Named after the legendary leopard featured in acclaimed wildlife documentaries, Olimba Camp sits on the northern boundary of the Nsefu Sector in Zambia’s renowned South Luangwa National Park. Once an exclusive film base, the camp has evolved into a haven for travellers seeking a true connection to the wilderness, where the stories once told through the camera now unfold before your eyes.
Shaded by towering ebony trees and overlooking the Luangwa River and a nearby wildlife-rich lagoon, Olimba combines natural elegance with raw authenticity. With just four spacious chalets (king or twin configuration), the camp accommodates up to eight guests, offering privacy, comfort, and a front-row seat to the Valley of the Leopard.
The Nsefu Sector
The Nsefu Sector lies on the eastern bank of the Luangwa River and is the oldest protected area in South Luangwa National Park. It sees a fraction of the vehicle traffic of the busier Mfuwe area to the south, which is what makes a stay here feel genuinely remote. The sector is known for its open plains, ebony groves, and salt pans that draw large concentrations of game in the dry months. It is also one of the few places in the park where you can reliably combine open-vehicle game drives with serious walking safaris in the same day.
Accommodation and setting
Each chalet blends canvas, screed and thatch, featuring indoor and outdoor showers, solar power, and serene views of the surrounding bush. Meals are freshly prepared using produce from Remote Africa Safaris’ own garden and enjoyed in the open-air dining area overlooking the river, a perfect complement to the wilderness soundtrack.
Safari activities
Guests can explore the Luangwa on day and night game drives or walking safaris led by expert guides. For quieter moments, relax in the seasonal photographic hides or visit Mkasanga Village, where the Tafika Fund supports local education and community initiatives. With limited vehicles and exceptional guiding, Olimba offers a rare safari intimacy where leopard tracks tell the tales of the night, and every sunrise feels like a new discovery.
Game drives run with a maximum of four guests per vehicle, so every seat is a window seat and there is room to work with a long lens. Birding is exceptional, with over 470 species recorded in the park, including the carmine bee-eater colonies that nest in the riverbanks from late August. You may get the opportunity to see the Cookson’s wildebeest, a subspecies found almost nowhere else in the world.
When to visit
The camp operates through the dry season, when receding water concentrates game along the Luangwa River and walking conditions are at their best. June through August brings cool mornings and comfortable daytime temperatures. September and October are hotter but deliver the most dramatic game viewing of the year, with predators active around the shrinking waterholes and the seasonal photographic hides at their most productive.
Getting there
Olimba is reached via Mfuwe International Airport, with a shared local road transfer included for guests arriving on incoming intercontinental flights. The drive through the park and along the river is part of the experience rather than a means to an end.
Community and conservation
A visit to Olimba supports the Tafika Fund, which channels resources into education and community projects in nearby Mkasanga Village. Guests are welcome to visit the village and see the work firsthand, an experience many travellers rate among the most memorable of their stay.
Olimba Camp features in several of our Zambia safari itineraries and can be combined with Victoria Falls or a wider Southern Africa routing. Speak to our team about building it into a tailor-made trip.
