CHIAWA CAMP Tented bush & water camp Lower Zambezi National Park Just eight spacious safari tents Exciting land & water-based safari activities

Chiawa Camp is situated on the banks of the Zambezi River in the Lower Zambezi National Park. With the spectacular Zambezi escarpment as a backdrop, dotted with ancient baobab trees, the scenery along this massive river is superb.

The sparkling waters of the Zambezi are a focal point for the abundant wildlife, including elephant, hippo, buffalo, zebra, lion, leopard, various antelope species and a great variety of birds.

Accommodation at Chiawa Camp is in eight spacious safari tents set on elevated timber decks. Each tent has an en suite shower and w.c and twin or double beds, insect screens, mosquito nets and solar powered lighting. The honeymoon ‘suite’ also boasts a Victorian bath. The charming thatched lounge with its upstairs observation deck, bar and dining area overlooks the Zambezi River. Other facilities include a plunge pool and a fireside barbeque area where guests can recount the events of the day under a starlit sky.

Chiawa Camp offers many exciting land and water safari activities. Day and night game drives are enjoyed in open four-wheel drive vehicles and a professional armed guide accompanies guests on nature walks. River cruises and canoeing provide a wonderful opportunity to view game at close quarters, especially elephant. Anglers will have the opportunity to experience the thrill of catching the infamous tiger fish on a catch-and-release basis (fishing and park angling permits are at additional cost).

At Chiawa Camp, the emphasis is on warm hospitality, personalised service and a friendly atmosphere in the Zambezi Valley’s prime location.

This private tented camp has been designed in a tasteful manner that allows guests to fully appreciate its magnificent setting. A wide variety of activities, spectacular scenery and exceptional game viewing are complemented by a modern infrastructure and attentive, professional staff. The combination makes Chiawa Camp one of Zambia's most desirable safari destinations.

Set on the banks of the Zambezi, Chiawa Camp consists of 8 spacious shaded safari tents, each set on its own elevated wooden platform with a panoramic view of the river. The secure tents are insect-proof, have twin or double beds with spring mattresses, solar lighting, and spacious en-suite rest rooms with flushing loos and hot & cold showers.

One of these, the Honeymoon Suite, is particularly romantic with a shower for two and a bath with private views of the Zambezi and escarpment! The charming, thatched lounge/bar area, with upstairs observation deck, and dining room with open veranda overlooks the river and the game that regularly drinks there.

The fireplace is framed by a huge Albida tree and is host to scrumptuous bar-b-ques and cocktails by starlight, while friendly hosts and hostesses oversee your comfort and special requirements. Our camp chefs take immense pride in presenting their renowned cuisine which is imaginitaive and is prepared with fresh ingredients.

A discreet plunge pool, made of local stone, has a lovely view of the Zambezi and is the perfect retreat from the sometimes intense African sun.

A viewing platform hidden in a grove of Mahogany trees overlooks the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe rivers, and provides excellent, peacful viewing of birds and the large mammals, often including the Big cats!

We have also set up a blind just downstream from camp overlooking a well-used waterhole. All of the well equipped, modern boats & 4x4 game-viewing vehicles are linked with Chiawa Camp by our extensive VHF radio network, while camp is linked to our Lusaka H.Q. with HF radio.

Activities
Chiawa Camp employs enough guides and maintains a sufficient infrastructure that ensures maximum efficiency and flexibility. This means that guests will enjoy levels of choice & convenience not found elsewhere.

The guides at Chiawa Camp are experienced and qualified to help you get the most from your visit to the Lower Zambezi National Park. All boats and vehicles, canoe trips and walks carry first aid kits, and are linked to Chiawa Camp with our extensive VHF radio network. Chiawa Camp communicates with the rest of the world via HF radio.

Chiawa Camp has its own in-house guide training program to ensure quality and consistency are maintained. Guests can set their own pace and select activities according to their preferences.

Chiawa Camp is best experienced when a customised itinerary is made up of any combination of these activities.

Bush Walks
Pioneered in Zambia, bush walks are essentially a "micro-safari".

An armed ranger will guide you through the wilderness on foot, interpreting spoor, identifying the various flora and fauna, and highlighting conservation issues.

