Kavinga Safari Camp
Comfortable clifftop tented camp · Private concession on the southern edge, on a cliff above the upper Ruckomechi riverbed · Owner-run
Mid-range
Outside the gate
Owner/family-run
Elevated rooms and a main deck above a pumped waterhole, with a short walk down to a hide that photographers rave about. Because Kavinga sits on a private concession outside the park boundary it can run night drives, and its own airstrip gives it the fastest medevac access in the area.
Pros and cons
Pros
- A water-level hide puts you eye to eye with elephant and buffalo
- Night drives allowed, since the camp sits on a private concession
- The longest season in the region, 1 April to 10 December
- Its own airstrip gives the fastest medevac access nearby
Cons
- Outside the national park itself, on a private concession
- Rates unpublished; sits below the river camps' top tier
- Children under 13 are not accepted
- About 9 km from Chitake Spring, not inside Mana proper
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Mana Pools National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryVAT and the tourism levy are included.
- $24per person, per day
- VehicleForeign-registered vehicle, if you are staying inside.
- $3per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $153 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
The full fee schedule for Mana Pools National ParkRates at Kavinga Safari Camp
Enquire. Rates unpublished; sits below the river-camp luxury tier. About 9 km from Chitake Spring.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Very few Mana Pools camps publish rates, so treat all dollar figures as indicative and confirm with the lodge. ZimParks accommodation is priced per site or unit, not per person, from the February 2026 tariff. Private camp bands reflect operator and agent data gathered July 2026; check whether park fees are included when you compare.
Questions about Kavinga Safari Camp
Is Kavinga good for families?
The record sets a minimum age of 13 for Kavinga, with no exception published on the camp's own site. Younger children are better suited to a camp that explicitly books families on an exclusive-use basis instead.
Can you do night drives at Kavinga?
Yes. Kavinga sits on a private concession outside the national park boundary, which is what allows it to run night drives, unlike camps inside Mana Pools itself. A water-level hide a short walk from the main deck also lets you watch elephant and buffalo at eye level.
How do you get to Kavinga?
Kavinga has its own airstrip about ten minutes from camp, which also gives it the fastest medevac access in the area. It sits on a cliff above the upper Ruckomechi riverbed, about nine kilometres from Chitake Spring.
When is Kavinga open?
It runs 1 April to 10 December, the longest season of any camp in the region, confirmed in the record. Rates are not published; contact the camp through kavingasafaris.com for a current quote.