Old Mondoro Camp
Old Mondoro is an exclusive bush camp overlooking the Zambezi River in the heart of the Lower Zambezi National Park.
Old Mondoro is one of our favourite camps in Africa. The location is incredible, with beautiful woodland behind camp, lovely views out over the Zambezi River to the front and animals constantly in and around camp. The camp is small and exclusive, and has a friendly, communal feel more in keeping with traditional safari camps where meals are taken together and experiences are shared. The accommodation is very comfortable, but not luxurious, and maintains a slightly adventurous bush feel with open fronts (with blinds that can be rolled down at night). There are often elephants in camp feeding around the chalets! The hospitality side of things is very good, and the camp has attentive management, friendly staff and great guides. Old Mondoro is a camp that offers a really spectacular wildlife experience combined with a relaxed bush atmosphere and a warm social environment. All in all, Old Mondoro is one of Africa’s ‘gems’ and you will need to book early to get in!
Rooms
Old Mondoro accommodates up to 10 guests in 5 comfortable, but rustic, canvas roofed chalets, each with en suite facilities consisting of flush loos, wash basin, outdoor plumbed shower and a splash tub. Each chalet is built onto a low concrete base with a shaded deck to the fore with safari chairs and a comfortable day bed. There are no ‘windows’ (canvas blinds can be dropped after dark) which adds to the safari feel. Standing fans are provided during the hotter months (September onwards). Two chalets have views over the Zambezi River (one more direct than the other), while another three have views over a small river bed and into the bush beyond. One of the chalets is suitable for families with two en suite bedrooms under a shared canvas roof.
Central Areas
There is a small dining and lounge area which forms the nucleus of the camp and all meals are taken communally with your hosts. The camp is unfenced, and a range of game including elephant and hippo are frequent visitors.
Facilities
Wi-Fi – No
Power for charging – Yes
Swimming pool – No
Habitat & Wildlife
The Lower Zambezi National Park follows the northern banks of the mighty Zambezi River and offers a wonderful mix of miombo, mopane and acacia woodland interspersed with open plains and thick riverine forest.
Along the river, hippo are everywhere, snorting away in their ‘pods’, whilst crocodiles bask in the shallows awaiting their next meal as animals come down to quench their thirst. Elephants are numerous too and can often be seen crossing channels in the Zambezi to reach islands where they can feed peacefully. Buffalo stir up the dust as they approach the river to drink, whilst kudu, eland, zebra, impala, bushbuck and waterbuck graze the sweet grasses or browse on the tasty albida pods. Lion and leopard are the main predators, with leopard incredibly successful in the park and seen very regularly. Wild dog roam through the area, whilst spotted hyaena and side-striped jackals are never far from the action. Night drives can reveal the nocturnal species such as honey badger, porcupine, genet, civet, aardvark and pangolin. The birdlife is spectacular, with both waterfowl and woodland species in abundance. During the late dry season (late August onwards), both white fronted and carmine bee-eaters nest in the banks of the rivers providing a colourful spectacle.
The area immediately around Old Mondoro is very beautiful with extensive Winterthorn groves, open flood plains and small water courses feeding the main river. Leopard sightings are very good in this region, and night drives have been very successful in recent years with lots of sightings of aardvark, and even a few pangolin!
Activities
Old Mondoro was originally developed for walking safaris and offers superb walking in addition now to game viewing drives (by day and by night with an infra-red spotlight – please note that there is a no-flash policy for night photography), boat cruises and canoe excursions. Fishing is also possible (seasonal), including for tiger fish.
Seasons
Old Mondoro is open from May to mid-November, though game viewing will be best from July to October.
Old Mondoro is not an obvious choice for families with young children and only accepts children 12 years and above. However, for families with older teenage children who are fine sharing their own chalet, Old Mondoro offers a really amazing family safari adventure.
Chiawa Safaris, owners of Old Mondoro Camp, use their ‘SEE three bottom lines’ principle to form the basis for sustainability within three areas; social, environmental and economic.
They consider the impact of their actions on people by employing locally and buying locally. They undertake educational outreach programmes on environmental awareness, supplying resources including uniforms and stationery for orphans and healthcare supplies to communities, providing HIV and AIDS counselling and testing for staff and the distribution of much needed medical kits. They visit communities distributing educational material on not littering or polluting the river. Each year Chiawa donates around 20 bed nights for charities to auction and raise funds for orphanages and children’s hospices amongst others.
Sister camp Chiawa was the first safari camp to be granted tourism rights in the Lower Zambezi National Park in 1989 and since then they have been a leading voice in lobbying all levels of government and the private sector for improved conservation measures and more sustainable uses for the Lower Zambezi. A large portion of Chiawa Camp’s revenue and resources are reinvested into protecting the Lower Zambezi, including providing strategy, funding and logistical support for research programmes, anti-poaching and environmental education.
Chiawa Safaris partner with a number of local conservation organisations including Conservation Lower Zambezi in which Chiawa’s owners are active executive and board members.
The camps are built to the code of Environmental Council of Zambia and Zambia Wildlife Authority and in camp they work to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as possible. Solar plants were installed at Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro in 2023 to enable them to go completely off-grid while strict rubbish control, eco-friendly guest amenities, and low energy LED light bulbs are used throughout camps.
Each of its camps are certified ‘Climate Positive’ which has been achieved through measuring and reducing their carbon emissions, and offsetting those which cannot be reduced (including the domestic flights of guests) through verified carbon credits investing in two forestry conservation programs in Zambia.
Chiawa is also a member of Pack for a Purpose, an initiative which allows guests with space in their suitcases to bring much needed items for donation to supported projects.
