Our Story
Mukalya Private Game Reserve is a family-owned private game reserve situated along the banks of the mighty Zambezi in the Namoomba, Siavonga District. Which is a two and half hour drive south of Lusaka, Zambia. In 2006 the founders headed downstream on a canoe day trip from the Kariba Dam wall and immediately fell in love with the area and purchased this stunning property to develop it into their own private weekend retreat that they enjoyed throughout all these years as a family and with friends.
During the construction phase, the founding family camped at the previous land owners and were captivated with the stories of life there, as they learned about history of the area.
The previous land owners had a gift for storytelling. They captured everyone's attention when they began to narrate a story. The family had lived on this beautiful property for more than 20 years and had a wealth of stories included tales of the floods, the abundance of wildlife and biodiversity, the ever-present threat of poaching and deforestation in the area and a host of tales about fishing and traditional beliefs concerning the magical nature bestowed upon the area.
It was the poaching and deforestation which became a major focus for the founding family and was a major inspiration towards reintroducing wildlife to the area with a vision towards restoring it to what it once was. A few years down the line, the reserve was fenced and the first batch of wildlife was released into a section of the reserve aimed at re-educating the local community about the importance of protecting and valuing wildlife for future generations.
Over the last few years, all the hard work that Mukalya has dedicated has paid off. The bond between the community and the reserve offers a unique relationship of shared knowledge allowing everyone to feel a part of the estate. The estate has brought much-needed jobs to the community and developed and supported multiple projects including the community schools, hospitals, clinics etc.
Having invested millions of dollars the founding family and Mukalya lodge now wish to ensure that the legacy to conserve nature and create a livelihood for the community continues for generation upon generation, and it is for this reason they have decided to share the beauty of Mukalya so that you can share in the magic as we continue to restore the area to its former glory.