Shumba Camp
High-spec luxury tented camp · Busanga Plains, fig-tree island in the far north-west · Wilderness
Top-end
Inside the park
Safari company
Wilderness's flagship in Zambia, on a fig-tree island in the middle of the Busanga Plains. The raised decks look straight over the seasonal floodplain and the lion prides that hunt it. Note that Wilderness has exactly two Kafue camps, this and Busanga Bush Camp; the 'Wilderness Kafue' and 'Busanga Explorers Camp' you may read about do not exist.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Suites on decks raised two metres over the Busanga floodplain
- Pool, spa and Wi-Fi deep in the Busanga wilderness
- Balloon flights and resident lion prides right on the doorstep
- All meals, two activities a day and park fees included
- Family room sleeps four, two three-quarter beds behind a screen
Cons
- Fly-in only: no road access to Shumba
- Closed every year from November to May
- No minimum age found for children; ask when you book
- The most expensive camp in Kafue, by the operator's own description
What's here
- Swimming pool
- Wi-Fi
- Bar
- Family rooms
- Spa or massage
Arranged from the lodge:
- Game drives
- Boat trips
- Guided walks
- Night drives
- Birding
Read from Shumba Camp'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 Shumba Camp
From $1,600 pppn. All-inclusive. The most expensive camp in Kafue, and the most polished.
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 Shumba Camp
Can you self-drive to Shumba Camp?
No. Shumba sits on a fig-tree island deep in the Busanga Plains and is reached only by light aircraft from Lusaka or Livingstone to the seasonal Busanga airstrip, according to Wilderness's own camp page. There is no road access for independent visitors, so build the flight and the camp's own transfer into your plans.
Is Shumba Camp good for families?
Shumba has one family room, with a double bed and two three-quarter beds divided by a screen, Wilderness's own site states. We found no published minimum age for children, so ask what applies when you enquire. The camp is unfenced, deep in the Busanga Plains, so children need to stay with a guide.
What does the rate at Shumba Camp include?
Wilderness's own page lists accommodation, all meals, two camp activities a day, park fees, laundry and local drinks, excluding premium imported brands and champagne. Wi-Fi is available in camp. Our record and the operator's current site quote different per-person rates, so confirm the live figure with Wilderness before you book.
When is Shumba Camp open?
Shumba runs May to October. Wilderness's own site shows the camp closed from November to May, while the Busanga floodplain around it is under water and the seasonal airstrip is unusable. Plan a Kafue trip that includes Shumba around that window rather than around your own preferred dates.
Does Shumba Camp have Wi-Fi and a pool this deep in the bush?
Yes. Wilderness's own page lists a pool, spa treatments and Wi-Fi at Shumba, unusual comforts for a camp reached only by light aircraft in the middle of the Busanga Plains. The signature draw stays the raised decks over the floodplain and the lion prides that hunt it.