Kanyemba Island Bush Camp
Stilted island chalets · A private island opposite Kanyemba Lodge · The Garbaccio family
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Mid-range
Outside the gate
Owner/family-run
The island annexe to Kanyemba Lodge: four stilted chalets, no other guests, and the river running past on both sides. Booked through the main lodge and generally combined with a night or two on the mainland.
Pros and cons
Pros
- A private island with only four chalets on it
- Chalets raised on stilts above the sand
- No other guests on the island but your group
- Booked through Kanyemba Lodge, about 2.5 hours from Lusaka
- Lodge kitchen behind camp gives a sleep-out feel with full service
Cons
- No published rate card for the island camp
- Not bookable alone; always combined with the main lodge
- Exact season dates not published, beyond "dry season"
- Only four chalets, so availability is limited
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Lower Zambezi National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entry$25 if you are with a licensed operator instead of self-driving.
- $30per person, per day
- VehicleUnder 3 tonnes, foreign registered.
- $15per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $225 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
Camps inside the park bundle a bed-night levy and community fee on top, which together run $85 to $120 per person per night. That is the number that lands on your invoice, not the gate fee.
The full fee schedule for Lower Zambezi National ParkRates at Kanyemba Island Bush Camp
Rates on request. No published rate card. Usually combined with a stay at the main lodge.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Indicative 2026 rates from operators' own rate cards, gathered July 2026. Always confirm with the lodge. Two things shift the real comparison here. First, camps inside the park add $85 to $120 per person per night in bundled park and conservation fees, and most quote that separately. Second, camps in the Chiawa game management area carry no national park entry fee at all unless you cross into the park, which is why a GMA bed can work out far cheaper than the headline rate suggests.
Questions about Kanyemba Island Bush Camp
Can you book Kanyemba Island Bush Camp on its own?
No. The island camp is always combined with a stay at Kanyemba Lodge on the mainland, usually a night or two on each side. Contact the lodge at info@kanyemba.com to build an itinerary across both.
What is Kanyemba Island Bush Camp like?
It is a private island with only four chalets, raised on stilts above the sand, with the river running past on both sides and no other guests sharing the island. The lodge's kitchen operates from behind camp, so it has a sleep-out feel without losing full service.
What does it cost to stay at Kanyemba Island Bush Camp?
No rate card is published for the island camp specifically. Since it is always booked alongside Kanyemba Lodge, ask for a combined quote covering both the mainland lodge and the island nights.
How do you get to Kanyemba Island Bush Camp?
You travel via Kanyemba Lodge, which is about two and a half hours from Lusaka by road, the easiest road access of any lodge in this valley. The island sits directly opposite the main lodge, with transfers arranged from there.