How to get to us

The price of pristene wilderness is that we lie a little way off the beaten track. To keep your driving frustrations to a minimum, why not copy down the directions below?

For GPS users, you'll find our turn off from the main (Great North) road at 12º22’48.11” S, 31º5’53.70” E;
the main camp is at 12º27’14.01” S, 31º17’31.66” E

We are also listed on Google Maps - just search for Mutinondo Wilderness Lodge and you'll find a map to bring you right to us.

From Lusaka:

Drive up the Great North Road, through Kabwe to Kapiri Mposhi. 

In Kapiri Mposhi, continue for 5km until you get to the Continental Service Station on the right.

Turn right up the Great North Road, and pass through first Mkushi and then on to Serenje, 200km from Kapiri.
Serenje has the last filling station you'll pass, and it's still a long way before you get to us, so don't miss it if you need to refuel! To get to the filling station, take the only large junction to your left as you pass through Serenje town, and you will then see it on your left. Remember to get back onto the Great North (Main) road before you continue! 

From Serenje, continue for 164km, and look for our wooden sign on your right. Just before you reach it, you will see a Jehovah's Witness Church on the left of the road.
(If you reach Kalonje Railway Station or Muchelenje Basic School you have gone 500m too far)

Turn down our road, cross the railway line and keep on the same road for 23.9 km (from the turning), which will bring you up to Lodge Rock where we will be happy to receive you. 

 

 

From Mpika:

Don't forget to fill your tank! There are no filling stations between Mpika and the Mutinondo Wilderness Area!

Head towards Serenje for 70km on the Great North Road. 

500m beyond Kalonje Railway Station (and the Muchelenje school sign) turn left at our sign; there is a Jehovah's Witness Church on the right just after our sign. 

Turn down our road, cross the railway line, and stay on the same road for 23.9 km (from the turning), which will bring you up the the base of Lodge Rock, where we are expecting you.

 

 

 

 

Before you set off...

Hiking or birding when you get here? Why not download a copy of our map, birdlist or birding map to your phone or tablet below, and have it on you at all times?

Download Map of Mutinondo Wilderness (.pdf)

Download Birdlist for Mutinondo Wilderness (.pdf)

Download Annotated Birding Map (.pdf)

 

 

BY CAR - You don't need a 4X4

You don't need a four-wheel drive to visit Mutinondo Wilderness! The 25 km driveway to Mutinondo was built by us and is well-maintained and very 2 x 2 saloon car friendly. The Great North Road linking Zambia with Tanzania has recently been resurfaced from Serenje to the border with Tanzania and rebuilt between Kapiri Mposhi and Serenje - thank you very much to the Danish Government for the most wonderful road!
 
DIRECTIONS 
North Bound: Total distance is approximately 600 km from Lusaka or the Copperbelt. Turn up the Great North Road just north of Kapiri Mposhi, drive 364 km (past Mkushi and Serenje) until 164km after Serenje you see our sign on the right (12km after Salamo Railway Station and 200m before of Kalonje Railway Station), turn right/east down our 25 km driveway. 

South Bound: Drive 72km from Mpika towards Serenje until you see our signpost just after Kalonje Railway Station turn left/east down our 25 km access road.

BY RAIL

Tazara Railway travels between Kapiri Mposhi (200km north of Lusaka) to Dar es Salaam (main city in Tanzania on the East Coast/Indian Ocean). The trains are old and rundown with unreliable lights and water supplies but still offers 40 hours of a true African experience of travelling through beautiful areas. You can catch the Ordinary train to Kalonje Station and hike or bike 25km to camp or get the Express train to Mpika. Transfers can be arranged from Mpika (100km USD250, maximum 5 people) and Kalonje railway station 25km USD35, maximum 5 people). Separate arrangements can be made for larger groups. If you ask the Marketing Director of Tazara you might be able to arrange for the express train to stop at the Kalonje Railway Station. There are two services a week. Check with the Tazara Railway Services for time tables.

BY BUS

Catch a day time bus to Kalonje Railway station and get a transfer to Mutinondo. Buses leave from the Central bus stops in the major towns and will drop our visitors off at the layby opposite Kalonje Railway Station near our turn off. Reliable buses include Juldan, the Post Bus and Power Tools. This is an economical way of getting to Mutinondo for those who don't have their own transport. Unless you are hiring a camping van, hiring a vehicle to get here is pricey because once you are here you don't use it until you leave. Groups visiting for several days can hire a car and driver to drop them off here. Pioneer Camp; Jules Travel; Limo Car Hire; Juldan Motors are reliable operators for this.

BY AIR

Unfortunately we no longer have a licensed airstrip. We can organise a transfer from Mpika airstrip on request. Some visitors catch a bus to Mutinondo and then charter a plane to Luangwa Valley for a safari before either flying on a scheduled flight to Lusaka or Ndola or catching a bus. Skytrails and Staravia are well established charter companies. Some guests have hiked or cycled to us too! The most amazing cyclists arrived on a tandem with a trailer, moving cycling between Cambridge and Capetown.