Wild camping

Do you sometimes enjoy foregoing the pleasures of modern camping – the hot showers, flushing toilets, manicured camp site – for a taste of wild Africa? Do you yearn for a true wild camping experience?

Bua River Lodge now offers a wild camping site to both motorized campers and backpackers, yet at a relatively easily-reached location on the banks of the Bua River, close to Bua River Lodge. Namndinga camp is open from mid-April to mid-December.

Namdinga Camp was established by an avid angler and lover of the bush. He camped at the site many, many times over his 18 years in Malawi but left it as pristine bush. In this spirit, Bua River Lodge has adopted his camp site and provided basic facilities – bucket showers, pit latrines (with seats!) and a fire-pit and cooking area. Two pitches are located along the banks of the river, under shady riverine trees and far enough apart that you will neither disturb nor be disturbed by your neighbours.

Bua River Lodge will provide firewood and security – the rest is up to you ….

Your pitch is literally a stone’s throw from Namndinga Pool on the river, which is home to some generously-sized crocs, as well as being the early morning watering hole for bushbuck, reedbuck and water buck. Bird life is prolific. The camp site is also alongside one of the main elephant tracks leading to their river crossing at Namdinga.

Despite the wilderness feel, you are but 10 minutes walk along a marked footpath from Bua River Lodge, should you wish to avail yourself of our facilities, yet, if you choose not to, you won’t know we’re there!

Namndinga Camp is only accessible part of the year by rugged 4WD, as we cross a very steep-sided drift to arrive at the site. Backpackers can walk in from the lodge. Saloon cars, caravans and trucks cannot reach the site.

Come and experience the real wilderness at Bua River Lodge – the wilderness on your doorstep.