Chichele Presidential Lodge: Our full report
Chichele Presidential Lodge was originally built in 1972 as the holiday home for the former Zambian president ...
... Kenneth Kaunda. From a commanding spot on the top of Chichele Hill, it has stunning views over South Luangwa National Park, the Luangwa River and the Chindeni Hills. It is a solidly-built lodge with a more colonial feel than most. Please note that Chichele Presidential Lodge closed at the beginning of October 2018 for a major rebuild and refurbishment, and is currently due to open in 2022. We are following the progress and will update here when we have further information - please call us for the latest developments.After major refurbishment, Chichele Presidential Lodge was reopened by Mr Kaunda himself in April 2011.
For the last 10 years, the lodge has functioned as an upmarket luxury safari lodge, with spacious, air-conditioned suites with double or twin four-poster beds draped with mosquito nets.
French doors lead onto private verandas, set with table and chairs where you can sit and enjoy the views. The large en-suite bathrooms featured a ball-and-claw roll-top bath as well as a separate shower cubicle, with twin washbasins set into wooden top beneath wood-framed mirrors, and toilets with old-fashioned cisterns set up on the wall with a pull chain.
The main area at Chichele is spacious and airy with a large fireplace for cool nights, and outside is a large covered veranda where most meals are taken - the views from the lodge are some of the best in the Luangwa. The lodge also boasts a large swimming pool.
The lodge will be run and managed by the same team running the nearby Puku Ridge, which has recently been rebuilt, and so we're expecting a similarly high level of style to the new lodge, along with the high standard of guiding and service we've come to expect from these camps.
Activities at Chichele Lodge will concentrate on day and night 4WD game drives, with walking safaris on offer as well. The lodge is located in the area south of the Mfuwe Main Gate, with drives taken near the Luangwa River and in the surrounding woodland.
Our view
Chichele Presidential Lodge is currently undergoing significant renovations, and we're excited to see the new look of the lodge when it's completed.
Country manager: Zambia
Geographics
- Location
- South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
- Ideal length of stay
- A stay of three to four nights in this area of the national park would be ideal.
- Directions
- The nearest airport is at Mfuwe, a 90-minute drive from Chichele.
- Accessible by
- Fly-and-Transfer
Food & drink
- Usual board basis
- Full Board & Activities
- Food quality
- On previous visits, the food at Chichele is of a very high standard. On our visits to Chichele's sister camps we've also enjoyed delicious meals, and would expect similar from the new lodge when it reopens.
We're expecting that the lodge will follow the generally standard meal times as the other safari lodges in the park.
Breakfast is normally served before the morning activity. A buffet table is laid out with an assortment of cereals, fresh fruit and fruit juices as well as freshly baked bread. A cooked breakfast is also usually available to order.
On returning from the morning activity, brunch is served. This is generally a selection of salads and a hot dish such as barbecue chicken or a quiche, and is followed by a dessert.
Afternoon tea is served at about 4.00pm and consists of both a sweet and a savoury snack. - Dining style
- Individual Tables
- Dining locations
- Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Special interests
- Luxury
- Originally built as a holiday home for Zambia’s first president, Kenneth Kaunda, Chichele Lodge stands high on one of South Luangwa’s few hills. It’s been converted into a very comfortable safari lodge with high ceilings, wide verandahs and a certain colonial style.
- See ideas for Luxury
Children
- Attitude towards children
- As soon as we have information on the age policies at Chichele we will update these details.
- Special activities & services
- We don't know as yet what additional services will be available for any children staying at the lodge.
Communications
- Communications
- The lodge is likely to have WiFi. Limited cell phone reception is usually available in this area of the park.
- Water supply
- Mains
Health & safety
- Malarial protection recommended
- Yes
- Dangerous animals
- High Risk
- Security measures
- There is a doctor based in the Mfuwe section of the park. For more serious incidents, travellers would be flown to Lusaka, or Johannesburg.
- Fire safety
- We understand there will be fire extinguishers throughout.
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Cultural excursion
Guided walking safari
Night drive
Extras
- Disabled access
- On Request
- Laundry facilities
- Laundry is likely to be included.
- Money
- Rooms are likely to have individual safes.
Other lodges in South Luangwa National Park
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Tafika
One of the best camps in Zambia, Tafika is naturally built, combining excellent service and food with top guiding skills for a superb wildlife experience.
Nkwali
On the banks of the Luangwa River, with its own access to the national park, the intimate Nkwali is open year round.
Kaingo Camp
Small and owner-run, the riverside Kaingo occupies a a quiet but excellent game area, with a series of wildlife hides and a focus on photography.
Nsefu
One of the Luangwa's oldest camps, Nsefu is a great safari camp in a remote, beautiful and game-rich location with top-rate guiding.
Tena Tena
One of the Luangwa's best camps, in a beautiful, remote bush location, Tena Tena is very small, exceedingly well-run and has top-rate guiding.
Mwamba Bushcamp
Small, remote and owner-run, Mwamba offers first-class walking, 4WD safari drives and superb hides, with excellent guides and a real bush feel.
