KaingU Safari Lodge
Meru tented chalets, family house, treehouse sleep-outs and private campsites · Namwala GMA, east bank of the Kafue; the park is 10 minutes by boat · Gilmour and Julia Dickson
Mid-range
Outside the gate
Owner/family-run
On the east bank in the Namwala GMA, where the river itself is the park boundary, which is why a stay here incurs no daily park entry fee; you pay only for river activities and any day you cross into the park. Many guides wrongly place KaingU inside the park. The rapids-and-islands stretch of river it sits on is the prettiest in Kafue.
Pros and cons
Pros
- No daily park fee for the stay itself, since it sits in the GMA
- Children of any age can stay
- A dedicated Finfoot Family House for families
- Tonga treebasket sleep-outs on the river islands
- The prettiest rapids-and-islands stretch of river in Kafue
- Private campsites with their own hot-water ablutions
Cons
- Many guides wrongly place it inside the park
- Minimum ages apply to activities: 6 for game drives, 12 for walking
- Seasonal: roughly April to November only
- River activities and park-crossing days are charged separately
What's here
- Campsite
Arranged from the lodge:
- Game drives
- Boat trips
- Guided walks
- Birding
- Fishing
- Community visits
Read from KaingU Safari Lodge's own website in July 2026. Anything not listed we could not confirm, which is not the same as it being absent.
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Kafue National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryThere is no self-drive surcharge here.
- $20per person, per day
- VehicleForeign-registered vehicle under 3 tonnes.
- $15per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $165 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
The full fee schedule for Kafue National ParkRates at KaingU Safari Lodge
From $450 pppn. A published package prices 5 nights for 4 people at $3,120 including Lusaka or Livingstone road transfers.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Indicative 2026 rates from operators' own rate cards and published tariffs, gathered July 2026. Many Kafue camps quote on enquiry only. Watch two things when comparing: whether park fees are included (Mayukuyuku and Konkamoya include them, most others do not), and conservation levies of $30 to $40 a night at some camps. A caution on older guides: Lufupa River Camp, Lufupa Tented Camp, Leopard Lodge and Puku Pan all appear closed or dormant, Mukambi Plains Camp is simply the old name of Busanga Plains Camp, and the Jeffery & McKeith brand merged into Classic Zambia Safaris. We list none of them as live options.
Questions about KaingU Safari Lodge
Is KaingU Safari Lodge good for families?
Yes. There is no minimum age for children at the lodge, and there is a dedicated Finfoot Family House. Activities do have minimum ages: 6 for game drives and 12 for walking. Ask the lodge which boat trips suit young children.
Does KaingU Safari Lodge charge park fees?
Not for the stay itself. KaingU sits on the east bank in the Namwala GMA, where the river is the park boundary, so there is no daily park entry fee just for staying. You pay only for river activities and on any day you actually cross into the park itself.
Can you self-drive to KaingU Safari Lodge?
Yes, two ways. The easier one: drive through the national park on the Spinal Road to KaingU's car park on the far bank, radio the lodge, and a boat collects you in about 10 minutes. Park fees apply on this route. The other way stays outside the park: take the Itezhi-Tezhi road (D769) and turn off onto about 43 km of bush track through the Namwala GMA, straight to the lodge. Keep to 30 to 35 km/h on the tracks. In the dry season a 2WD with high clearance will do. Don't follow Google Maps; ask the lodge for the full directions before you set off.
Is KaingU Safari Lodge good for a honeymoon?
It suits a couple well: island sleep-outs in the Tonga treebaskets, boat trips on the rapids-and-islands stretch of river the lodge sits on, and sunset walks up the rock kopjes. The GMA setting also means no daily park fee for the nights you stay put.
What does a package at KaingU Safari Lodge cost?
A published package prices five nights for four people at $3,120, including road transfers from either Lusaka or Livingstone, according to our record. Confirm exactly what the package includes, such as meals and activities, directly with KaingU before booking, since the breakdown is not published.