Hippo Lodge is situated along the banks of the Kafue River in Kafue National Park, Zambia. Kafue National Park is one of Africa’s largest game parks comprising 22,400km2 of breathtaking wilderness and the greatest species diversity of all the National Parks in Zambia.
It hosts 158 species of mammal, 481 species of bird and 58 species of fish. This makes it a perfect destination for nature lovers, bird watchers and anglers alike.
Hippo is a small, vintage-style stone-built camp with four uniquely built private chalets and two rustic safari tents each with open-air stone bathrooms.
Days can be spent game-viewing on foot, by vehicle or boat, ferociously fishing the Kafue hot spots, ticking away at that bird list, unwinding with a sundowner in a natural hot spring, devouring delicious bush meals on idyllic islands in the Kafue River, taking an insightful trip back in time with a tour of a derelict copper mine, or catching that intensely beautiful sunset….
Hippo Lodge is an owner-run camp and is geared towards creating a personalised and intimate atmosphere that one would expect from a classic safari lodge.
Bruce Whitfield, who has over a decade of experience guiding in Kafue National Park, will show you the magic of the bush with his extensive knowledge in African wildlife.
The lodge is situated on east bank of the Kafue River, in the northern sector of the Kafue National Park, 100 km west-northwest of Mumbwa. Northeast of Hippo is the Lubungu ferry crossing on the old Kasempa road. Approximately 40 km down stream is Lufupa Lodge.
Hippo is a comfortable 4 hour drive from Lusaka in the dry season (May to mid-November) and the road is passable all year round for a reasonably high-clearance vehicle, although a reliable 4×4 vehicle is needed in the wet season (December to April).
The Hippo airstrip lies less than 2 km from the lodge and is open in the dry season. A flight from Lusaka International to the camp takes no more than an hour and a half. This is the only airstrip in the area (1100 km long)
Directions to Hippo Lodge from Lusaka
Hippo Lodge is 262 km from Lusaka, via the excellent Mongu road (M9). Turn right at the sign for Mumbwa town, 156 km from Lusaka. At the roundabout in Mumbwa, turn left and pass the Total petrol station on your right hand side – Please note that this is the last fuel stop!
After approximately 1 km, passing some small road-side stalls where people sell vegetables, turn right onto a good gravel road (Hippo is 106 km from here).
Travel straight along this road for about 30-40 km until you reach a fork junction. Take the left fork, and travel for about 30 km past the Open Prison, then past Mushingashi Game Conservancy (on your right hand side) to Kabalushi Gate where you will enter the National Park.
Please note that there are usually no game scouts at this post. Pass through the gate and drive another 20-25 km until you reach another fork junction where you will see a sign for Hippo – turn left onto the bush track.
About 10 km along the bush track you should see another sign for Hippo Lodge, go straight past the sign and pass the old whitewashed mine houses on your left hand side.
Less than 50 metres from these buildings on the left is another Hippo sign on a fallen tree trunk – turn left here and follow the road straight (about 4-5 km) to the Hippo airstrip. You will see another sign directing you to the road running along the right of the airstrip. Follow this road straight for less than 2 km to Hippo Lodge.
GPS co-ordinates are available on request. By prior arrangment you can also reach Hippo Lodge by river from Luffupa Lodge.
Houses
Honeymoon house (recently rebuilt) is a romantic house for couples set under large Jackal Berry trees on the edge of the river.
Munjili House is a small family chalet and ideal for bird watching, set back from the river with great views of the bush and a pair of resident Crowned Eagles.
Imberbe House is an impressive thatched A-frame for couples, nestled between two large Leadwood (Combretum Imberbe) trees.