This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more

Skip to main content

Talk to an expert 1-800-242-2434 Lines open now

User menu
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta River Lodge

Reviews of Kafunta River Lodge

Wildlife sightings and reviews

45 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Kafunta River Lodge and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in Jun-2018, 22 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Kafunta River Lodge.
Lion

95% success

Leopard

100% success

Wild dog

20% success

Elephant

100% success

Giraffe

100% success

Hippo

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Buffalo

90% success

Spotted Hyena

85% success

Eland

13% success

Wildebeest

12% success

Sable antelope

5% success

Aardvark

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Roan antelope

0% success

Showing 21-30 of 45
Duration
Arrival date
Mr & Mrs P
Wiltshire

"Kafunta River Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 27 Jul 2018
"Family room with upstairs balcony excellent.

Crossing river on the pontoon was an experience and preferable to long drive to main gate of park when it was out of action.

Guiding was disappointing." See all these reviews: 13n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Good
Service:
Good
Activities:
Average
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Sightings Report

Elephant

1 sighting

Giraffe

1 sighting

Hippo

Multiple sightings

Leopard

Multiple sightings

Lion

Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena

1 sighting

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Miss P
London

"Return to Kafunta"

1 night Arrived 21 Jul 2018
"see previous comments" See all these reviews: 15n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average

Sightings Report

Sable antelope

1 sighting

Miss P
London

"Kafunta River Lodge review"

3 nights Arrived 14 Jul 2018
"This was a return visit to Kafunta after 10 years. They have done some refurbishment and the food is much improved (especially the amazing desserts). However, I was very disappointed to find they no longer have communal dining. For breakfast and lunch you are seated with your game viewing vehicle and your guide and dinners are completely separate and unhosted, unless you are alone when your guide will sit with you (or for one dinner I was seated with another solo guest).

For a couple of lunches due to new arrivals and departures I was the only guest present from my vehicle. I did manage to join another group for some meals but I ended up having several meals just seated with my guide. He was not very communicative and I ended up feeling I was hosting him rather than vice versa. Most of the hosting was done by the guides.

Really, I felt the management should put more effort into being involved in hosting rather than leaving it all to the guides. As a solo traveller, I felt like a spare part most of the time and I missed the fun, inclusive atmosphere of other camps.

I also had concerns about the guiding. My guide seemed overly reliant on radio communication to find sightings, his bird knowledge was sometimes questionable, but worst of all on two separate night drives he picked up a chameleon from a bush and brought it over for guests to touch. On one occasion he actually passed it to one of the guests (a 10 year old girl) and it promptly bit her and she tried to shake it off. This isn't the kind of responsible guiding I expect from a Luangwa guide, and on the second occasion I voiced my concerns. One of the managers had joined our game drive that night, and he said nothing." See all these reviews: 15n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Average

Location:
Good
Service:
Poor
Activities:
Poor
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Good
Sightings Report

Buffalo

3 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

4 sightings

Lion

3 sightings

Spotted Hyena

5 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Ms S
Piedmont

"Wonderful!"

3 nights Arrived 26 Jun 2018
"We were so comfortable at Kafunta River Lodge with it's rustic luxury.

We loved the staff, and our guide John was an amazing wealth of knowledge. We especially loved that we got to meet his lovely family and past teachers during our village tour. I'm so glad we had the option for a village tour, as it was a very enriching experience for us.

The concentration of game was awesome.

Everything about our stay there surpassed our expectations!" See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

2 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

4 sightings

Hippo

4 sightings

Leopard

2 sightings

Lion

3 sightings

Spotted Hyena

2 sightings

Wild dog

1 sighting

Zebra

4 sightings

Mimi
Miami

"Kafunta River Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 5 Jun 2018
"See prior review.

[Ed: see below]" See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mimi
Miami

"Great Safari Lodge and Chalets"

2 nights Arrived 1 Jun 2018
"Everyone at Kafunta was friendly, helpful and knowledgable. The chalets were so comfortable and the views from the rooms and the lodge unsurpassed! We loved the varied dining options at the Elephant Blind and the Tree house area. The pool and hot tub a real plus.

Our favorite was Three Rivers and the sleeping platform under the stars. T.J. (?) the manager there was a great host and all the staff were friendly and helpful. Our guide for most of the time was David and he was SUPERB!!

