Mapunga Bush Camp & Campsite
Campsite under a wild fig plus en-suite tents · Northern sector · The Geldenhuys family
A drawing, because nobody has sent us a photograph of Mapunga Bush Camp & Campsite yet. Send five and this page changes the same week.
Budget
Inside the park
Owner/family-run
One of the small band of self-drive campsites African Parks itself points visitors to. Pitch your own tent under the fig or take one of the en-suite tents if the drive up defeated you.
Why you'd pick it
- Listed by African Parks as a core self-drive campsite
- Camping under a big fig with serviced tents as backup
- Family-run for six years and counting
What's here
- Campsite
Arranged from the lodge:
- Game drives
- Boat trips
- Birding
- Fishing
Read from Mapunga Bush Camp & Campsite's own website in July 2026. Anything not listed we could not confirm, which is not the same as it being absent.
What the activities cost
Camping and the self-catering tents do not include a single activity, so this is what a day actually adds. Where two figures are given, the first is the 2026 season rate and the second the 2027 rate. VAT is already in these figures; park fees are not and are paid separately.
| Activity | Detail | Per person |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise game drive | 3 hours, soft drinks and water. Child $20, under-fives free. The 2026 sheet sets that child rate at under 14, the 2027 sheet at under 12 | $40 / $45 |
| Sunset game drive | 3 hours, soft drinks, a snack and water. Child $20, under-fives free. Same change to the child age band in 2027 | $40 / $45 |
| Busanga Plains day trip | 12 to 14 hours, 15 July to 31 October only, breakfast snack, lunch and drinks. Child $90 in 2026 and $100 in 2027, not advised under 12 | $120 / $130 |
| Boat cruise, sunrise or sunset | 3 hours, no fishing, soft drinks and water. Child $20 in 2026 and $30 in 2027, under-fives free | $40 / $45 |
| Boat hire, 12 seater | Half day $120 in 2026 and $150 in 2027, full day $240 and $300. Boat and coxswain only, fuel extra | $120 / $150 |
| Boat hire, 3 seater | Half day $80, full day $150. Maximum 4 people, fuel extra. 2026 season only: the camp confirmed on 7 September 2026 that this is not offered from 2027 | $80 |
| Guide | Half day $15, full day $25. 2026 season only: the camp confirmed on 7 September 2026 that this is not offered from 2027 | $15 |
| Fuel | Per litre, for boat hire. Unchanged in 2027 | ZMW 35 |
- Busanga dates move with how passable the plains are; confirm before you count on it.
- Camping and self-catering guests can order meals from the dining room, but they have to be ordered and paid for in advance.
- The bar is for tent guests and is cash only, not part of the half or full board rates.
- Boat hire is the one thing you may bring your own fuel for, and a self-drive boat needs a launchmaster certificate.
- Activities are paid in camp, in cash.
From Mapunga Bush Camp's own 2026 and 2027 activity rate sheets, sent to us by the camp on 1 and 6 September 2026, with the dropped 2027 activities confirmed by the camp on 7 September 2026. The 2026 sheet also stands on their own website.
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
From $45 pppn camping. Camping in 2026 is $45 per adult per night for international visitors and $30 for both SADC and Zambian residents, with children 6 to 14 at $30, $25 and $20 and under-fives free. For 2027 those become $50 international, $40 SADC and $30 residents, children $40, $30 and $25. That covers the pitch, a private ablution with hot water, a water point, an overhead light, a braai stand, firewood, the plunge pool and the camping levy. Park fees, VAT, the service charge, the bar and transfers are all on top, and there are no power points anywhere in camp. The en-suite tents run self-catering, half board, full board and a safari package with two activities a day. International 2026: $150, $220, $260 and $360, and for 2027 $150, $250, $300 and $400. SADC 2026: $110, $170, $200 and $280, and for 2027 $130, $210, $240 and $320. Residents 2026: $100, $150, $170 and $250, and for 2027 $120, $175, $200 and $300. Laundry, the bed levy and VAT are inside all of them; the service charge, park fees, the bar and transfers are not. Single supplement is 30 percent and children pay 60 percent of the adult rate. The 2026 sheets put that child band at 6 to 14 and the 2027 sheets head the same column under 12, so ask where your children fall when you book. From Mapunga's own rate sheets. The 2026 set is published on their own website and was sent to us by the camp on 1 September 2026; the 2027 set was sent to us on 6 September 2026. The camp confirmed the count of 12 berths to us on 2 September 2026, and its own 2026 and 2027 sheets both still print eight campsites.
Self-catering. You cook. Nothing else is included unless the entry says so.
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.