This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more

Skip to main content

Talk to an expert 1-800-242-2434 Lines open now

User menu
KaingU Lodge
KaingU Lodge
KaingU Lodge
KaingU Lodge
KaingU Lodge
KaingU Lodge

KaingU Lodge: Our full report

Historically the south of Kafue has been considered the poor relation of the north, but in the last few years ...

... KaingU Lodge has gradually started to change opinions on this. This owner-run lodge is set in a stunning location next to the Kafue River, and offers a variety of activities, making the most of the natural surroundings.

KaingU Lodge has six large, green Meru-style tents, and a separate four-bed house, known as ‘Finfoot’. Built as much as possible with local materials, the lodge has been designed to blend into the natural surroundings.

The tents are raised on private wooden decks and have thatched roofs, which help to keep the rooms cooler during the hotter months.
Two of the rooms have double beds, while the other four are twins, all with mosquito netting overhead. The bedside lights are solar-powered, as are the bathroom lights. Flasks with filtered drinking water are provided in the room - the lodge has bottled water available at the bar, but encourages the use of re-fillable bottles. Charging points for your electronic devices can be found in the main area of the lodge.

All of the bedrooms at KaingU have en-suite bathrooms, each with indoor showers and either an outdoor shower or bath. The bathrooms are stylishly built in stone, with well thought-out details added, such as green bottles cleverly set into the walls to create artistic lighting effects.

Each tent has wood and gauze doors leading out to a large veranda, with chairs and a hammock, that overlooks the Kafue River.

KaingU’s family house, ‘Finfoot’, is a much more solid construction than the tents, with two en-suite bedrooms, one queen and one twin. The rooms are connected by a central lounge area, which has doors leading onto a private deck overlooking the river. It’s ideal for small families, or a group of friends, to have a bit more privacy from the rest of the camp.

The main area to KaingU Lodge is a thatched boma, incorporating the lounge, dining area and bar. Wi-Fi is available in this central area, and there’s a small curio shop here as well. You’ll find the afore-mentioned charging sockets here, and more solar-powered lighting - not only has KaingU been built making the most of the local surroundings and materials, but the entire lodge is powered by solar energy. A large redwood deck stretches out from the seating area over the river, shaded by the surrounding forest, with a fire-pit built into the deck for evening campfires. It’s a great place for sundowners, or just to relax after dinner and watch any wildlife that wanders through the camp.

As an owner-run property, the team behind KaingU have always had a passion for the area and its environment. There is game here: relaxed antelope are seen on day and night drivesm which are conducted in the national park just a 10 minutes boat ride from the lodge, and leopards pass through the camp regularly. The wildlife can be quite limited here though, especially when compared to some of the northern camps in the park. We therefore don’t think that the wildlife should be the main reason why people visit KaingU: instead the river is the major attraction here.

Beside KaingU, the mighty Kafue River splits into shallows as it flows around a myriad of small islands - each a jumble of sand, soil and huge, rounded granite boulders. This landscape lends itself wonderfully to a wide variety of river-based activities. Boat cruises along the river are possible, and many of the guides are keen, and experienced, fisherman for those wishing to add an extra activity to the boat trip. The lodge also offers canoeing trips in and around the islands, during which a wide variety of bird life and animals can be seen, and hippos, crocodiles and elephant are frequently encountered. The river is stunning here, and when we canoed down the river and stopped for brunch on one of the islands in August 2015, we felt that the river in this location was one of the main draws of the camp.

Apart from river activities, walking trails from the lodge to the local rock formations are an option, or for guests wishing to partake in longer treks walking safaris take place within the national park. KaingU Lodge is also heavily involved with community projects, including sponsoring the local school, and trips to see ongoing projects can be arranged.

If staying here, we recommend that travellers ensure for themselves that any walk from KaingU which goes through 'big game' areas should be accompanied by a trained and armed game scout. We don't recommend walking in big game areas without the proper guides and protection.


Our view

KaingU is an excellent little lodge, with a focus on environmental preservation where comfort, combined with traditional design, has been executed with impressive attention to detail. The amount of wildlife in the area may not be enough for most people to visit KaingU by itself, but the river and the walking here are truly stunning from a landscape perspective. We think that combining KaingU with one of Kafue’s camps in the north will give you the best of both worlds, and a great chance to properly explore this diverse national park.