The pace is leisurely and the duration is determined by guests' requirements. Typically, a few hours is sufficient.

Game Drives
This is the safest and most effective way to view big game. Drives are conducted in open 4wd Toyota LandCruisers that have been specially adapted for safari use. Usually departing in the early morning, drives can last anywhere from 2 to 4 hours depending on what's seen and the requirements of the guests. In the late afternoon drives set off for an hour or so before stopping at a scenic point for sundowners.

Once the sun has set and it is dark enough for the powerful spotlights to become effective, night drives commence. Zambia is one of the few countries that permit night drives, perhaps the most interesting of safari activities.

This is an opportunity to see nocturnal creatures such as civet, porcupine, genet, and also to see some of the larger predators on the move. It is not uncommon to see a pride of lions on a kill or a leopard stalking through the bush. Again, these drives can last up to 4 hours depending on the action!

Canoeing
Although the Zambezi offer many activities, perhaps it is best known for canoeing.

No where else is there such a combination of breathtaking scenery, varied wildlife and such interesting channels to paddle through.

Tranquil yet exciting, these trips through waters such as the Chifungulu Channel are an excellent way to best appreciate the Zambezi.

Six meter long Canadian canoes are used and these trips may last anywhere from 1 hour to 1 day.

Our most popular canoe safari is 90 minutes long where guests paddle (always downstream!) from the lodge to "Sunset Strip" for sundowners and then a night drive back to Chiawa Camp.

River Cruises
One of the great aspects of a visit to Chiawa Camp are the activities offered by virtue of our presence on the Zambezi river. Chiawa Camp is one of the few lodges permitted to conduct waterborne safaris within the National Park, and our 8m motorised pontoon is ideal to take advantage of this.

Enjoy midday cruises through numerous channels, viewing hippo, buffalo, elephant and prolific bird life.

Also on offer are sunset cruises, or breakfast served on board, anchored in the middle of the Zambezi.

Fishing
Expert guides are on hand to assist you in finding the notorious tigerfish (camp record 10.1kg, average 2kg) and other species that abound in the Zambezi River. Chiawa Camp is currently the only lodge offering professionally guided sport fishing inside the Lower Zambezi National Park.

These waters are free from netting and are hence your best bet for lots of big fish. Naturally we enforce a strict catch & release policy. Best months for tigerfish are September - November.

"Superlatives cannot describe the speed and power of this amazing creature. I've fished them all and I can say without reservation that the tigerfish truly is the toughest freshwater fish" Larry Dahlberg, international adventurer and host of ESPN's Hunt for Big Fish.

"Having the fuselage of a bonefish, the tail of a tarpon, the paint job of a striper, teeth like a bull shark and a compound hinged jaw that works like a turbo powered paper shredder, Hydrocynnus vittatus (Latin for striped river dog) is perhaps the most capable and impressive freshwater predator on earth."

Because of our privileged situation inside the National Park, we are restricted to operating two boats at any one time. Chiawa Camp can therefore only host a maximum of 4-6 fishing clients. Boats used are 5m tri-hulls. Guide, fuel and tackle are provided, however we recommend serious sport fishermen bring their own gear. Medium-heavy action 20lb spinning or baitcasting rods/reels work best. Wire leader is essential, as are good quality sharp hooks attached to bright, shiny spinners and spoons.

The vundu catfish is the largest freshwater fish in southern Africa and can weigh in excess of 40kgs. Camp record 35kgs, average 15kgs.

Dining:
Chiawa Camp is renowned for its excellent cuisine, oft described as an Afro/Euro fusion, in which even the most demanding palates are catered for.

Craig Warland, Chiawa’s imaginative Executive Chef, ensures meals are of the highest standard, that they are prepared with the freshest of ingredients and with the utmost of care.

Depending on the day’s activities, breakfasts, brunches and lunches are hot & cold buffet usually served al-fresco, sometimes in the bush, and even on a boat in the middle of the Zambezi!

Afternoon tea with sweet & savoury snacks is usually served upstairs on the viewing platform overlooking the Zambezi and just prior to the afternoon safari activities.

