Chindeni
Chindeni is a luxury tented lodge overlooking a beautiful lagoon in the southern section of South Luangwa National Park
Chindeni is a lovely small camp with a beautiful location overlooking an expansive lagoon which holds water for most of the season and attracts a wide variety of game and birdlife. The tented accommodation is spacious and comfortable, offering a decent level of luxury whilst also allowing guests to stay connected to nature. Like all the Bushcamp Company properties in the southern section of the park, Chindeni has a great location for walking, whilst from a driving perspective there are options to head south-west to the Kapamba River area or north-east towards the Mfuwe sector. This makes Chindeni a good option for guests who wish to drive as well as walk, hosted by experienced guides. Food and service in camp is of a high standard, and the camp has an upmarket, exclusive feel to it.
Rooms
The camp caters for a maximum of eight guests in four tented chalets, each built off the ground on a large raised wooden platform. The tents are very spacious with a comfortable indoor sitting area while the en suite bathroom includes plumbed shower, double vanity and flush loo. The decor is very contemporary. Each tent has a wonderful view over the lagoon and a wooden platform with sun loungers from which to enjoy your siesta!
Central Areas
The central areas comprise a large raised deck, built in and around the tree trunks on the edge of the river. There are covered lounge and dining areas, plenty of space for open air dining and a fire pit area, all overlooking the water and hills beyond.
Facilities
Wi-Fi – No
Power for charging – Yes
Swimming pool – No
Habitat & Wildlife
The Luangwa Valley is one of Africa’s most scenic and game-rich National Parks. Forming part of the southern end of the Great Rift Valley, the wide valley floor is about 1,000ft lower than the surrounding plateau and through the centre flows the Luangwa River which is fed by dozens of sand rivers during the rainy season, causing it to become a raging torrent. It frequently alters its course from season to season, causing many ox-bow lakes to form. These lakes are very important to the ecology of the valley and account for the high carrying capacity of the park.
Elephant, although slightly smaller than their southern African savannah counterparts, are plentiful, as are buffalo (in huge herds), kudu, waterbuck, puku, impala, bushbuck, warthog, and reedbuck. Thornicrofts giraffe (endemic to the region) are commonly seen and the Cookson’s wildebeest can be seen in the northern sector of the park. Along the river hippo can be seen in their hundreds, in the late dry season packed into ever decreasing water pools, whilst huge crocs laze on the many sand banks. However, the park is perhaps best known for its predator populations, in particular lion and leopard, the latter of which are seen regularly by day and at night. Wild dogs have made a good comeback in the park in recent years and are often sighted. Night drives can also be very productive, with nocturnal species such as civet, genet, honey badger, white-tailed mongoose, African wild cat, spotted hyaena and porcupine regularly seen in addition to the many superb leopard sightings.
The birdlife of the Luangwa is equally exceptional, with over half of the total Zambia species (around 700) being recorded here. Commonly sighted species include crowned crane, carmine- and white-fronted bee-eaters (which nest in the banks of the river from late August onwards), Lilian’s lovebird, purple-crested turaco, paradise whydah, striped kingfisher and the impressive saddlebill storks. Pel’s fishing are also regularly seen.
Activities
Chindeni Bushcamp was originally developed as a walking camp, and there is still a strong focus on walking with morning walks being offered each day. Afternoons are often set aside for relaxed afternoon game drives which extend into a night drive after sunset drinks. However, increasingly guests have required morning game drives and these days many guests focus more on driving then walking, so it is possible to stay at Chindeni without walking at all! We suggest that Chindeni is best suited to guests who wish to mix driving and walking.
Seasons
Chindeni Bushcamp is open from May to December, though game viewing and walking conditions will be best from July onwards.
Chindeni Bushcamp is not an obvious choice for families with children under 12 years old. However, for families with older teenage children, the camp could offer a really fantastic family safari adventure.
The Bush Camp Company, operators of Chindeni, financially supports conservation in South Luangwa through a mandatory Luangwa Conservation & Community Fee that each guest is charged per night and which is shared between conservation and community projects.
They are supporters of three local wildlife organisations; Conservation South Luangwa (CSL), the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife. These organisations work to conserve their natural environment.
The Bushcamp Company supports Mfuwe Day School, Chiwawatala Primary School and Chilongozi Primary School. Through donations they have assisted in a range of areas from sponsoring pupils and initiating school feeding programmes to building of classrooms and giving access to clean water by drilling bore holes. They also operate an Education Fund which, through donations, ensures that required resources are given to specific pupils during their education.
