Kayila Lodge
Rebuilt eco-lodge · Chiawa GMA, on its own private reserve · Ana Tree Lodges, the Anabezi group
Mid-range
Outside the gate
Owner/family-run
A complete rebuild on the site of the old Safari Par Excellence camp, run by the family behind Anabezi and Amanzi. The draw is the private reserve: you can walk from the river up towards the ridge without the park's vehicle restrictions, and the reserve is yours alone. Ignore descriptions of the old camp, it is a different property now.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Its own 8,700-acre private game reserve
- River-to-ridge walking without the park's vehicle restrictions
- Only four chalets, so it stays a small-group lodge
- Self-drive in about 3.5 to 4 hours from Lusaka
- Private airstrip about five minutes from camp
Cons
- International rack rate not published; ask directly
- We found no published minimum age for children
- Rate basis, resident or international, not clearly stated online
- Self-drive time varies with seasonal road conditions
What's here
- Swimming pool
Arranged from the lodge:
- Game drives
- Boat trips
Read from Kayila Lodge's own website in July 2026. Anything not listed we could not confirm, which is not the same as it being absent.
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 Kayila Lodge
From about $200 pppn on local specials. That was a 2025 and 2026 resident special. The international rack rate is not published, so ask directly.
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 Kayila Lodge
Is Kayila Lodge good for families?
We found no published minimum age for Kayila Lodge, though its rooms are built for families: maximum occupancy is eight adults and four children, with twin rooms taking two adults and two children. Confirm ages directly when you book, since the lodge gives no further detail online.
What does it cost to stay at Kayila Lodge?
Kayila's own information page lists $100 per person per night, for a minimum of four guests over two nights, for both self-catering and catered stays. It does not say whether that is a resident or international rate, and other sources suggest the international rack rate is unpublished, so confirm which rate applies to you before booking.
Can you self-drive to Kayila Lodge?
Yes. Kayila can be reached by a roughly 30-minute charter flight from Lusaka to its own private airstrip, about five minutes from camp, or by self-drive in about 3.5 to 4 hours from Lusaka depending on the season and road conditions.
What makes Kayila Lodge different from other camps nearby?
Kayila sits on its own 8,700-acre private game reserve, run by the family behind nearby Anabezi and Amanzi, which allows walking from the river up towards the escarpment without the national park's vehicle restrictions. With only four chalets it functions as a small-group lodge rather than a larger camp.