On the eastern boundary of Mana Pools National Park, where the Zambezi takes in the Sapi, Chikwenya Safari Lodge holds a private concession on the riverbank. Seven tented suites stand beneath albida and Natal mahogany, looking across open floodplain to the Zambian escarpment that lifts beyond the far bank. Because the concession lies outside the park’s core zoning, it allows what the rest of Mana Pools cannot.
Guides run night drives for the nocturnal species others never see
Inside the park, the day is held to driving and walking on shared ground. Chikwenya opens it wider. Guides run night drives for the nocturnal species others never see, put boats and canoes onto the Zambezi, and reach the places closed to general visitors, among them Chikwenya Island and the lower Sapi. Vehicle numbers stay low across the concession, so the ground you cover feels like yours alone.
The albida trees give more than shade. Through the dry months their protein-rich pods drop to the ground and draw the elephants close. The animals feed among the suites and out along the floodplain, sometimes rising onto their hind legs to reach the higher branches. Eland move through the woodland and hippos work the shallows, while the birdlife runs past 350 species, from collared palm-thrush to racket-tailed roller.
The animals feed among the suites and out along the floodplain
Mornings might mean walking with a guide through the woodland, tracking elephant and buffalo on foot in the old Mana Pools tradition. Afternoons soften into a canoe drifting past drinking herds, or a boat out for tiger fishing. The Zambezi holds the light at sunset, mid-channel and unhurried, elephants at the water and hippos surfacing between the reflections.
The camp reads as calm and understated, its canvas suites raised on low wooden decks and joined to the main lounge, bar and dining area by pine walkways that let game pass beneath. Inside, soft creams and beiges settle around wooden furniture, and the open fronts give straight onto the floodplain. Each suite comes with a king or twin beds and a bathroom of indoor and outdoor showers. There is a standalone bath, an indoor lounge, and a private veranda set out over the water.
Life centres on the deck, the pool and the fire pit, each placed to keep the floodplain in view. Two of the seven suites are family units, each with a private plunge pool and two adjoining tents gathered around a shared deck. The camp runs from April to mid-November, through the dry season when the albida pods fall and the wildlife draws in tight along the river and its shrinking pans. It is the season that makes this stretch of the Zambezi what it is.
There is a standalone bath, an indoor lounge, and a private veranda set out over the water
Access is by light aircraft to Chikwenya airstrip, then a short game drive into camp that often lengthens for a sighting. Elephants feed among the trees, hippos grunt through the night, and across the water the escarpment shifts colour as the day turns. Because the concession lies outside the park’s core zoning, guides can run night drives and take boats onto the Zambezi, reaching areas closed to general visitors, among them Chikwenya Island and the lower Sapi.
Beyond the game viewing, the concession works as a private conservation area on Mana Pools’ eastern boundary, carrying protection past the park itself. Chikwenya supports Painted Dog Conservation, an NGO working to protect the region’s endangered wild dogs, down to the bomas used in relocation and reintroduction. Local children take part in an environmental education programme run across the camps. Paired with a camp inside the Mana Pools core, Chikwenya adds the river, the boats and the night drives.
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accommodation
Seven tented suites on low wooden decks, linked by raised pine walkways. Each has a king or twin beds, an en-suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, a standalone bath, an indoor lounge and a private veranda over the floodplain. Two family units offer adjoining tents and a private plunge pool. Interiors keep to soft creams and beiges.
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activities
Day and night game drives, walking safaris tracking elephant and buffalo on foot, canoeing and boat cruises on the Zambezi, and tiger fishing. Birding runs to over 350 species. The private concession permits night drives and motorised boating, both restricted within the Mana Pools National Park core, plus access to Chikwenya Island and the lower Sapi River.
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conservation
The concession functions as a private conservation area on Mana Pools' eastern boundary, extending protection beyond the park. Chikwenya supports Painted Dog Conservation, an NGO working to protect endangered wild dogs in the region, including bomas used in relocation and reintroduction. Local children take part in an environmental education programme run across the camps.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
Chikwenya is reached by air. You fly into Victoria Falls or Harare, connect by light aircraft to a Mana Pools airstrip, and the lodge meets you for the transfer to its concession where the Sapi meets the Zambezi. We arrange each flight and transfer so the journey joins up.
The charter legs are shared, with the exact time set the day before once the airline fixes its routing, and bags must be soft-sided at around 20kg per person including hand luggage, which we confirm before you pack. If you would rather fly privately, we can arrange the legs on a dedicated aircraft, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, timed to your international arrival. The lodge is seasonal, open through the dry months from roughly April or May to the end of October, so we plan your dates around that window.
Yes, the Zambezi valley around Mana Pools is a malaria area, so it is not malaria-free. The lodge runs in the drier months when mosquito numbers and the risk are lower, though the risk remains and is higher in the wet season.
We recommend confirming the current advice with a travel clinic or your doctor before you travel, taking antimalarials if advised, and covering up against bites in the evening.
Expect warm dry-season days and cool early mornings, so bring a warm layer for the first walk or drive and light clothing for the middle of the day. The heat builds sharply from September, and October on the floodplain can approach 40 degrees.
Light, neutral clothing, closed walking shoes, a hat and good sun protection are the essentials, along with plenty of water through the day. Pack into a soft bag, as the light aircraft cannot take hard suitcases.
The lodge sits on its own private concession on the eastern edge of Mana Pools, which allows activities the park core does not. Alongside the walking safaris and canoeing that Mana Pools is known for, guides here run drives after dark for the nocturnal animals, put boats and canoes on the Zambezi, and reach the lower Sapi and Chikwenya Island, both closed to general visitors.
Walking is guided on foot in the tradition Mana Pools is known for, following elephant and buffalo across the floodplain, while canoes take you along the river at water level. It means a single day can move between vehicle, foot and boat as the wildlife dictates.
Children aged six and over are welcome, and there are two family units, each a pair of adjoining tents with a private plunge pool. Families with children between six and twelve are asked to take a private vehicle at extra cost, which also lets you set your own pace.
Walking safaris and canoeing are for older children and teenagers for safety. Tell us your children's ages when you enquire and we will confirm what suits them.
This is a remote camp on a private concession in Mana Pools, and connectivity here is limited. Any wifi is confined to the main area at best and is not reliable, and there is little or no mobile signal once you are in the concession.
It is a place to switch off rather than stay online, which is much of the point of coming. If you need to stay reachable while you are away, tell us before you travel and we will advise on what is realistic on your dates.
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