Chikoko Trails & Crocodile Camp

These two walking camps, right in the north of South Luangwa, are the perfect place to go walking. With no roads in this area you will only bump into the wildlife, not other people! Based along the river pathway, the game is good here and not too skittish to those on foot but cautious enough so they don’t come too close! We had some incredible sightings here including lions on a buffalo kill and a curious night-time elephant who came to scratch on our chalet. Staying in these camps is an exciting adventure.

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Remote Africa Safari walking safari

Why we love Chikoko & Crocodile Camp!

Wow just wow! Loved the river crossing and walk to get there from Tafika, the huge variety of wildlife on the way, the exceptional guiding by Mofatt, and the wild vibe of no vehicles, back to nature classy double story thatched chalets, with exceptional views, and just the sounds of nature with no vehicles in the area. Food was the bomb and just such a wow experience all around.

Mike Varndell, Managing Founder – visited in July 2018

Fast Facts

Location

South Luangwa National Park

Rooms

6 thatch chalets, 3 in each camp

Great for

Walking safaris & the real wild Africa experience

Children welcome

Yes. Minimum age 12

Open

Chikoko: 25 May – 31 Oct
Crocodile: 1 June – 31 oct

Ideal length of stay

2 nights combined with a stay at Tafika or Mwaleshi.

Fans

Yes

Wi-fi

No

(Rates 'from' pppn)

Pricing Category

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Pricing categories explained

The price categories give you an idea of the nightly cost of the respective lodges. Please note: the category is based on the starting from price.

Category Ranges:
$: USD 0 – USD250/pppn
$$: USD 251 – USD600/pppn
$$$: USD 601 – USD1,000/pppn
$$$$: USD1,001+/pppn

Lodge Key Features

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Walking

There are no cars or roads in this part of the park, it is purely walking safaris. Curious warthogs, elephants, plains game, birds and giraffe are all around the camp, you don’t have to walk far to see something of interest. There is a huge network of walks, so you will see something different every day and if you are staying at both camps, you can walk between them, which is a real treat!

With a focus on the smaller stuff, you can discover all that is in the valley as well as learning to track the larger animals, who you can still see (and we did) but from a greater distance than in the car!

Chalets

There are just three chalets at each camp, all are thatched and open at the front so you can see the wildlife on your doorstep, they are simple yet beautifully crafted.

At Crocodile camp, you have a round chalet with an en-suite bathroom with an open shower and covered flushing toilet. One night, a rather curious elephant came to use my wall as a scratching post selecting some of the ceilings to taste! Such an incredible experience to be so up close and personal.

At Chikoko, the chalets are more like tree houses with the bedroom upstairs overlooking the animals below. You can watch as hungry hippos come to ‘mow the lawn’ around your room for the night.

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Remote

This is as remote as you can get. These two bush camps are the only ones in the area. No roads, no cars, no people, no problem! You will, literally, find no one else here – the guides will inform you of the different routes and together you can decide which one to take, depending on what you hope to encounter!

For those of you that want to get off the beaten track and experience the bush as the founders of the park once did, this is the best place to do it. Not to mention your guides and scouts here are top notch! They have years of experience between them and form a close bond over the brief season they are open. They can effectively communicate what is ahead and how you will proceed. Treat yourself to something you won’t forget in a secluded paradise.

Client Reviews

  • Chikoko Tree Camp

    Like its sister camp, Crocodile River Camp, Chikoko Tree Camp is a small rustic camp situated in an area where there are no roads. We arrived here after a four hour walk with Alex ( our guide), Timothy ( our ranger) and George ( our tea bearer) from Crocodile River Camp ( see my review of that camp on Tripadvisor). The routine at Chikoko Tree Camp was identical to that at Crocodile River Camp, the food and staff were of the same excellent standards and the accommodation was very comfortable.

    Siwa08
  • Amazing Bushcamp in a stunning location

    We loved our time walking the Chikoko trails. This is the real wild Africa with no vehicles and only the sound of nature. The rooms were rustic but comfortable in an amazing setting. The location is perfect with spectacular views, the food was incredible, the wildlife was excellent and our guide Moffat was world class. Loved every minute and hope to get back soon. Thanks for a wonderful stay.

    MalawiMike2014
  • Incredible experience

    We walked the Chikoko Trails for 4 days, staying at each of Chikoko and Crocodile camp for 2 nights. The guiding was incredible. We were accompanied on our walks by an armed park ranger as well as a wildlife guide and a tea bearer. They were all excellent and really loved and cared about their jobs and the wildlife. Our guide was unbelievably knowledgeable and our walks were interesting and fun. We tracked and found lions on 2 days – saw several leopards and hosts of elephant, zebra, giraffe, baboons, antelope, warthog…The camps themselves are beautiful – rustic but with everything you need for a very comfortable stay and with great views from your room itself.

    sarah p
  • One of a kind experience

    We heard lions roar and hyenas laugh as we slept. During the day we tracked a lion, got close to buffaloes and so much more …… a crazy experience.

    Aside from the incredible nature that surrounded us, Chikoko is glamping at its best. The room was rustic and fantastic, the meals were incredible. One would not believe that everything had to be carried to site. We were very very well taken care off.

    Our guide was also very knowledgeable and the staff lovely.

    May Jean O
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