We especially appreciated his taking us to part of the Anglican church service and the Agricultural Service project in the village." See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

6 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

3 sightings

Lion

10 sightings

Spotted Hyena

5 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mrs P & Mr K
Hamilton

"A truely special place"

4 nights Arrived 18 Apr 2017
"We fell under the spell of Kafunta River Lodge, and South Luangwa National Park and would love to return!

This is an incredible place with a stunning view over the river plain that takes your breath away.

We were there early in the season (April) so there was only one other couple at the lodge - we felt well and truly spoilt by the attentive and friendly staff.

The safari guiding (with Jarbis) was excellent and we had some amazing experiences despite it still being at the tail end of the rainy season - this was in no small part due to the knowledgeable guiding.

The food is great, lovingly made, and served on the deck overlooking the river." See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mrs E
Belgium

"Absolutely excellent!"

1 night Arrived 16 Sep 2016
"I will just repeat what I said before:

We absolutely loved Kafunta River lodge! It was the last stop on our safari and also the best. Of course it was also the most expensive of our trip so one must take that into account. However we felt that Kafunta offered amazingly good value for money! I can't imagine what any of the more expensive lodges could offer more.

The pictures on the website don't do it justice, the place is just gorgeous. Especially the suites. The extra cost is limited (I think 50 usd pppn) and the rooms are just fabulous. So I would recommend anyone to upgrade if they are available, it is very much worth it. They are huge and offer wonderful views! They made up the upstairs daybeds for us one night to have a romantic sort of sleep out, so romantic!

The food was divine, the drinks delicious and very cold.

I cannot praise the staff enough! Everyone was incredibly friendly and exceptionally service oriented.

Highly recommended!" See all these reviews: 5n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mrs E
Belgium

"Absolutely excellent!"

2 nights Arrived 12 Sep 2016
"We absolutely loved Kafunta River lodge! It was the last stop on our safari and also the best. Of course it was also the most expensive of our trip so one must take that into account. However we felt that Kafunta offered amazingly good value for money! I can't imagine what any of the more expensive lodges could offer more.

The pictures on the website don't do it justice, the place is just gorgeous. Especially the suites. The extra cost is limited (I think 50 usd pppn) and the rooms are just fabulous. So I would recommend anyone to upgrade if they are available, it is very much worth it. They are huge and offer wonderful views! They made up the upstairs daybeds for us one night to have a romantic sort of sleep out, so romantic!

The food was divine, the drinks delicious and very cold.

I cannot praise the staff enough! Everyone was incredibly friendly and exceptionally service oriented.

Highly recommended!" See all these reviews: 5n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs F
Essex

"Excellent Safari at Kafunta Lodge"

4 nights Arrived 15 Aug 2016
"The location is amazing and the staff provided first class service. The Safari went beyond our expectation and this was in part due to our fantastic guide Andrew, whose knowledge of the wildlife was superb. We could not have asked for anything more - if we did I am sure it would have been provided!

The layout and the quality of the Lodge is exceptional. It is a first class venue that provided a first class experience. An amazing place to stay and a place recommended to experience and enjoy the wonders of Safari." See all these reviews: 4n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Showing 21-30 of 45
96%
45 reviews of Kafunta River Lodge by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
39
4
2
0
0
Filter by month

Holiday styles & special interests in Zambia

From birdwatching breaks to walking holidays, find great ideas for your trip in Zambia.


Birdwatching

Birdwatching

Diverse habitats, discreet hides and superb guiding.

Cultural experiences

Cultural experiences

Get an insight into Africa's cultures and history.

Family holidays

Family holidays

Hand-picked camps for an incredible family safari.

Honeymoons

Honeymoons

Romantic safaris and castaway island retreats.

Luxury

Luxury

First-class service, scenic vistas and unparalleled comfort await you during these carefully selected luxury holidays. 

Photography holidays

Photography holidays

Great holidays to suit the keen photographer.

Private villas & houses

Private villas & houses

Enjoy Africa with just your friends & family

Riding holidays

Riding holidays

Explore Africa's wilderness on horseback.

Solo Travel

Solo Travel

Trip ideas ideally suited for a solo traveller.

Walking

Walking

Explore Africa's most scenic trails on foot.

Walking safaris

Walking safaris

Explore Africa's untouched wildernesses on foot.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing

Wellness escapes in stunning locations

Wildlife safaris

Wildlife safaris

These trips include hard-hitting game and fascinatingly elusive species alike, as well as superb guiding and a variety of diverse ecosystems.