Dinners are usually 4 courses, table d’hote, always offered with a choice of main course, and served under the stars by the camp fire or, if you are visiting during the full moon, on a sand bar in the middle of the Zambezi

Conservation:
At Chiawa Camp conservation is a way of life and we strive for the continued protection of one of Africa's last great wildernesses.

A large portion of our revenue and resources is reinvested into protecting the Lower Zambezi by supporting and implementing programs involving conservation, anti-poaching, wildlife education, and the improvement of the surrounding village communities.

Chiawa Camp has also undertaken two unusual wildlife projects, reintroducing wild cheetahs and a ground hornbill into the Park. Your visit to Chiawa Camp is not only an investment in yourself, but your contribution to a secure future for the Zambezi Valley's bountiful yet vulnerable wildlife.

African Wild Dog:
PROTECTION THROUGH AWARENESS
The African wild dog, or painted wolf (Lycaon pictus), is one of the most threatened large carnivore species on the planet. Once found throughout Africa, until recently they were hunted as vermin to near extinction. Loss of habitat, disease and poaching also take their toll. However these creatures are making a remarkable recovery in the Lower Zambezi.

Kellie Leigh, a researcher based at Old Mondoro, has been tracking the wild dog packs of the Lower Zambezi for the past 5 years. Through the African Wild Dog Conservation program that she formed, Kellie has been undertaking research on these fascinating creatures, raising awareness of the plight and threats they face.

Working closely with Conservation Lower Zambezi and the safari operators, her activities have been largely responsible for the apparent comeback the dogs are making in the Lower Zambezi, with an increase in pack size and more frequent sightings (Chiawa Camp had 19 wild dog sightings in 2002, compared with 12 sightings in 2001 and 9 sightings in 2000).

Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro assist this worthy program by providing logistical support, accommodation, fuel, and food to AWDC. In return guests at Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro have the option, given prior notice and availability, to have the unique opportunity to accompany Kellie to track the wild dogs for a donation to the program, however please book early!

Cheetah:
The cheetah is currently endangered due to pressures from human encroachment on their habitat, and from unnaturally dense predator populations in some of Africa's wildlife reserves. However in Namibia the cheetah is prolific because of sparse human populations, abundant prey (domestic and wild), and a distinct lack of competition from lions and hyenas. As a result, farmers consider cheetahs as vermin and many wild cheetah are being poisoned or shot.

The Cheetah Conservation Fund have stepped in and are offering to capture and relocate these "problem" cheetah to wherever they're made welcome. The Lower Zambezi is a relatively new National Park and little research, empirical or otherwise, has been done on its large predator population. Since 1989, few cheetahs had been recorded there despite the area's apparent suitability. After much debate and research, it was decided that the only way to explain the limited number of cheetahs in the Park would be to introduce a study group into the Park and closely monitor their progress.
Chiawa Camp, in association with National Parks & Wildlife and Japan Aid approached the Cheetah Conservation Fund and had them do a practical assessment of the Lower Zambezi for suitability as a relocation area. After sending out their experts, CCF agreed and in October 1994, 3 cheetahs were delivered to the Lower Zambezi National Park. These were held in a large enclosure for a six week acclimatisation period before their release.

The cheetahs were monitored closely using radio telemetry and within 24 hours of the release, had successfully killed their first impala. Although all appeared to be normal, the cheetahs moved out of the Park, apparently exploring and establishing their new territory. Unfortunately two of the cheetahs were killed in traps set for small game in the rural community, however the remaining survivor is doing well three years after his release.

The territory established was approximately 80kms long and 7kms wide, along the Zambezi River. Most of this within the boundary of the National Park. The pilot program is now complete and further introductions are being considered. The program is closely monitored by international cheetah experts and more information is available from the Chief Wildlife Research Officer, NPWS, Chilanga.

Ground Hornbill:
GROUND HORNBILL REINTRODUCTION

THE SAGA OF “MOMBA” AND HER RETURN TO THE WILD

Ground hornbills are the largest hornbills found in Africa and are often referred to, mistakenly, as turkey buzzards. They are omnivores and eat anything; insects, rodents, fruit, birds, eggs, even tortoises whose shells they crack open with their hard, sharp beaks. Ground hornbills are threatened by habitat encroachment and deforestation – they nest in especially selected holes in large trees – finding a suitable tree can take years!

