Bilimungwe Bushcamp

Highlights

• Just four reed-and-thatch chalets, so the camp stays small, quiet and personal
• Walking is the signature activity, led by highly experienced resident guides
• Three chalets face the main waterhole, so the game comes to your deck
• Day and night game drives plus sundowners on the banks of the Luangwa River
• Inter-camp walks to sister camps Chindeni and Kapamba
• Set in The Bushcamp Company's exclusive 140,000-acre section of the park
• Solar power for lighting, charging and hot water; water drawn from a borehole
• Open from mid-May to 1 November, the heart of the Luangwa dry season

Information

• Lodge type: Walking safari bushcamp
• Location: Southern South Luangwa National Park, Zambia
• Lodge size: 4 reed-and-thatch chalets (2 twin, 2 double)
• Recommended stay: 2–3 nights, ideally as part of a Bushcamp circuit
• Malaria risk: Yes — South Luangwa is a malaria area; take prophylaxis
• Getting there: Scheduled flight Lusaka to Mfuwe (441 km, about 1 hr 10 min), then a 3 hr 15 min road and game-drive transfer from Mfuwe Airport to camp

Unleash Your Wild Side At Bilimungwe Bushcamp In The Luangwa Valley

Bilimungwe Bushcamp is a four-chalet walking safari camp in the remote southern sector of Zambia's South Luangwa National Park, run by The Bushcamp Company and open from 15 May to 1 November. It sits in a grove of Natal mahogany and winterthorn trees a short stroll from the Luangwa River, overlooking a permanent waterhole that draws elephant, puku, impala, warthog, baboon and the occasional hippo throughout the day.

This is a camp for people who want to be on foot. Mornings start with a guided walk, afternoons roll into a game drive that carries on after dark with a spotlight, and the evening ends around the fire with a handful of fellow guests. If you are planning a Zambia safari built around walking, the remote south of the Luangwa is where we would point you first.

Bilimungwe works best as one stop on a Bushcamp circuit, linked on foot or by vehicle to Chindeni and Kapamba, with Mfuwe Lodge as the gateway at either end.

Rooms And Suites

The four chalets at Bilimungwe Bushcamp are built from reed and cane under thatch, each raised on a wooden platform with a deck running its full length. Two have twin beds and two have doubles, and the half-height reed walls are screened with mosquito gauze, so the bush stays in view and the breeze comes straight through. Hand-carved local furniture, mosquito nets and standing fans complete the picture; there is no air conditioning, and on a Luangwa night you will not miss it.

Each en-suite bathroom has twin mahogany basins, a flush toilet, a large indoor shower and an open-air waterfall shower, with solar-heated water from the camp's own borehole. Three chalets sit in a gentle arc around the main waterhole; the fourth stands apart and is the one to ask for if privacy matters more than front-row viewing.

Cuisine And Wine

Meals are home-style bush cooking built on fresh produce, served on the main deck, at the riverbank, or under the stars depending on the day's plan. The highlight is the sunrise breakfast at a firepit on the banks of the Luangwa, with the river still steaming and hippos grunting their opinion of your coffee.

Bar drinks are included in the rate, with a well-chosen house wine list to match; premium wines are charged separately. Let us know about any dietary requirements when you book and we will pass them to the camp in advance.

Facilities

Camp life at Bilimungwe Bushcamp centres on a single open-sided dining area, deck and bar, shaded by a grand winterthorn and lit at night by lanterns hung from its branches. From the lounge chairs you look straight onto the waterhole, which is the best free entertainment in the Luangwa during the hot midday hours.

• Solar power for lighting, USB charging and hot water
• Discreet Wi-Fi in camp
• Limited laundry service
• No hairdryers or air conditioning
• Unfenced, so guests are escorted to and from their chalets after dark

Activities

Walking is the main event at Bilimungwe, and the guides here are among the best in the Luangwa, a valley that more or less invented the walking safari. Each walk is led by a professional guide with an armed national park scout, reading tracks, dung and alarm calls as you go.

• Guided morning walking safaris (guests aged 12 and over)
• Afternoon game drives that continue into night drives with a spotlight
• Sundowners on the edge of the Luangwa River
• Sunrise breakfast at the riverbank firepit
• Inter-camp walks to Chindeni and Kapamba

Between activities, the waterhole does the work. Pull a chair onto your deck through the heat of the day and the elephants, puku and baboons arrive on their own schedule.

Bilimungwe Bushcamp FAQ

Where is Bilimungwe Bushcamp?

Bilimungwe is in the remote southern sector of South Luangwa National Park in eastern Zambia, inside The Bushcamp Company's exclusive 140,000-acre section of the park. The camp sits in a grove of mahogany and winterthorn trees a short walk from the Luangwa River, overlooking a permanent waterhole that attracts elephant, puku, impala and warthog throughout the dry season.

How do you get to Bilimungwe Bushcamp?

Fly from Lusaka to Mfuwe Airport, the gateway to South Luangwa, on a scheduled flight of about 1 hour 10 minutes. From Mfuwe Airport, Bilimungwe is a road and game-drive transfer of roughly 3 hours 15 minutes, usually via Mfuwe Lodge. Shared road transfers between Mfuwe Airport and the camp are included in the rate.

When is Bilimungwe Bushcamp open?

Bilimungwe opens from 15 May to 1 November each year, closing over the summer rains. May and June bring green landscapes and cooler walks. From August to October the bush dries out, animals concentrate around the waterholes and the Luangwa River, and game viewing reaches its peak, along with the heat.

What activities are offered at Bilimungwe Bushcamp?

Walking safaris are the main activity at Bilimungwe, led by experienced resident guides. Guests also enjoy afternoon game drives that continue into night drives, sundowners on the Luangwa River, a sunrise breakfast at a riverbank firepit, and inter-camp walks to sister camps Chindeni and Kapamba. Between activities, the camp's waterhole provides steady game viewing from the chalet decks.

Is Bilimungwe Bushcamp suitable for children?

Bilimungwe welcomes children aged 12 and over, and only guests of 12 and older may join walking safaris. Younger children can be accommodated only if the family books the entire four-chalet camp exclusively. Because the camp is unfenced and wildlife moves freely through it, the camp suits older teenagers who enjoy walking and can follow a guide's instructions.

Is there malaria at Bilimungwe Bushcamp?

Yes. Bilimungwe lies in South Luangwa National Park, which is a malaria area, so antimalarial prophylaxis is recommended for every guest. Speak to a travel clinic before departure. Each chalet has mosquito nets and gauze-screened walls, and long sleeves, trousers and repellent in the evenings add further protection against bites.

Bilimungwe Bushcamp is the camp we suggest to travellers who want South Luangwa on foot, without crowds and without compromise on comfort. Four chalets, a waterhole that never stops performing, and guides who read the bush like a newspaper make it one of the purest walking safaris in Zambia.

Timing matters here. Come in May or June for green landscapes and cool morning walks, or from August to October when the waterholes and the river pull in game from every direction. Two or three nights is right, and it is better still as part of a Bushcamp circuit with Chindeni and Kapamba, walking from one camp to the next.

The Bushcamp Company and Uyaphi.com were both founded in 1999, and for 27 years we have been planning African safaris from our office in Cape Town. That experience goes into every itinerary: the right camp order, the right flights into Mfuwe, and the right season for what you want to see. Tell us how you like to travel and we will build your Luangwa safari around it, with no booking fees and no credit card surcharges.