Megan Green

Megan Green

Zambia expert

Geographics

Location
Kafue National Park, Zambia
Ideal length of stay
We would recommend a 2-3 night stay at KaingU in order to properly explore the landscape in this stunning section of the park, possibly combined with 2-3 nights in the more wildlife rich northern sections of Kafue National Park.
Directions
Fly-and-Transfer - KaingU is accessed by a short flight to Lusaka, either from Livingstone or Mfuwe,
From there, it’s a four and a half hour drive from Lusaka to KaingU. It’s possible to get a charter flight down, but this would be at an extra cost.
Accessible by
Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis
Full Board & Activities
Dining style
Group Meals
Dining locations
Indoor and Outdoor Dining

Special interests

Birdwatching
Dry-country and waterbirds found in this diverse area.
See ideas for Birdwatching

Children

Attitude towards children
Property’s age restrictions
KaingU Lodge is a family friendly lodge, and has no age limit for children. However, infants cannot be taken on any river activities, and the minimum age to participate in game drives is 6 years old.
Special activities & services
The Lodge has a ‘Young Adventurers’ programme for children, with activities including tracking, archery, stargazing, bread making, African storytelling and drumming, and excursions to the local school.
Generally recommended for children
No

Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from KaingU Lodge

Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at KaingU Lodge have kindly recorded their wildlife sightings and shared them with us. The results are below. Click an animal to see more, and here to see more on our methodology.

Elephant

100% success

Hippo

100% success

Sable antelope

43% success

Buffalo

29% success

Leopard

29% success

Lion

29% success

Zebra

29% success

Cheetah

17% success

Aardvark

0% success

Eland

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Roan antelope

0% success

Spotted Hyena

0% success

Wild dog

0% success

Wildebeest

0% success

Communications

Communications
KaingU Lodge has WiFi in the main area for guests use.
Water supply
Other
Water supply notes
Water is pumped from the river before being filtered and sterilised.

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended
Yes
Dangerous animals
High Risk
Fire safety

Activities

  • 4WD Safari

    4WD Safari

  • Birdwatching

    Birdwatching

  • Boat trip

    Boat trip

  • Canoeing

    Canoeing

  • Fishing

    Fishing

  • Guided walking safari

    Guided walking safari

  • Night drive

    Night drive

  • White-water rafting

    White-water rafting

Extras

Disabled access
On Request

Other lodges in Kafue National Park

Alternative places to stay in this same area.


Musekese Camp

Musekese Camp

Musekese is a small owner-run tented camp, offering great guiding and a high degree of personal service in a stunning wilderness area, with modest game.


95% (39 reviews)
Busanga Bushcamp

Busanga Bushcamp

Busanga Bushcamp is a small but comfortable tented bushcamp (max 8 guests) which makes a great base for a wildlife safari to the Busanga Plains.


93% (20 reviews)
Shumba Camp

Shumba Camp

Shumba is a high-spec camp built on a tree island in the magical Busanga Plains. It opens in May, when the birdlife is particularly amazing; as the dry season progresses, the game can become remarkable.


96% (14 reviews)
Ntemwa Busanga Camp

Ntemwa Busanga Camp

Ntemwa Busanga Camp is a simple but comfortable camp on the southern tip of the Busanga Plains which combines well with its sister camp, Musekese.


98% (12 reviews)
Chisa Busanga Camp

Chisa Busanga

Opened in mid 2021, Chisa Busanga Camp is a beautifully designed, small, intimate and rustic camp.


96% (5 reviews)
Mukambi Safari Lodge

Mukambi Safari Lodge

Mukambi Safari Lodge is a solidly built, comfortable property just off the main road from Lusaka, making it one of the most convenient camps in Kafue.


80% (3 reviews)
Mukambi Plains Camp

Mukambi Plains Camp

Mukambi Plains Camp is a rustic, tented property located in the middle of the vast Busanga Plains in Kafue National Park.


70% (2 reviews)
Fig Tree Camp

Fig Tree Camp

Fig Tree camp is in the centre of Kafue National Park, and in addition to having a stunning location is well placed to start or end your trip in the park.


100% (1 review)
Ila Safari Lodge

Ila Safari Lodge

Ila Safari Lodge is a comfortable lodge just outside Kafue National Park, with convenient access from Lusaka.


No reviews yet

Login to Expert Africa

Sign in with password

Sign in with email link


New to Expert Africa? Create an account

Forgotten your details?

It's free & quick to set up

  • Save your wish-list
  • Send us an enquiry
  • Pay online for your trip
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Give us feedback on your trip
  • Full site benefits of the site

Need some help? Talk to our team

Africa