Activities
Lost in the wilderness, found in serenity
Game drives (morning – Afternoon – Night)
Game drives are unhurried and immersive, exploring the winding bush tracks that stretch east and west of the Kafue River in open-top 4×4 vehicles. Early mornings bring soft light and the quiet stirring of the bush, while late afternoons fade slowly into golden evenings around the floodplains. Night drives offer a chance to discover the hidden world of nocturnal wildlife.
Along the way, guests may encounter a rich variety of antelope including Impala, Puku, Sable, Hartebeest, and Bushbuck, while tracking larger wildlife such as Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Hyena, and the elusive Wild Dog. No two drives are ever the same, with each outing shaped to the interests and pace of each guest — allowing time to stop, watch, listen, and experience the quieter moments that make safari life so memorable.
Walking Safaris
With endless stretches of untouched wilderness surrounding camp, walking safaris offer one of the most intimate ways to experience the bush. Led by our qualified guides and accompanied by an Africa Parks game ranger, each walk moves at the natural pace of the wild — following animal tracks, listening to birdsong, and discovering the smaller details so often missed from a vehicle.
To explore the bush on foot is to feel truly connected to it. The scent of the earth, the movement of the grass, the distant calls across the floodplain — every step draws you deeper into the landscape. Rather than simply observing nature from a distance, you become part of its rhythm and quiet stillness.
These walks are unhurried, immersive, and deeply rooted in the old safari tradition, offering a more personal and grounding experience of the African bush.
Birding
For the avid bird watcher and dedicated twitcher, Hippo Lodge is a place that quietly draws people back season after season. With riverine woodland, floodplain, open bush & river banks, the area has become renowned for its remarkable birdlife, with close to 300 species recorded in and around camp.
Early mornings begin with a chorus of calls drifting through the trees, while afternoons along the river reveal constant movement and colour. Guests may encounter sought-after species such as the African Finfoot, African Skimmer, Rock Pratincole, Crowned and Wattled Crane, Saddle-billed Stork, Racket-tailed Roller, Shallow’s Turaco, Ross’s Turaco, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Crowned Eagle, and the unmistakable cry of the African Fish Eagle echoing across the water.
Fishing
Whether you are a seasoned angler or casting a line for the very first time, the Kafue River offers a timeless and deeply rewarding fishing experience. Quiet mornings on the water, the slow drift of the river, and the sudden pull beneath the surface all form part of the rhythm of life along the riverbank.
Fishing at Hippo Lodge is less about competition and more about the simple pleasure of being immersed in the wilderness — surrounded by birdsong, moving water, and the stillness of the bush beyond the reeds.
To help preserve the river and its remarkable fish stocks, the camp follows a full catch-and-release policy and encourages the use of barbless hooks, ensuring this special experience remains part of the Kafue for generations to come.
Boat & Sunset Cruises
Boat cruises along the Kafue River are among the most peaceful experiences at Hippo Lodge — slow, unhurried journeys that follow the gentle rhythm of the river itself. As the boat drifts quietly downstream, the bush reveals itself in its own time.
Elephants often cross the channels ahead, antelope gather carefully along the banks to drink, crocodiles lie motionless in the shallows, and hippos surface and disappear. The riverbanks are alive with birdsong and movement, from kingfishers darting across the water to fish eagles calling overhead.
Whether in the soft light of early morning or beneath the golden colours of late afternoon, these cruises offer a quieter and more reflective way to experience the timeless beauty of the bush.
Hot Spring
Hidden quietly in the bush, just over the hill from Hippo Lodge, a natural hot spring offers one of the camp’s most memorable and unexpected experiences. Surrounded by wilderness and fed by warm mineral water rising naturally from the earth, the spring has become a favourite place for guests to slow down, unwind, and simply absorb the stillness of the bush.
With its soft sand bottom and gently bubbling water, the spring feels like a natural safari jacuzzi — simple, untouched, and deeply connected to its surroundings. Whether visited in the cool of the morning or beneath the fading light of late afternoon, it is a place to relax completely while listening to the sounds of the wilderness all around you.
Rustic, peaceful, and wonderfully unique, bathing at the hot spring remains one of the true hidden pleasures of a stay at Hippo Lodge.
