Kasabushi Camp — Hotel in Central Province

In 2016, I visited for the first time a newly opened campsite. The road leading to the camp was just completed, and it was run by an English couple. They had discovered these breathtaking, Indiana Jones-like locations on Google Earth and built a beautiful and stylish campsite where you could shower under the warm waterfall and gaze at the stars. Even back then, elephants and hippos would roam around the tents at night.

Over the years, I have visited this campsite multiple times, located in the heart of Kafue National Park (Zambia's largest wildlife park, slightly smaller than the Netherlands). Fast forward to June 2024, we arrived at the camp, approximately 42 km from the M9 (the asphalt road between Lusaka and Mongu), greeted by a lady and a gentleman in smart safari uniforms (green, practical against insects). They explained the camp rules and asked us to sign a disclosure form. They also informed us that rates had increased to $45 per person, excluding any service fees. This price hike could be due to Kafue's takeover by African Parks or under new management. The camp is now owned by a Dutch couple with partial African heritage.

Again, the location is meticulously chosen and well worth it. It's reassuring to see some local staff employed. As usual, an elephant roamed around our tent at night, and on another pitch (the campsite is charming but not very spacious), other guests were enjoying some noisy beers around the campfire.

The next day, we had planned a boat trip with our host, sporting a Zelenskyy T-shirt and a Crocodile Dundee hat. It was a delightful journey along the river, passing by hippos and elephants drinking by the shore, and enjoying coffee on the riverbank rocks. Our host clearly had bush experience, which was lacking in previous owners. An interesting detail: the other crew members on the boat (clearly not locals but trainees from Lusaka) needed time to adjust to the presence of elephants and hippos. It's essential and wise to show respect for these magnificent animals.

In summary, it's a beautiful location and definitely...

We spent 3 nights at Kasabushi Camp during our self-drive safari in Zambia, and it definitely was the best camping experience we had. The location is perfect on a stunning spot on the Kafue river, well signposted and easy to reach. The facility consists of a lodge area with a nicely decorated common area with a natural pool within the granite rocks, and the campsite area at walking distance which is well equipped with clean bush toilets and lovely waterfall showers. The camping pitches are large and a ready bonfire along the riverside will wait for you every evening after sunset. However, what made our stay really special was the presence of the hosts, Tessa&Quentin. They are gentle, always available to help out and very friendly; their passion and enthusiasm is so palpable and contagious that it really made the difference. The activities they offer are rewarding and very carefully planned in order to give you the best experience; I recommend the early morning game drive with hike on a granite rock to admire the sunrise and the boat trip in the river at sunset time. Quentin is a really professional guide and also very thoughtful, he even came back looking for us on the camp after spotting a cheetah to take us for another drive. Last but not least, I recommend trying the restaurant: we had dinner on the lodge area, the atmosphere was really chilled around the bonfire, the service good and the food excellent, nicely served and really tasty. All things considered, if you are looking for an authentic bush experience in the wilderness of Kafue park with a touch of class and reliable expertise, Kasabushi is the...

We visited Kasabushu Lodge in late April 2025; this was our first trip into the wilderness away from our normal modern-day hotel living. Quinton, Tessa, and their staff were amazing and made us feel right at home. Unfortunately, the grass and trees were still very green, and it made it hard to view the wildlife; however, we did manage to see elephants, bucks, crocs, hippos, and birds, to name a few. We had learned a lot with Quintons knowledge of the bush life and astrology, which was not on their activities but got some amazing views of the Milky Way; we will certainly be going back to take in the wildlife at various seasons to take in the beauty of Kafue National Park; it is just too big to view in one visit. They further went over and above and assisted us with finding accommodation at Itezhi-Tezhi on our way to Livingstone as we did not plan to go further or spend more days away from home. In the end, with their help, they found us accommodation in both these towns and advised us on how to go about our journey. They further kept checking in on us to see if we had made the trip safely, as the park does not have network coverage and we had to journey a few hours before reaching a safe point of communication. We highly recommend Kasabushi Lodge for outstanding service and an abundance of hospitality, amazing views,...