Words by Yvonne C Mtengwa

It’s an incredibly special feeling being the first guest occupying a new tent or suite, and even more so when it is in a corner of the earth that feels completely untouched. Mawimbi Bush Camp was our second stay during a 12-day traverse through Zambia, which began with a night stay in Lusaka, before heading into Kafue National Park for the middle part of our trip.

In brief: Mawimbi Bush Camp is a newly opened, low-density tented camp in Zambia’s Kafue National Park, set between the Kafue River and a natural wetland. A handful of river-facing suites have open-air showers and private decks with a plunge pool or wood-fired hot tub, and guided walking safaris are the highlight.

Discovering camps and lodges is very much about escaping the frantic pace of my day-to-day life. Answering a call to yet another bush adventures is an opportunity for the land to dictate the rhythm of your day and luxury is redefined by the absence of pretence. It’s just you, nature, and the few guests and staff that make for your human interactions. Zambia’s Kafue National Park is one such sanctuary. Spanning a staggering 22,400 square kilometres, it remains refreshingly under-explored, offering an expansive, quiet solitude that few other wilderness areas can match.

It was this craving for genuine, unhurried immersion that drew us to Mawimbi Bush Camp. Uniquely positioned between the sweeping curves of the mighty Kafue River and a vibrant natural wetland, this newly opened sanctuary feels less like a traditional lodge and more like a deeply personal home in the wild.

An Honest Welcome

Arriving as some of the very first guests to step onto Mawimbi’s wooden decks, we were instantly struck by the camp’s design language. Built from warm, exposed red brick and sweeping thatch, the architecture doesn’t fight the surrounding miombo woodland; it invites it – and you, in. The main Lapa stands as the communal heartbeat of the camp, offering a wide-angle lens onto an ancient riverine forest.

From the comfort of its deep couches, we often heard the grunt of hippos darting in and out from the river’s surface. By night, it was the roar of lions and the call of leopards, riveting in that while we were assured they were a distance away, from the walls of your canvas tent, one would think they were circling the camp’s perimeter.

But what truly sets Mawimbi apart isn’t just its exceptional geometry; it is the refreshing honesty of its curation. There are no scripted greetings or performative grand gestures here. Instead, you are welcomed by a team that feels like an extended family, led by personalities whose genuine warmth and deep-seated love for the bush shape every interaction.

There is an effortless hospitality in the way stories are traded around the fire, and a quiet pride in the kitchen, where talented local chefs serve up beautifully prepared, soul-warming cuisine that celebrates regional flavours. It is hospitality stripped of its corporate varnish, revealing the raw, generous heartbeat of Zambian culture, married with the excitement the African savannah breeds.

River Frontage and Restorative Silence

With just a few beautifully appointed tented suites, the camp ensures a low-density experience that guarantees absolute privacy. Each suite celebrates understated elegance, positioned deliberately along the river frontage.

Inside, the spaces are grounded by natural textures and thoughtful comforts: an en-suite indoor bathroom leads out to a magnificent open-air shower, while the private timber deck features its own refreshing plunge pool or a wood-fired hot tub. Waking up here means watching the morning mist rise off the water from your bed, accompanied only by the haunting call of a fish eagle or the distant splash of a pod of hippos.

Every Step a Discovery

Because Kafue National Park is managed under the dedicated stewardship of African Parks, the wildlife here thrives in its most natural state. At Mawimbi Bush Camp, the wilderness isn’t just observed from a distance; it is intimately explored.

While custom open-top vehicles take you deep into the central region’s rich predator territories—where lions, leopards, and wild dogs roam free, it is the walking safaris, should one dare, that steal the show. Led by expert guides, whose encyclopaedic knowledge of the terrain is paired with an infectious passion for the smallest details, stepping off the vehicle becomes an invitation to truly read the bush. Tracking the print of a puku through the seasonal wetland or observing the intricate architectural design of a termite mound, you quickly realize that a walking safari is undeniably the finest way to ground yourself in Africa’s soul.

As night falls, the experience shifts to starlit sleep-outs and long, unscripted conversations under a canopy of stars. Mawimbi Bush Camp does not try to manufacture an experience. It simply opens its doors, steps aside, and allows the quiet magic of the Kafue River to restore your spirit.

Need to Know

• Where: Between the Kafue River and a natural wetland in Kafue National Park, Zambia. The park covers about 22,400 square kilometres and is managed by African Parks.
• Stay: A few tented suites along the river frontage, each with an indoor bathroom, an open-air shower and a private timber deck with a plunge pool or wood-fired hot tub.
• Do: Game drives in open-top vehicles, guided walking safaris and starlit sleep-outs.
• See: Lions, leopards, wild dogs, hippos, puku and fish eagles.
• Combine with: A night in Lusaka and other camps on a longer Zambia itinerary.

Frequently Asked Questions

To discover Mawimbi Bush Camp, visit https://www.mawimbibushcamp.com/

Related reading on Travel Essence:

• Discover Kafue National Park: The Wild Heart of a 12-Day Zambian Expedition
• The Sound of Silence: Sensory Recalibration at Ila Safari Lodge