Nikonsi Camp – South Luangwa National Park

Nestled deep within the South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, Nkonzi Camp – operated by Gavin Opie Safaris – offers travellers the chance to experience safari life away from the busy areas of the park in a small, owner run and managed tented camp.  You will be immersed in the rhythm of nature under canvas, with dinner taken in the dry riverbed surrounded by lanterns, bucket showers with stars overhead, and wildlife roaming through camp at night.  A superb little camp with excellent guiding – highly recommended!

Location and Access

Nkonzi Camp is set within a private, lightly visited area of South Luangwa National Park. Guests fly into Mfuwe Airport and continue by road into the park and the camp is around 2 hours drive.   The setting is remote and exclusive, with no light pollution, exceptional stargazing, and abundant wildlife.

Accommodation

Each of the five walk-in safari tents has an open-air ensuite bathroom with classic hot water bucket shower, flush toilet and complementary toilettries. Inside guests will find white cotton bed linens, dressing areas, power sockets and fans. Beside each tent, private outdoor lounges offer seclusion away from the main camp for guests to relax in the shade and escape the midday sun.

The central dining and lounge area is located in an atmospheric Meru style tent pitched beneath mature riverine trees. A fully stocked bar and small library ensure that guests can fully unwind between activites. The camp has two wildlife hides, one within camp and the other located beside a nearby natural spring. Both provide fantastic opportunities for bird watching, game viewing and photography.

Nkonzi Camp is 100% carbon neutral and powered purely by solar energy. The camp is built anew each season using locally sourced, natural materials that blend beautifully with the surrounding bush.

Activities

Nkonzi is renowned for walking safaris, allowing guests to follow ancient elephant trails and learn the secrets of the bush on foot with expert guides. Game drives – including night drives, morning, afternoon and full day game drives – explore the diverse habitats of South Luangwa, with opportunities to see lion, leopard, wild dogs, elephant, buffalo, hyena, and prolific birdlife. Additional experiences include time in bush hides, stargazing, photography sessions, and community visits.

Giving Back

Ethical safari guiding and giving back through carefully chosen charities are at the heart of the company’s ethos. For every guest who stays at Nkonzi Camp, we donate USD 15.00 per night to three wonderful local organisations.

The first, Chipembele Education Trust, provides sponsorship for local children to attend school as well as running after-school conservation clubs to foster a love of Zambia’s rich natural resources.

Our second recipient is Conservation South Luangwa, an incredible organisation working on the front line of wildlife conservation.

Finally, the Zambian Carnivore Project supports international research into many of Zambia’s predator species, generating insights that feed directly into conservation efforts around the country.

Need to Know

Nkonsi Camp is open from the 1st June to the 31st October every year coinciding with the dry season. During these months, vegetation thins out and wildlife concentrates around water sources, creating superb opportunities for game viewin

The camp welcomes families with children aged 12 years and older.  The camps is in a very wild location and is unfenced