Kayila Lodge
Lower Zambezi River
Zambia

Introduction

Overlooking the Mana Pools National Park shoreline and on a private 10 000 acre wildlife sanctuary, Kayila Lodge is located on the banks of the Zambezi River. It stretches back from across the river to the incredible hills of the Zambezi Escarpment.

Camp Description

Kayila Lodge is an exclusive 12 bedded lodge and the camp is made up of beautifully built thatched en-suite lodges and the famous Kayila honeymoon tree house suite, which has been uniquely built in an African Sausage Tree and it has a beautiful sunken bath in the En-Suite. The main lounge and dining area are completed with a natural rock plunge pool over looking the river. A further fascinating feature of the lodge is an ancient Baobab Tree, along the side of the main building, which is hollow at the base and is home to a very unique powder room.

There are many ways of getting to Kayila Lodge. Some guests decide to fly into Kariba then they take a one and a half hour road transfer to the Kafue River. The final leg is a picturesque 45-minute boat trip. There is also a well maintained airstrip within walking distance of the Lodge and charter transfers direct to the Lodge from Lusaka and Livingstone are a preferred alternative.

Game Viewing

There are plenty of activities to choose from which include bush walks with an armed and highly experienced guide, hikes to the close by escarpment with visits to its natural pools and waterfalls, game viewing by boat or just relaxing in the beautiful gardens of the lodge. The fishing on this section of the river is renowned, particularly for the fighting Tiger Fish. The guides offer both traditional spinning as well as the ever increasingly popular fly-fishing excursions.

Because of the present Anti-Poaching unit, the game management and reintroduction of the species like Puku and other game offers brilliant viewing. There are regular sightings of elephant, buffalo, zebra, kudu, waterbuck, leopard, lion and hyena that can be seen on the day and night game drives, and often even in the camp itself. The prolific birdlife is due to the diverse combination of riverine and escarpment habitats which support over 350 species in the area.