GETTING TO KAINGU SAFARI LODGE IN ZAMBIA
KAINGU SAFARI LODGE:
KAINGU SAFARI LODGE:
15°17’49.8″ SOUTH, 025°58’39.8″ EAST
Please do not follow Google Maps to route to Kaingu Lodge, as it will get you lost and/or stuck
(all GPS coordinates in degrees, minutes, and seconds)
Contact: lodgemanager@kaingu-lodge.com
Our Lodge is situated in the Namwala Game Management Area (GMA) on a spectacular and remote stretch of the Kafue River. Our car park in the Kafue National Park, just opposite the lodge, is only a 10-minute boat trip away.
All guests staying at KaingU Safari Lodge enjoy a spectacular arrival by a short boat cruise through islands and granite boulders to the lodge. All guests arriving after sunset or staying at KaingU Private Campsites take a route on the eastern side of the river direct to KaingU.
By Air:
Chunga Airstrip: Please contact us or your travel agent for details on private charters into Chunga airstrip.
Fly to Chunga Airstrip in the KNP. Transfer to Lodge via the Spinal road and boat across the Kafue River. This is a spectacular way to start your experience at Kaingu.
Chunga Airstrip: S15°03’15.1” E025°59’08.1”
Flight time from Lusaka: 50-70 minutes
Transfer time (airfield to lodge): 1.5 hours
By Road – Transfer:
Transfers by car can be organized by KaingU from Lusaka destinations (airports or hotels) to Kaingu Lodge. Vehicle type will depend on the size of the group.
Total transfer time from Lusaka: 4.5 hours; from Lusaka international airport 5.5-6 hours
By Road – Self Drive
(NB: Do not use google maps to navigate to the lodge. Please follow the detailed directions below. Google maps will ensure you get totally lost on the worst possible route to the lodge! Roads are not signposted, we recommend using a GPS with “Tracks for Africa”) *
The Lodge can be accessed in the dry season with a 2 WD vehicle but the vehicle must have a high ground clearance. The use of sedan cars is not recommended although it is possible with care.
Overview of arrival options for Selfdrivers (amongst others):
A. from Lusaka via Spinal Road (by far the best option, only a 4.5hr hour drive!)
B. from Lusaka via Itezhi Tezhi Road
C. from Livingstone via Ngoma
C1) and from Ngoma via Itezhi Tezhi Road (all weather option)
C2) and from Ngoma via “Old Palm” Road (avoid in peak rain season, usually driveable from May/June till the beginning of November)
C3) and from Ngoma via Spinal Road to the KaingU harbour in the Kafue National Park
D. from Choma via Namwala and Itezhi Tezhi
A. Directions from Lusaka via the Spinal Road (334 km) :
Travelling time: about 5 hours.
This is the smoothest option but remember your car is on the other side of the river so you cannot use this route if you are camping in our private campsites!
With the re-opening of the Spinal Road in the NP guests can also take this route and leave their vehicle in our car park in the Park and be transferred across the river by boat to the Lodge.
This option needs to be coordinated with the Lodge, and Park fees will apply on entrance and exit
Kindly note that in the interim, you will not find the Spinal Road on most maps and it only appears on the very latest editions of ‘Tracks4Africa’ electronic maps.
• Make sure to refuel before you leave Lusaka, there are possibilities to re-fuel at Nangoma Mission or Mumbwa.
• From Lumumba Road in the Lusaka CBD, take the Great West Road towards Mongu – this is the “Mumbwa Road” (M9).
• 151km from Lusaka, you reach the Mumbwa turn-off where there is an “Oil Bay” filling station. A further 30km on you will pass through the Nalusanga Gate at the entrance of the Kafue National Park.
•Continue for approx 40km past the Itezhi Tezhi turnoff and continue for a further 60km, past Mukambi Lodge and over the Hook Bridge, which crosses over the Kafue River.
