Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
National Park, including overnight expeditions, and private beach dining for incurable ro-
mantics.
LODGE
Nkamba Bay Lodge $$$
( 027 73 690 2992;
www.nkambabaylodge.com
; full board incl activities per person
from US$180-400; )
This exclusive private lodge is the only accommodation operating
within Nsumbu National Park itself. It's set in a gorgeous, pristine cove, and has nine lux-
urious and spacious chalets, decorated with African prints and art. The chalets all have
bathrooms and balconies overlooking either the lake or the bush. There's also a small
swimming pool with views of the lake (you can't swim in the lake here because of cro-
codiles and hippos, the latter of which sometimes wander around the lodge at night).
Food here is excellent and plentiful and, for romantics, dinner is candlelit. Game drives,
birdwatching and fishing are the main activities, but canoe trips or walks in the surround-
ing rainforest are also available.
Getting There & Away
Each lodge will arrange transfers for guests from the airstrip in the national park, or across
the lake from Mpulungu. Kasaba Bay is the usual airstrip of choice but was under renova-
tion at the time of writing.
Proflight Commuter Services
( 0211-271032;
www.proflight-zambia.com
)
offers charter flights to Kasaba Bay on a five-seater plane
from US$3000 for the plane one-way or US$5000 or more for a round trip. Once Kasaba
Bay airport is refurbished, scheduled services may eventually resume.
Local passenger boats (ZMW60 one-way) chug up and down the lake heading north to
Nsumbu on Thursday and Friday and heading south to Mpulungu on Monday and Wed-
nesday. They leave when full, stop anywhere and everywhere, and are fairly unprotected if
the lake winds change suddenly. Boat charters to either lodge start from US$250 one-way
for a slow boat (six hours) to US$500 for a fast boat (two hours).
Hardy overlanders can drive, but aim to come from the southwest, where the roads are
in better condition. There are good roads up to Mporokoso, followed by a rough dirt road
to Nsumbu, which requires a 4WD. A new road is nearing completion from Mbala direct
to Nsumbu, but the Lukwesa Bridge is yet to be completed. When finished this will make
the national park and lodges accessible in less than three hours from Mbala. Check with
the lodges for up-to-date information.