Chiawa Camp, Lower Zambezi National Park

Chiawa Camp is a luxury tented safari camp owned and run by the Cumings family. They opened it in 1989 as the first photographic safari camp in Lower Zambezi National Park, and the family still runs it today. It belongs to the Chiawa Safaris collection, along with Old Mondoro in the Lower Zambezi and Puku Ridge and Chichele Presidential in South Luangwa.

The camp sits under mahogany trees on the north bank of the Zambezi River. Across the water is Zimbabwe's Mana Pools National Park. The Lower Zambezi park covers 4,092 km² and has no paved roads. It was the Zambian president's private game reserve until it became a national park in 1983, which is why it stayed largely untouched. Most guests fly by scheduled charter from Lusaka to Jeki Airstrip, then take a short road transfer and a boat ride of about 40 minutes to reach camp.

There are eight Safari Tents, each over 100 m², with a super-king bed, a ball-and-claw bath, indoor and outdoor showers, and a plunge pool or bench-wallow. There is also one Safari Suite of about 220 m² with a large private plunge pool. For a night in the open, the Safari Sleepout is a riverside star bed that you need to book in advance. Guided activities include game drives in open 4x4s, night drives that use red spotlights to disturb wildlife less, walking safaris with an armed wildlife scout, canoeing, river safaris and catch-and-release tiger fishing. Chiawa Safaris says it has twice won "Best Guiding Team in Africa" and that its camps are certified carbon-positive.