Chikoko Tree Camp
Chikoko Tree Camp is an excellent small, rustic bushcamp that concentrates on walking safaris, and is run by a top-quality operation.
Big Lagoon Camp
Big Lagoon Camp is a great little rustic bushcamp built to high standards that focuses on excellent walking safaris, with the emphasis on top wildlife guides.
Kapani Lodge
Kapani Lodge is now the main office base for Norman Carr Safaris, one of the Luangwa's oldest safari operations.
Flatdogs Camp
A relatively big safari camp, Flatdogs offers value for money with great guiding and good food in a comfortable, relaxed setting.
Luangwa River Camp
Luangwa River Lodge is a small and consciously stylish lodge in the Mfuwe area, overlooking the Luangwa River and the South Luangwa National Park beyond – an area renowned for great game.
Mchenja Bushcamp
Set in a shady ebony grove on the banks of the Luangwa, Mchenja is a smart tented bushcamp. It combines well with Kakuli and Nsolo – its sister camps with a focus on walking safaris.
Kakuli Bushcamp
Beside the Luangwa River, Kakuli is a comfortable tented bushcamp offering 4WD safaris and walking safaris – the best of which are camp-to-camp walks linking Kakuli with its nearby sister camps.
Nsolo Bushcamp
Nsolo is a small, comfortable bushcamp overlooking one or two pools in the usually dry Luwi riverbed. It concentrates on walking safaris in an interesting and diverse area, led by a knowledgeable guide.
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta is a laid-back, friendly and good-value lodge on the outskirts of South Luangwa National Park.
Luwi Bushcamp
In a remote part of the South Luangwa National Park, Luwi is a rustic bushcamp whose emphasis is on walking safaris with great guiding and a chance of seeing some rarely seen and elusive antelope.
Lion Camp
Lion Camp is an established and comfortable camp with a swimming pool, located near to the game-rich Lion Plain in the northern part of South Luangwa National Park.
Robin Pope mobile
RPS mobile safari camps are at the heart of their set-itinerary walking safaris in South Luangwa National Park, which start and finish at a permanent camp.
Puku Ridge
Puku Ridge is a luxurious designer camp set in a stunning location, high on a hill overlooking a floodplain within South Luangwa. Explore from here on 4WD safaris and walks.
Kapamba Bushcamp
In the remote far south of South Luangwa National Park, Kapamba is a small and very comfortable bushcamp offering good walks and game drives.
Mfuwe Lodge
In a game-rich area close to the South Luangwa’s main Mfuwe Gate, Mfuwe Lodge is relatively large by park standards, but it’s stylish, modern and family friendly.
Kuyenda Bushcamp
Kuyenda Bushcamp is a classic bushcamp with particularly delightful hosts and offers top-class walking safaris in South Luangwa National Park.
Luangwa Safari House
Luangwa Safari House is a vast and very smart four-bedroom house specifically designed for families and small groups, and offering an exclusive and flexible safari experience.
Three Rivers Camp
In the remote far south of South Luangwa National Park, Three Rivers Lodge sits at the confluence of three of the valleys rivers.
Island Bush Camp
Island Bushcamp is a good-value, rustic, walking-only camp, in arguably one of the most remote parts of the South Luangwa, well away from all other camps.
Chinzombo
Opened in early June 2013, Chinzombo offers luxurious and stylish accommodation with very high levels of service and excellent guiding.
Bilimungwe Bushcamp
A smart bushcamp with four very spacious chalets, Bilimungwe offers interesting walking safaris in pretty riverine woodland, as well as day and night safari drives.
Chindeni
Chindeni Bushcamp is a very modern and minimalist camp, which is a far cry from your traditional bushcamp and unlike most of the other camps in South Luangwa.
Robin's House
With your own expert guide, private vehicle, chef and valet, the two-bedroom Robin's House offers an exclusive, flexible safari experience – and is open year round.
Kawaza Village
Kawaza Village – beside the South Luangwa National Park, offers guests the rare opportunity to appreciate local village life. Visit for a few hours or stay overnight.
Chamilandu Bushcamp
A comfortable little bushcamp, Chamilandu has a picturesque setting by the Luangwa River, in an area with a range of habitats to explore on foot and by 4WD.
Mwamba Camp-out
The Mwamba-Camp Out allows you to have an incredibly adventurous night in the bush, sleeping under mosquito nets with activities led by some of the best guides in Zambia.
Zungulila
Zungulila is a small, comfortable tented bushcamp with an emphasis on walking safaris, in the remote southern section of the South Luangwa.
Shawa Luangwa
Opened in June 2021, Shawa Luangwa Camp is a small, intimate and rustic camp, with a good location in a remote section of the South Luangwa National Park.
Luwi Riverbed Sleepout
For an adventurous night in South Luangwa National Park, come and sleep out in the bush, around a campfire, with an experienced guide and game scout.
Mapazi Camp
Mapazi Camp is a basic safari camp in the far north of the South Luangwa, with walking safaris led by renowned guide Deb Tittle.
Chikunto
Chikunto Safari Lodge is a more traditional property in the South Luangwa National Park, sitting on a peninsula of land created by the meandering Luangwa River.
