The best places for a luxury safari in Zambia
Be enchanted by the amazing scenery of Zambia, either on your private walking safari or from the comfort of your own infinity pool. Zambia’s exclusive camps can offer a great balance between luxurious accommodation and an authentic connection to nature.
Best camps & lodges for Luxury in Zambia
Sausage Tree Camp
Expansive suites with a private plunge pool and stylish, contemporary, bush chic décor, attended by a Machinda (butler) overlook the Zambezi River at the luxurious Sausage Tree Camp. Great food and an excellent standard of service ensures a memorable stay and a dedicated private guide and vehicle mean an exclusive safari experience. Sausage Tree balances an authentic wildlife experience with a very comfortable stay.
Luangwa Safari House
The Luangwa Safari House’s four unique bedrooms all lead off a striking open-sided lounge, which itself opens onto a private pool and waterhole deck. It’s all splendid, but the real luxury here is uninterrupted time with your family or friends, and complete control over what you do and when you do it.
Chichele Lodge
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. With private retreats, plunge pools, and an on-site spa, Chichele is a great option for those looking to add a bit of luxury to their safari in Zambia.
Chiawa Camp
With uninterrupted views across the Zambezi River, Chiawa’s classic tents are furnished to a high standard. Attention to detail and quality abound: this is a tightly-run ship! Expect food that would grace a top restaurant, and an impressive range of activities delivered by an attentive team.
Toka Leya Camp
A marvellous combination of safari-style and modern luxury, Toka Leya is a great place to stay in Zambia. Close enough to Livingstone, but in a quiet and peaceful spot on Zambezi River, it features sumptuous interior with brown leather high-back chairs, chandeliers and Persian style rugs.
The River Club
The River Club has one of the best views over the Zambezi and a delightful, old-fashioned, quite colonial character; exemplified by croquet lawn, a billiard room and a vintage Rolls Royce. Just ten smart, split-level chalets line the riverbank – complete with beautiful canopied beds.
Chinzombo
Certainly the most ‘designed’ camp in Zambia, Chinzombo’s architects created crisp lines and an uncluttered layout, catering to those seeking high levels of comfort and style. Indulge in the spa; relax in your private pool; and perhaps take in a game drive or walk whilst you’re here.
Tongabezi
Tongabezi set the standard for safari-lodge design when it opened in 1990, with a series of individual suites, all half-open to make the most of superb river vistas. Since then, successive upgrades have honed the original, but it remains one of the most luxurious lodges in Zambia.
Royal Livingstone Hotel
This luxury hotel combines modern comforts with an old-world, colonial style. At Royal Livingstone Hotel expect flamboyant décor including wing-backed chairs, plump couches, wrought-iron chandeliers and a piano in the lounge: a perfect ambience for smart cocktails before dinner.
King Lewanika Lodge
The only camp in the remote Liuwa Plain National Park, King Lewanika delivers traditional luxury in a remarkable location. Six large, tented villas open up to the vast wilderness around, whilst the real luxury of Liuwa is its exclusivity; so few visitors ever reach this park.
Anabezi Luxury Camp
Anabezi offers high levels of luxury in a game-rich area of the Lower Zambezi National Park. Tented chalets give the feel of being immersed in the wilderness, whilst the added luxuries of comfortable lounge areas and private plunge pools create a perfect opportunity to relax.
Shumba Camp
Shumba Camp’s rooms have a rustic décor and an antique-style design, featuring sumptuous dark leather furniture scattered around the vast space. Thoughtful details, like a mohair blanket, and coffee brought with a wake-up call, are great touches to your luxury safari.
Latitude 15
Appointed with a heated pool, a gym and a spa, this boutique hotel offers quite a luxurious stay in a quiet part of Lusaka. Simple yet tasteful décor includes colourful African prints, which create vibrant details and remind you that you are indeed in Africa.
Tangala House
Tangala House was designed as a luxurious family house, and is used mostly by its owners. However, it can be hired for a private group of up to eight – with a staff which includes a chef, a driver, and guides to show you around Livingstone and the Falls.
Ciela Resort
With a full spa on site, an outdoor heated pool, nature walks, an 18-hole golf course and the option of fine dining , all set in beautiful grounds, Ciela Resort offers a luxurious break in the Zambian capital on arrival or before departure.
Luxury elsewhere in Africa
Our top ideas and inspiration for Luxury in other countries.
Where to see wildlife species in Zambia
Maximise the chances of seeing your favourite animals based on traveller sightings reports from the field.
Lion
Panthera leo
Lions are at the top of the food chain and also most safari wish-lists, but with their numbers falling fast, any encounter with these majestic apex predators always feels like a privilege.
