The Anantara Kafue River camp, the brand’s first African safari, perches three suites 14 m up in Zambia

Open since July 2026 in Kafue National Park, Anantara Tented Camp Kafue River is the brand’s first safari camp in Africa. Minor Hotels, which operates it, published the full presentation on 7 October 2026: 13 keys on stilts along the Kafue River, including three suites suspended 14.3 metres above the ground.

☰Contents

1. Owned by Agro Safari, run by Minor Hotels
2. Horizon Terrace Suites, perched 14.3 m up
3. Nine heated-pool villas, 3.5 m off the ground
4. A floating pontoon for four diners
5. In-villa massage, steam shower, floating gym
6. Kafue: 22,480 km² and 500 bird species
7. What does a night on the Kafue cost?

Owned by Agro Safari, run by Minor Hotels

The project took three years. The camp belongs to Agro Safari, a division of a family-owned Zambian group, and Minor Hotels runs it under the Anantara brand through an agreement signed in November 2023. It is not the brand’s first address in the country: Anantara already manages The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Zambia Hotel by Anantara, near Victoria Falls. Kafue is, however, its first safari camp on the continent, launched in the year Anantara, founded in 2001, turns 25. The brand is also preparing the Anantara Siniya Island resort, due in 2030 in the UAE.

Horizon Terrace Suites, perched 14.3 m up

The three Horizon Terrace Suites sit 14.3 metres above the ground and are reached by a glass lift; the group bills them as the highest rooms in Zambia. The upper deck holds a bed for sleeping under the stars, and the private terrace a Green Egg barbecue. Their size varies across the brand’s documents: 110 m² in the press release, 65 m² on the official website’s room page.

Nine heated-pool villas, 3.5 m off the ground

The rest of the camp stands on rosewood platforms 3.5 metres above the ground: the group describes it as the only elevated lodge in Zambia, designed to let wildlife pass underneath. Prefabricated structures meant every existing tree could be kept, and the lighting turns red at night so as not to disturb the animals. The 9 Pool and Bush Villas, each 115 m², have a heated plunge pool facing the river and an indoor massage room; the website splits them into Bush Pool Villa and Kafue Pool Villa, the latter reachable by boat.

The 400 m² Presidential Villa sleeps up to four adults above the river, with a pool, a massage area and exclusive boat access; the 2023 plan had called for 12 tents and a 600 m² villa. Every unit has its own dedicated host, with no set schedules. Architecture and interiors are by South African studio Meg Ralph Spaces, winner of two awards at the LIV Hospitality Design Awards.

A floating pontoon for four diners

Full board is included. The Designer Dining pontoon floats on the Kafue: guests reach it by boat, four at most, and gather around a sunken lounge at water level for breakfast, tea or a sunset wine tasting. The Luzuba Harvestry restaurant and the Twalumba Bar & Lounge serve modern Zambian cuisine, complemented by an African boma and Spice Spoons cooking classes.

In-villa massage, steam shower, floating gym

Anantara Spa treatments take place in each suite’s or villa’s massage room and end with a private steam shower, an offering unique in Zambia, according to the group. A Technogym fitness platform floats on the river alongside a yoga deck, and a large pool opens onto the riverbank. The camp runs on solar power, purifies and bottles its own water on site and has done away with single-use plastics.

Kafue: 22,480 km² and 500 bird species

The camp occupies a private concession with 7 km of riverfront in Kafue National Park, the largest and oldest in Zambia, covering 22,480 km². African Parks has managed it with the Zambian government since 2022: the Kafue lechwe was reintroduced in 2024, followed in 2025 by the largest wildlife translocation in the country’s history, with wildebeest and zebra. The camp’s experiences are designed with African Parks.

On the programme: two private 4×4 game drives a day with Zambian guides, river safaris, guided walks, bush picnics, catch-and-release fishing, stargazing and more than 500 bird species to spot, with four Land Cruisers and four boats. Guests arrive by private charter flight from Lusaka or Livingstone to the Chunga airstrip, or after a drive of around four hours from Lusaka airport. On the Zimbabwean side of the falls, Emaar Properties is planning luxury hotels in Victoria Falls; in Tanzania, the Upeo Serengeti lodge will open in July 2027.

What does a night on the Kafue cost?

The press release quotes a starting price of 6,300 US dollars per room per night for two, including full board, premium drinks, two game drives a day, a butler and one 90-minute treatment per person per stay. On 9 October 2026, the official website showed a lower opening offer: €4,024 a night for two in a Bush Pool Villa, the cheapest category, all-inclusive, for a minimum of three nights, excluding 10% service charge, 16% tax and 1.5% additional levies. The green season runs from December to March.