Other lodges in South Luangwa National Park

Alternative places to stay in this same area.


Tafika

Tafika

One of the best camps in Zambia, Tafika is naturally built, combining excellent service and food with top guiding skills for a superb wildlife experience.


98% (340 reviews)
Nkwali

Nkwali

On the banks of the Luangwa River, with its own access to the national park, the intimate Nkwali is open year round.


97% (252 reviews)
Kaingo Camp

Kaingo Camp

Small and owner-run, the riverside Kaingo occupies a a quiet but excellent game area, with a series of wildlife hides and a focus on photography.


97% (221 reviews)
Nsefu

Nsefu

One of the Luangwa's oldest camps, Nsefu is a great safari camp in a remote, beautiful and game-rich location with top-rate guiding.


98% (203 reviews)
Mwamba Bushcamp

Mwamba Bushcamp

Small, remote and owner-run, Mwamba offers first-class walking, 4WD safari drives and superb hides, with excellent guides and a real bush feel.


99% (160 reviews)
Tena Tena

Tena Tena

One of the Luangwa's best camps, in a beautiful, remote bush location, Tena Tena is very small, exceedingly well-run and has top-rate guiding.


95% (160 reviews)
Chikoko Tree Camp

Chikoko Tree Camp

Chikoko Tree Camp is an excellent small, rustic bushcamp that concentrates on walking safaris, and is run by a top-quality operation.


99% (126 reviews)
Big Lagoon Camp

Big Lagoon Camp

Big Lagoon Camp is a great little rustic bushcamp built to high standards that focuses on excellent walking safaris, with the emphasis on top wildlife guides.


98% (101 reviews)
Luangwa River Camp

Luangwa River Camp

Luangwa River Lodge is a small and consciously stylish lodge in the Mfuwe area, overlooking the Luangwa River and the South Luangwa National Park beyond – an area renowned for great game.


97% (82 reviews)
Flatdogs Camp

Flatdogs Camp

A relatively big safari camp, Flatdogs offers value for money with great guiding and good food in a comfortable, relaxed setting.


98% (78 reviews)
Kapani Lodge

Kapani Lodge

Kapani Lodge is now the main office base for Norman Carr Safaris, one of the Luangwa's oldest safari operations.


95% (78 reviews)
Mchenja Bushcamp

Mchenja Bushcamp

Set in a shady ebony grove on the banks of the Luangwa, Mchenja is a smart tented bushcamp. It combines well with Kakuli and Nsolo – its sister camps with a focus on walking safaris.


98% (71 reviews)
Kakuli Bushcamp

Kakuli Bushcamp

Beside the Luangwa River, Kakuli is a comfortable tented bushcamp offering 4WD safaris and walking safaris – the best of which are camp-to-camp walks linking Kakuli with its nearby sister camps.


97% (66 reviews)
Nsolo Bushcamp

Nsolo Bushcamp

Nsolo is a small, comfortable bushcamp overlooking one or two pools in the usually dry Luwi riverbed. It concentrates on walking safaris in an interesting and diverse area, led by a knowledgeable guide.


97% (55 reviews)
Luwi Bushcamp

Luwi Bushcamp

In a remote part of the South Luangwa National Park, Luwi is a rustic bushcamp whose emphasis is on walking safaris with great guiding and a chance of seeing some rarely seen and elusive antelope.


93% (39 reviews)
Robin Pope Safaris bush-camp

Robin Pope bush-camp

RPS bushcamping in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia


99% (30 reviews)
Lion Camp

Lion Camp

Lion Camp is an established and comfortable camp with a swimming pool, located near to the game-rich Lion Plain in the northern part of South Luangwa National Park.


95% (30 reviews)
Robin Pope Safaris Mobile Safari Camp

Robin Pope mobile

RPS mobile safari camps are at the heart of their set-itinerary walking safaris in South Luangwa National Park, which start and finish at a permanent camp.


98% (25 reviews)
Puku Ridge

Puku Ridge

Puku Ridge is a luxurious designer camp set in a stunning location, high on a hill overlooking a floodplain within South Luangwa. Explore from here on 4WD safaris and walks.


96% (23 reviews)
Kapamba Bushcamp

Kapamba Bushcamp

In the remote far south of South Luangwa National Park, Kapamba is a small and very comfortable bushcamp offering good walks and game drives.