81% SUCCESS
3,130 sightings from 3,868 observations
Leopard
Panthera pardus
The most numerous of Africa’s big cats, leopard occur across many habitats, from wild tracts to populated areas. Their grace and their elusive nature make them a unique safari drawcard.
47% SUCCESS
2,008 sightings from 4,295 observations
Wild dog
Lycaon pictus
African wild dogs are among the continent’s most compelling animals. Much misunderstood, these rare, tie-dyed canids are amazingly efficient hunters with a fascinating social life.
32% SUCCESS
908 sightings from 2,868 observations
Cheetah
Acinonyx jubatus
The cheetah is the fastest land animal and the only cat that hunts by pure speed. Found largely in open grasslands, its slim, elegant form is today an increasingly rare sight.
33% SUCCESS
1,075 sightings from 3,287 observations
Buffalo
Syncerus caffer
One of the ‘Big Five’, buffalo earned a fearsome reputation in hunters’ tales. By contrast, big herds of these sociable bovids are placid, but mount formidable defences against predators.
83% SUCCESS
2,649 sightings from 3,200 observations
Eland
Taurotragus oryx
Africa’s largest antelope, eland are culturally important from prehistoric rock art to modern game farms. Though widespread, they are also shy so sightings are uncommon and often fleeting.
49% SUCCESS
1,496 sightings from 3,071 observations
Elephant
Loxodonta africana
By far the biggest of the so-called Big Five – indeed, the largest land animal on the planet – the elephant shapes the very landscape it inhabits and is a defining presence on any safari.
91% SUCCESS
3,760 sightings from 4,141 observations
Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
The world’s tallest land mammal, giraffes are herbivores which have evolved many unique adaptations. Their iconic outlines tower above the bush in many of Africa’s wildlife areas.
86% SUCCESS
3,622 sightings from 4,218 observations
Hippo
Hippopotamus amphibius
The territorial calls of the hippo create a signature soundtrack to Africa’s rivers & wetlands. Despite an endearing smile, this aquatic herbivore has a notoriously aggressive disposition.
89% SUCCESS
2,749 sightings from 3,077 observations
Roan antelope
Hippotragus equinus
Africa’s second largest antelope and one of its most handsome, with a powerful build and distinctive markings, roan are wary of people, but renowned for their bravery against predators.
24% SUCCESS
497 sightings from 2,114 observations
Sable antelope
Hippotragus niger
Perhaps Africa’s most beautiful antelope, sable are renowned for their combative nature, even holding off lions. Shy and restricted in range, sightings of sable are always special.
23% SUCCESS
479 sightings from 2,115 observations
Spotted Hyena
Crocuta crocuta
The spotted hyena may be thought of as ‘ugly’ and ‘cowardly’. In fact, this versatile and intelligent carnivore is one of Africa’s most fascinating and warrants attention on any safari.
55% SUCCESS
2,236 sightings from 4,089 observations
Wildebeest
Connochaetes sp.
Superficially bovine in appearance, wildebeests are known for their spectacular migrations sometimes in huge numbers. These resilient animals are some of Africa’s most successful herbivores.
68% SUCCESS
2,566 sightings from 3,801 observations
Zebra
Equus sp.
The zebra is a quintessential African animal: the horse in stripy pyjamas at the end of every child’s A–Z. There are three species, of which the plains zebra is much the most common.
84% SUCCESS
3,960 sightings from 4,713 observations
Aardvark
Orycteropus afer
The aardvark is one of Africa’s most bizarre and enigmatic animals. A shy, nocturnal termite-eater, signs of its presence may be scattered about the bush whilst sightings remain elusive.
2% SUCCESS
73 sightings from 3,435 observations
Pangolin
Smutsia sp.
Pangolins appear to be more pine cone than animal in their unique armoury of scales. These nocturnal, ant-eating oddities are not only highly elusive but also increasingly rare.
2% SUCCESS
57 sightings from 3,448 observations
Black Rhino
Diceros bicornis
The black rhino is the smaller and rarer of Africa’s two rhino species but has the more fearsome reputation. Shy and heavily persecuted, it tends to stick to cover.
30% SUCCESS
637 sightings from 2,110 observations
White Rhino
Ceratotherium simum
The white rhino is the largest and most numerous of the world’s five rhinoceros species. They are larger, easier to see and generally more approachable than the black rhino.
43% SUCCESS
511 sightings from 1,178 observations
Sitatunga
Tragelaphus spekii
The sitatunga is the most aquatic of Africa’s antelopes and specially adapted to its swampy habitats. Though widespread across Africa, only a handful of places offer reliable sightings.
19% SUCCESS
65 sightings from 347 observations
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