Chula Island Camp

Chula Island Camp

Chula Island Camp is a wild, remote, back-to-basics safari camp located on a private island in Zambia‘s Lower Zambezi National Park. The property sits a little back from the river’s edge, hemmed by a sandy floodplain and clasped by mahogany trees. This unique, unfenced setting attracts regular camp visitors like elephant, buffalo, hippo, and impala. Big cats and predators are present on the island (lion, wild dog, and hyena), and there’s even a resident leopard. Explore hidden lagoons, open dambos (shallow wetlands), and meander through the Discovery Channel. Chula Island Camp is well suited to intrepid safari-goers who want exclusive and unfettered, total wilderness immersion.

There are just canvas tents here for a maximum of 10 guests at any given time. Service is delivered on a first-name basis (with owner hosts on-site), and the guiding is excellent. Being a true bush camp, amenities are at a minimum, but all are comfortably present. A tree-shaded outdoor washroom complete with hot water hanging bucket showers and flush toilets is a literal portrait of outdoor living. Tents are minimalist, but beds are draped with premium bed linens and make for a snug sleep chorused by night sounds of the bush. Reading lamps are solar-powered, a pair of rattan camp chairs offer armchair safaris, and laundry service is included. A communal, open-air mess tent serves as a lounge and dining area.

Activities at Chula Island Camp center on walking and boating. (Game drives are possible on the mainland.) After a sunrise breakfast at the campfire, depart in the soft morning light for a guided bush walk. Spend time boating or canoeing in the braid of channels adjacent to the faster-flowing Zambezi River. Go fishing, paddle a canoe past wildlife idling near the riverbank, or simply rejoice in small wonders that might otherwise might go unnoticed. Midday, a tented picnic with feet in the water is a memorable meal. As the sun arcs to the horizon, depart for a sunset cruise. Come nightfall, look for aardvark or honey badgers.

Access to Chula Island Camp is via Jeki Airfield, followed by a vehicle game drive transfer and boat ride.

Note: this property is seasonal, typically opening in May and closing sometime in mid-November.

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