Originally built as the personal holiday home of Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia’s first president and a towering figure in African history, Chichele has long been a sanctuary for leaders, visionaries, and those who understood the quiet luxury of looking out over South Luangwa from the hill top. Even now, the spirit of those days lingers. The oil painting of Kaunda, his original chair, and a period piano (carefully sourced to replace the original lost during renovation) are reminders that this was once the seat of dreams for a nation.
But Chichele is not trapped in the past. The lodge has been spectacularly reimagined by a Zambian family with deep roots in this land, alongside the creative genius of Fox Browne Creative and architect Jack Alexander. The result is something that feels both reverent and utterly modern; mid-century tropical nostalgia fused with classic safari romance. Interiors play with an “ebony and ivory” palette, basket weave, copper, and hand-carved Zambian timber, all softly echoing the salt that gives Chichele its name. Every corner feels curated: baskets woven by local artisans, antiques restored by Lusaka craftsmen, and a stained-glass bar that catches the morning light like a cathedral.
A day at Chichele always begins before dawn, with a gentle pre-breakfast; yogurt, honeycomb, Amarula coffee, and the promise of adventure. On our first morning, we sat quietly at the bar, admiring the way the sunrise caught the stained glass and set the whole lodge aglow. The game drives that followed were nothing short of legendary. While Chichele sits in prime Big Five territory in South Luangwa National Park, the real wonder is in the unpredictability: hyenas, lions, leopards draped in the trees, wild dogs darting in and out of the bush, elephants joining the morning drama; all without ever moving the vehicle. It’s the kind of luxury safari experience that feels impossible anywhere else.
Food at Chichele is an event in itself. Brunches with fresh bread and fruit, Mediterranean-inspired lunches, and sundowners on the riverbank, where G&Ts are poured alongside platters of mezze as the sun slips away. Dinner might be under the stars in the boma, where the fire light flickers and the stories grow longer, or on the lawn for a romantic, private affair. On one particularly special night, we celebrated a birthday—the staff serenading us, the chef presenting a showstopper cake, the warmth and joy wrapping around us all.
Chichele also knows how to do wellness. There’s a gym that rivals any boutique city hotel, yoga decks overlooking the wildest valleys (where we showed off our Fit Gymwear activewear), a lap pool for cooling off under the African sun, and spa treatments on your private deck. We often found ourselves wearing pieces by our favorite African designers; Leen & Luna, Peach the Brand, Oceaniva, Gabrielle Swimwear, Zeitgeist, Molebatsi Africa and more; feeling equal parts stylish and at home in these cinematic surrounds.
What truly sets Chichele apart, though, is its ability to create moments that feel entirely your own. Private mother-daughter breakfasts on the deck, brunches in our favorite N3YH pajamas with the sun streaming in, or a perfectly chilled mocktail ready and waiting after a sunrise game drive. The staff have an uncanny ability to anticipate your needs; always there when you want something, never when you want to be alone. Nothing is too much trouble.
For all its luxury and beauty, Chichele’s greatest achievement is how it honors its roots; supporting local artisans, employing sustainable practices, and ensuring that every stay gives back to Zambia’s people and wildlife. To visit Chichele is to step into a legacy, to share in a story that began with one of Africa’s greatest leaders and continues today in every sunrise, every carefully chosen detail, every moment of awe.
It’s rare to find a lodge that feels both grand and intimate, historic and refreshingly new. Chichele Presidential is all of these things, and more. If you are searching for the soul of Zambia—and the ultimate luxury safari lodge experience; this is where you’ll find it.
Plan your own Chichele story with us at www.safarigals.com.