• Continue 6.3km on from this bridge to the second turnoff to Chunga, which is signposted as “Chunga 21km”. Here there is an entrance gate where you can pay your national park entry fees, or explain you are going to Kaingu Lodge and are going to be paying park fees at the lodge, however it is not always guaranteed that fees can be paid at the lodge.
• From the “21” entrance gate you travel on a gravel road for 14.3km to a major turnoff. Here you will see a large green sign marked “Spinal Road, Ngoma 166km, Musa Gate 170km”
• Take the road to the right marked as above (Ngoma & Musa) to proceed south into the Park. If you find yourself at Chunga (DNPW HQ), turn around and head back the way you came and turn left at the turnoff.
• Travel 32.7km down this road (known as the Spinal Road) to the Kaingu sign on the left (GPS: S15°16’30.8” E25°58’37.9”). Turn left off the road at the sign for Kaingu Safari Lodge and drive along the track for 700m to the carpark. When you reach our carpark there is a solar powered radio that you can use to call the lodge and a boat will be there within 10 mins.
The boat trip across to the lodge takes 10-15 minutes and is free of charge.
Please note: the speed limit in the National Park is 40km/hr, the road is not well signposted and there are sudden bends and drifts (and animals) that can catch the unwary or those travelling too fast. There have already been accidents (including one fatality) on this road due to people getting caught out by sudden bends or animals on the road.
For a few days in the raining season, the Shishamba and Luansanza bridges that you have to cross when on the Spinal road could suddenly be flooded. Do NOT cross bridges when the small bollards on the sides of the bridges are not visible!)
B. Directions from Lusaka via the Itezhi Tezhi Road (302 km):
Travelling time about 5 ½ to 6 hours
• Make sure to refuel before you leave Lusaka, there are possibilities to re-fuel are at Nangoma Mission or Mumbwa.
• From Lumumba Road in the Lusaka CBD, take the Great West Road towards Mongu – this is the “Mumbwa Road” (M9).
• 151km from Lusaka, you reach the Mumbwa turn-off where there is an “Oil Bay” filling station. A further 30km on the M9 you will pass through the Nalusanga Gate at the entrance of the Kafue National Park.
• A further 28km along the M9 (GPS: S14°58’16.4” E26°27’04.4”) turn left (south) onto the Itezhi-Tezhi road (D769, a good tarred road).
• After ±50km on this road, you reach the DNPW/GRI Mweengwa Wildlife Check Point (GPS: S15°16’32.3” E26°14’56.7”). 3km further on from this point (the D769 is gravel after the checkpoint) (GPS: S15°17’56.0” E26°14’09.2”) turn right (West) at the KaingU Lodge/Puku Pans signs.
• Travel 25km along a bush track to the next KaingU Lodge sign (GPS: S15°12’02.1” E026°04’18.6”) and turn left (South). Continue on for ±18km, crossing the Mweengwa Pole Bridge and follow the signs into the KaingU Lodge camp.
It is recommended not to travel faster than 30-35km per hour on these bush tracks due to rocks and stumps in places close to the edge of the road. At the tsetse control point stop for 5 minutes to allow the flies to disperse before driving into camp (for everyone’s sake!).
Travelling time about 5 ½ to 6 hours
C. Self-drive directions from Livingstone (about 398 km total)
Travelling time about 8 hours (make a break at Choma or Itezhi Tezhi)
Do not attempt without lots of fuel, a high clearance 4×4 with low range, reasonable 4×4 driving ability and a sense of adventure and humour!
• From Livingstone, take the T1 towards Lusaka.
• At Kalomo town (124km) (GPS: S17°01’45.6” E026°29’24.7”) turn northwards towards the Dundumwense entrance gate of the Kafue National Park. This is ±70km from Kalomo.
Note!! Re-fuel at Kalomo as this is the last reliable fuel stop!
• From Dundumwenzi, take the road to Ngoma, the southern HQ of the Kafue National Park.
You will travel through the Nanzhila Plains along the “Cordon Road” – this is about 120km on the new gravel road that skirts outside the Eastern boundary of the park.
