Accommodating 12 – 14 guests Nkwali Camp is the year-round base camp for Robin Pope Safaris. It is located in the central Mfuwe area of the South Luangwa National Park some 45 minutes from Mfuwe airport. As with other camps in this central area Nkwali Camp is an ideal spot from which to begin your South Luangwa safari adventure, a couple of days spent here will give one a good grounding in what is to follow.
The rooms are simple yet stylish, each overlooking the Luangwa River as it drifts past, there is a lovely bar area constructed around a clump of ebony trees with a deck that extends out over the river bank. Thanks to its secluded location, Nkwali Camp is a little quieter than most others in the central Mfuwe area. There is always plenty of game in the vicinity, it is not unusual to see elephant coming into camp or crossing the main river just up-stream and the graceful and endemic Thornicrofts Giraffe are also regular visitors.
Guests have the choice of walking or driving from Nkwali Camp, access into the National Park is usually by boat which leaves from the centre of camp or via the pontoon which is about 15 minutes drive down stream. The fact that guests from Nkwali Camp will only rarely be taken over the main bridge is to their advantage. Although I maintain that the game-viewing in the area immediately beyond the main bridge is hard to beat, the number of vehicles using this access to the Park does detract somewhat, particularly at peak times.
There are 5 standard rooms at Nkwali Camp and 1 family suite which comprises a double and a twin room each with their own en-suite. In addition to these rooms Robin’s House is located at one end of camp, this is a lovely 2 bedroomed house offering exclusivity for small families, usually their meals and activities would be on an exclusive basis but guests at the house can join the main camp enabling larger groups to combine this house with some of the rooms at the main camp.
Robin Pope Safaris offer a variety of activities specially designed for the younger safari goer making this camp and Robin’s House ideal for families. Nkwali Camp, as with most of the camps in the central Mfuwe area is open year round.
