are timber framed with canvas walls and high thatched roofs, elegantly furnished in quite a contemporary style, with muted colours. Large mesh windows allow any breeze to circulate and also allow you to hear all the sounds of the bush so you don’t loose that ‘close to nature’ ambience. The large outside deck is a perfect place to relax with views of the surrounding plains and abundant wildlife around the camp. Rooms have ensuite bathrooms with flush toilet and showers. The rooms also have some welcome extras not often found in bush camps in South Luangwa. There are Evening Breeze air con systems over the beds which are very welcome in the hot summer months. The rooms also have 24-hour electrical supply and lighting with various sockets for plugs, as well as USB charging points. The rooms also have Wi-Fi internet access. The deluxe suite is similar in style but with an outside bath on the deck, coffee stations and a stocked minibar. The honeymoon suite provides the ultimate in luxury with all the extras that the Deluxe suite has, as well as its own private ‘sleep out’ deck!

The focal point of the camp is the large open sided communal area. This is covered by a thatched roof and is connected to the rooms by raised walkways. It is sub divided into separate dining, lounge, and bar areas with plenty of spaces for guests to relax in. At the centre is a large firepit area. All these areas have wonderful views onto the surrounding grass plains and lagoon. Like the rooms, the facilities at the lodge are excellent by South Luangwa standards. There is a curio shop, private reading room, photographic studio, and a hide at water level that offers close up game viewing and excellent photo opportunities. Lion Camp is also one of the few camps inside the park with a swimming pool!

Whilst we love the luxury that Lion Camp offers, it is not a camp we would totally recommend if it did not offer a 5-star safari experience. Fortunately, it does not disappoint in this respect. We have always loved the location of Lion Camp. It is in a remote location right in the bush in the Northern section of South Luangwa. With few other camps around, guests can be sure of a peaceful and uncrowded experience on the game activities. The game viewing is superb in this area of the park, and as the camp is totally unfenced, you will see wildlife all around - even roaming through the camp! The terrain in this northern sector of the park is also different to other areas. As well as the Luangwa River, which always attracts abundant wildlife, there are wide open plains which are perfect for spotting wildlife. The main activities offered are game drives and walking safaris - the latter is especially good around Lion Camp as the area has few vehicles driving around.