Three Options:
C 1) from Ngoma via Itezhi-Tezhi Road (128.2 km)
• From Ngoma, proceed to Itezhi-Tezhi, passing the Musa gate where you exit the park, Musungwa and New Kalala Lodges enroute (25.2km). This brings you to a new market/bus station and a couple of supermarkets in the center of the town. Note: Dumdumwezi to Itezhi Tezhi you do not have to pay park fees – just explain you are in transit from Livingstone.
• From Itezhi-Tezhi, travel north for ±60km to the Kaingu Safari Lodge sign (GPS: S15°17’56.0” E26°14’09.2”) and turn left (west) onto the bush track. Proceed to the next KaingU Lodge sign ±25km further on (GPS: S15°12’02.1” E026°04’18.6”) and turn left (south). Continue on for ±18km, crossing the Mweengwa Pole Bridge and following the signs into the KaingU Safari Lodge camp.
Travelling time: about 8 hours depending on current road conditions.
C2) from Ngoma via Itezhi-Tezhi and the “Old Palm Road” (101.8 km)
For 4×4s only, and only in the dry season (May to November), is this an alternative route that is slightly faster and smoother and easier than going all the way up the D769 to the Kaingu sign and track – as detailed above.
• From Ngoma, proceed to Itezhi-Tezhi, passing the Musungwa and New Kalala Lodges Enroute (±22km).
• From Itezhi-Tezhi travel 31km up the D769 (Itezhi Tezhi road). At 40 km (measured from Itezhi Tezhi’s large and very visible bus station and market) turn left on the track signed “Old Palm Safaris”
• Follow this track for 23.1km, and it will bring you onto the “river road” where you turn right.
• Continue North up this track (passing the signs for Old Palm Safaris and Nsonga Safaris) for 11.5km and then turn left at the Kaingu sign and drive 2km into camp.
NB: If you use Tracks4Africa, then it will try to route you off the D769 well before the junction described above (31km from Itezhi). Do not take this route as it is a very bad road and people get stuck on it even in the dry season!
C3) from Ngoma via the Spinal Road to KaingU harbour in the Kafue National
Attention:
You will arrive about 500 meter north and on the opposite side of the river to our Lodge; there is no pontoon or bridge, but you can park your car safely at our car park at the harbour (therefore it is not possible to use this route if you are coming to our private camp-site with a rooftop tent and lots of camping equipment); kindly note that in the interim you will not find the Spinal Road on most maps or older versions of ‘Tracks 4 Africa’. Before taking this route, you have to contact us with an estimated time of arrival, so we arrange your pick-up by boat; the ETA must not be after 5 pm as boating in the dark is not advisable.
• From Ngoma, it is about 130km to our turn-off (GPS 15°16’30.8”S; 25°58’37.9” E) and car park
• From Ngoma, proceed North towards Lake Itezhi Tezhi for 10.1km, where you meet the road running along the lake shore. Turn left here.
• Follow the road heading West around the lake, passing the sign for Hippo Camp,
• Follow the road heading north for approx 116km (measured from Hippo bay junction) until you have reached our turn-off on your right; there is a little sign for Kaingu Lodge (not the Kaingu game loops).
• Turn right and follow the bush track for 700 meters to our carpark & harbour (GPS 15°16’31.05”S; 25°58’37.23” E) where you will find our solar-powered radio to contact the lodge and within 10 mins a boat will be there.
D. Self-drive directions from Choma through Namwala
Attention:
For 4x4s with high clearance only and only in the dry season (June – October); do not attempt this route without ‘Tracks 4 Africa’ (GPS map); it involves a pontoon crossing;
• follow the road signs from Choma to Namwala; this road is tarred and in good condition – 171 km.
• after this, you have to cover a heavily washed-out track to the pontoon (±10km; about 1 hour drive);
• from the pontoon, use the fairly good gravel road heading West to Itezhi Tezhi town – 48km.
• continue to Kaingu via the above-described options from Itezhi Tezhi