Anantara has just opened its first-ever tented safari camp, and it’s a striking one. Anantara Tented Camp Kafue River sits within Kafue National Park — one of Africa’s largest protected areas — with private, uninterrupted access to a seven-kilometre stretch of the Kafue River, shared only with the resident hippos, elephants and birdlife. The 13-key camp is raised 3.5 metres off the ground to keep wildlife movement undisturbed, and runs entirely on solar power with on-site water purification and minimal single-use plastic from day one. The opening comes in a milestone year for the Anantara Hotels & Resorts brand, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026.
The signature stay here is the Horizon Terrace Suites — at 14.3 metres up, the highest suites in Zambia, reached by glass elevator, with upper-level star beds and sweeping decks over the river and floodplain. For those after more space, nine Pool and Bush Villas come with private plunge pools and indoor spa rooms, while the 400-square-metre Presidential Villa adds exclusive boat access and its own spa zone. Every villa has a dedicated host for dining, activities and wellness.
Dining follows the river rather than a fixed schedule: dawn breakfasts, afternoon tea and sunset dinners are served on a floating pontoon above the water, while Luzuba Harvestry and Twalumba Bar & Lounge cover modern Zambian cooking, cocktails and fireside evenings — with hands-on cooking classes at Spice Spoons for anyone who wants to take a bit of it home. A floating Technogym platform anchored in the river adds private training and yoga to the more usual list of bush pleasures — game drives, river safaris, guided walks, bush picnics and catch-and-release fishing.
The camp’s arrival is part of a longer story: a three-year build carried out alongside African Parks and the Zambian government as part of the ongoing ecological restoration of Kafue, one of the country’s great — and still underused — wildernesses.
Kafue National Park
Kafue is Zambia’s largest national park, roughly 15% bigger than Kruger, and one of the least visited major parks on the continent relative to its scale. Its Busanga Plains in the north flood and recede seasonally, creating one of Africa’s most productive wildlife-viewing landscapes — cheetah, lion, red lechwe and sitatunga all turn up here in real numbers, away from the crowds found elsewhere. There are no set schedules here, and all meals and activities can be personalised, which means no safari crowds, on land or the river, at all.
Book Your Stay
Anantara Tented Camp Kafue River is reached by private charter from Livingstone or Lusaka to Chunga airstrip, or a short domestic flight from Livingstone. Find out more or make a booking at anantara.com, or reach out directly: cro.jnb@minorhotels.com | +27 10 003 8979.
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