Old Mondoro

Named after the Shona word for “lion”, Old Mondoro in Lower Zambezi is a superb owner-operated camp that trades in the ultra-luxurious in favor of the authentic to support one of the best adventure bushcamp safari experiences in Africa. Intimate and personal, Old Mondoro harnesses its remote position along the great Zambezi River to great reward, pairing its diverse wilderness setting with unpretentious creature comforts for a truly memorable “back to the bush” stay.

Property Details

Old Mondoro bush camp in Zambia is the Lower Zambezi’s most intimate and private safari camp. Four bush chalets are strung out along a remote channel off the Zambezi, offering almost constant sightings of elephants feeding on the acacia groves and hippos basking in the reed-filled waters. Rustic in style, Old Mondoro reverts back to the simpler charms of the safari, one where glowing paraffin lamps enhance electricity, bathrooms and steaming showers open to the stars, and deep ston splash tubs supply supreme comfort. The tents have a truly adventurous feel to them, with open-ended A-frame canvas walls, king size beds draped in mosquito nets, and timber sun decks dotted with comfy daybeds for relaxation among the wild. There is also a fifth chalet with a second bedroom and bath to accommodate families.

The main area of Old Mondoro is a large canvas structure outfitted with comfortable wicker furniture, a small library, a well-stocked bar, and a communal dining table. The specific stretch of the riverbank one of the most beautiful along the Zambezi, welcoming droves of elephants as they pass by on their way to the waters. Guests have front row seats to the action as they dine alfresco under the stars, around the campfire, and even on a boat in the middle of the Zambezi. From well-balanced breakfasts and savory afternoon teas to multi-course dinners, guests are treated to world-class, personalized dining despite their utterly remote surrounds in the middle of the bush.

Guests of Old Mondoro also benefit from an unusually wide range of land and water-based activities, as well as some of the most impressive guiding on the continent. Old Mondoro is enviably located in the middle of the prime wildlife and habitat zones of the Lower Zambezi National Park, a world-class wilderness boasting intense lion, buffalo, and elephant populations and some of the most prolific leopard sightings in Africa. What’s more, guests are guaranteed an experience that is exclusively theirs, unhindered by other tourists or vehicles. Outside of day and night game drives, the Lower Zambezi region is particularly lovely for bush walks, providing visitors with a “backstage pass” to the wildlife and ecology of the park. Other highlights at Old Mondoro include canoe trips, catch and release angling, boat cruises, and river safaris to witness the biodiversity in a more relaxing setting.