95% (20 reviews)
Mfuwe Lodge

Mfuwe Lodge

In a game-rich area close to the South Luangwa’s main Mfuwe Gate, Mfuwe Lodge is relatively large by park standards, but it’s stylish, modern and family friendly.


95% (19 reviews)
Kuyenda Bushcamp

Kuyenda Bushcamp

Kuyenda Bushcamp is a classic bushcamp with particularly delightful hosts and offers top-class walking safaris in South Luangwa National Park.


99% (16 reviews)
Luangwa Safari House

Luangwa Safari House

Luangwa Safari House is a vast and very smart four-bedroom house specifically designed for families and small groups, and offering an exclusive and flexible safari experience.


100% (14 reviews)
Three Rivers Camp

Three Rivers Camp

In the remote far south of South Luangwa National Park, Three Rivers Lodge sits at the confluence of three of the valleys rivers.


95% (13 reviews)
Island Bush Camp

Island Bush Camp

Island Bushcamp is a good-value, rustic, walking-only camp, in arguably one of the most remote parts of the South Luangwa, well away from all other camps.


100% (13 reviews)
Bilimungwe Bushcamp

Bilimungwe Bushcamp

A smart bushcamp with four very spacious chalets, Bilimungwe offers interesting walking safaris in pretty riverine woodland, as well as day and night safari drives.


95% (13 reviews)
Chinzombo

Chinzombo

Opened in early June 2013, Chinzombo offers luxurious and stylish accommodation with very high levels of service and excellent guiding.


98% (13 reviews)
Chindeni

Chindeni

Chindeni Bushcamp is a very modern and minimalist camp, which is a far cry from your traditional bushcamp and unlike most of the other camps in South Luangwa.


97% (12 reviews)
Robin's House

Robin's House

With your own expert guide, private vehicle, chef and valet, the two-bedroom Robin's House offers an exclusive, flexible safari experience – and is open year round.


95% (11 reviews)
Kawaza Village

Kawaza Village

Kawaza Village – beside the South Luangwa National Park, offers guests the rare opportunity to appreciate local village life. Visit for a few hours or stay overnight.


95% (11 reviews)
Chamilandu Bushcamp

Chamilandu Bushcamp

A comfortable little bushcamp, Chamilandu has a picturesque setting by the Luangwa River, in an area with a range of habitats to explore on foot and by 4WD.


100% (6 reviews)
Mwamba Camp-out

Mwamba Camp-out

The Mwamba-Camp Out allows you to have an incredibly adventurous night in the bush, sleeping under mosquito nets with activities led by some of the best guides in Zambia.


92% (5 reviews)
Zungulila

Zungulila

Zungulila is a small, comfortable tented bushcamp with an emphasis on walking safaris, in the remote southern section of the South Luangwa.


93% (3 reviews)
Shawa Luangwa Camp

Shawa Luangwa

Opened in June 2021, Shawa Luangwa Camp is a small, intimate and rustic camp, with a good location in a remote section of the South Luangwa National Park.


93% (3 reviews)
Luwi Riverbed Sleepout

Luwi Riverbed Sleepout

For an adventurous night in South Luangwa National Park, come and sleep out in the bush, around a campfire, with an experienced guide and game scout.


100% (2 reviews)
Chichele Presidential Lodge

Chichele Lodge

Currently in the final stages of an extensive rebuild, Chichele Presidential Lodge stands high within the park, with superb views, and is due to reopen in early 2025.


100% (1 review)
Chikunto Safari Lodge

Chikunto

Chikunto Safari Lodge is a more traditional property in the South Luangwa National Park, sitting on a peninsula of land created by the meandering Luangwa River.


No reviews yet

Login to Expert Africa

Sign in with password

Sign in with email link


New to Expert Africa? Create an account

Forgotten your details?

It's free & quick to set up

  • Save your wish-list
  • Send us an enquiry
  • Pay online for your trip
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Give us feedback on your trip
  • Full site benefits of the site

Need some help? Talk to our team

Newsletter background

Stay in the know with Expert Africa

Join our newsletter. Get the latest on new camps and lodges, insights from our team, uplifting conservation stories and more...

A few more details and you're subscribed

Thanks!

Almost there! We've sent you an email to confirm your subscription. Just click on the link and you'll soon be receiving our newsletter in your inbox.

In the meantime, take a look at our previous Bush Telegraph newsletters.
Africa