Ntemwa-Busanga Camp

OVERVIEW:

Ntemwa–Busanga offers simple, great-value accommodation in Zambia’s remote Busanga Plains, ideal for those seeking a true bush experience characterised by excellent guiding and isolated wilderness. The camp is owned by Classic Zambia, whose portfolio also includes Yellow Zebra favourites Chula Island, Kutali, and Musekese camps. Ntemwa–Busanga’s design is basic, but it incorporates all the comforts you could wish for, including flush toilets and warm bucket showers. Guests can visit between 1 July and 31 October every year, and rates include all meals, local alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, inter-camp transfers, and daily scheduled activities.

ACCESS & LOCATION:

Ntemwa–Busanga is located in the far south of Busanga Plains, within Kafue National Park. The camp is accessed via a 40-minute game drive transfer from Busanga Plains Airstrip. Charter flights to Busanga can be arranged to and from Lusaka, Livingstone, and all other key parks in Zambia.

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT NTEMWA-BUSANGA:

The accommodation at Ntemwa–Busanga consists of five well-spaced reed-and-thatch chalets raised slightly above the ground on wooden decks. Guests can choose between twin or double beds with mosquito nets, and additional furniture includes bedside tables with reading lights, a hanging rail, a small chest of drawers, and a simple shelf for your luggage. You’ll also find mosquito repellent, a water flask, and a whistle for emergency use. Each chalet has a shaded private veranda, from which you can enjoy the view between game drives. At the back, each open-air en-suite bathroom contains a flush toilet, a jug-and-basin, and a classic bucket shower. Hot water is provided every morning, and water for the bucket showers is available on request at other times.

Ntemwa–Busanga’s elevated open-sided main area features big, comfy leather sofas, a small selection of reading material, and a charging station. There’s a breakfast bar where guests can enjoy panoramic views of the plains, and evening meals are served at the communal dining table or outside on the plains beneath the night sky. Food is integral to the Ntemwa experience, focusing on healthy, creative ingredients. As you would expect from an authentic safari camp like this, there’s a welcoming campfire where guests gather with guides to share stories of the day’s activities.

ACTIVITIES AT NTEMWA–BUSANGA: 

Flexibility is a priority at Ntemwa–Busanga, so guests can enjoy their days at a leisurely pace or with plenty to keep them busy! Game drives are the main activity here.

• Game drives

  - For a fully immersive experience, your guide will take you for a full-day drive out onto the plains, with a picnic lunch – highly recommended! Days begin early with a pre-dawn wake-up call. Look out for birds migrating to and from the Busanga swamps, pools crammed with hippos, and herds of elephants crossing the plains to drink and bathe in the early morning or later in the afternoon. The lions of Busanga and Ntemwa are legendary and are often a feature of a safari here. Among some of the other notable sights are resident herds of roan antelope, zebra, red lechwe, wildebeest, diminutive oribi, African wild dog, and this is arguably the best place in Zambia to see cheetah.

• Night drives

  - Night drives are usually enjoyed after sundowners on the plains. These offer chances to see nocturnal species such as porcupine, bushbaby, and genet, and guests frequently encounter leopards as they become active and hunt on the treeline edge of Busanga. With such a mix of habitats and wildlife species, anything is possible.

• Birding

  - The birdlife in the Kafue region is exceptional, and you’ll see plenty of species at camp or on a game drive. Guests with a particular interest in birds can request walks lasting several hours where the focus is just on ornithology.

*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.