The story of Momba is a sad one that ends somewhat happily. The story started with a hornbill chick having been confiscated from a poacher, and dropped off at Lusaka’s zoo, Munda Wanga, when the zoo was in dire need of funds and proper management. The chick was not cared for properly but was eventually rescued and taken to a private game farm south of Lusaka on the banks of the Kafue River. Here the chick was named Momba (ground hornbill in Tonga) and she thrived. Momba spent nearly three years playing with the children and family pets, before beginning to wander further a field and preying on the young chickens and eggs in the nearby villages. On fearing for Momba’s safety, Chiawa Camp was asked if Momba could be released in the Lower Zambezi National Park. The Lower Zambezi was ideal – suitable habitat and plenty of wild ground hornbills, and the National Parks department readily agreed to this.

Momba arrived by boat at Chiawa Camp and was released immediately. However instead of flying off she stayed around, watching the goings on at camp, and ridding the site of anything that she deemed tasty. Although we did not feed her, she often tried to pinch morsels of food from the kitchen or dining room, and it soon became apparent that Momba was too accustomed to humans, and that it would be unlikely she would ever return to the wild. She became a source of wonder and amusement for guests, staff and animals alike.Momba eventually left Chiawa Camp – she flew off and took up residence across the Zambezi in Zimbabwe’s Mana Pools National Park – at the Park Headquarters. We periodically get feedback about her well-being and that she remains uninterested in leaving human settlement, shunning the wild for an easy meal! She appears instead to have taken on the role of court jester at the wildlife scout’s parade ground.

"Momba, it seems, has decided to stick it out at Chiawa for a while yet. She is as mischievous as ever and continues to amuse us and Chiawa's visitors. And she is growing up - she now wakes us every morning with a gentle booming, that wonderful sound ground hornbills make. The female's call is less resonant than the male, but just as magical. We now use her as the camp alarm clock as she seems to prefer calling from about 30 minutes before sunrise - a heck of alot more pleasant than waking to some buzzer.

It is also quite hilarious to watch her play with the monkeys that often come into Chiawa. The bigger ones take great delight in teasing her, by running up from behind, tugging her wings, and then tearing off up the nearest Mahoganey tree before she can catch them. It seems to infuriate Momba as she is never quick enough (but perhaps this is a deliberate ploy of hers to lure the monkeys into a false sense of security?)to catch them. She flies at them, beak wide open, but they are always in the thick foliage by the time she gets close.

It does seem that Momba is becoming less reliant on human company as she spends most of the day outside the camp foraging for food, rather than terrorising and pestering the kitchen staff.

We continue to watch her and learn ..."

FROM OUR CLIENTS:

"We stayed at Chiawa Camp, Chongwe Camp, Sausage Tree and Old Mondoro and we loved them all! Chiawa was our first, and we adored our tent, the elephants in camp, the fantastic singing before dinner, the romantic treatment, the incredible food and the amazing guides. We really really loved it. The camp is elegant AND serious at the same time! If I had to choose one camp to return to, Chiawa will be it." Jim Orr and Cynthia Tuthill; August 2005

“The difference between Chiawa and the rest? All camps ‘promise’ the perfect safari experience – Chiawa delivers”. Phil and Carol Avery; June 2004

"The Cumings family is to Lower Zambezi what the Carrs are to Luangwa: bush dynasties whose passion for their environment has extended far beyond their own livelihoods into conservation and community outreach." The Sunday Telegraph October 2004

“We were told this is the best managed camp in Zambia and now we know what it means! Not just a beautiful setting but a team that cares about conservation, about their guests – and about each other. It makes you a 1000 star lodge – 32 of them on the ground and the rest above.”
Sir Robin Mountfield; November 2003

“Great to see you. Lord you run a slick operation. And the camp is looking quite fab. Well done as Robin would say”. Jo Pope – Robin Pope Safaris; June 2004