Chipale Tented Camp
Self-catering en-suite tents · Near the Chilojo Cliffs · Gonarezhou Conservation Trust
Budget
Inside the park
Park-run (Gonarezhou Conservation Trust)
Chipale gives you the park's signature landscape at a fraction of the bush-camp rate: self-catering tents within reach of the cliffs, with a kitchenette, fridge and braai. Bring everything, including drinking water, and the sunsets over the sandstone are yours.
Pros and cons
Pros
- The affordable way to wake up near the Chilojo Cliffs
- En-suite tents with a kitchenette, fridge and braai
- Six tents, so more availability than the smaller camps
- A 96-litre fridge-freezer and a fully equipped kitchen
- Self-catering freedom in the heart of the park
Cons
- No charging facilities and no fans in the tents
- Bring everything, including your own drinking water
- No published open or closed season; confirm dates when booking
- Self-catering only, so you cook and clean up yourself
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Gonarezhou National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryThe rate for guests staying in a park camp.
- $15per person, per day
- VehicleRoughly $5 to $10 a day depending on the vehicle.
- $8per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $114 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
Sleeping inside the boundary is what keeps that low. $15 if you sleep in a park camp, against $25 a day for anyone driving in from outside.
The full fee schedule for Gonarezhou National ParkRates at Chipale Tented Camp
From $150 per tent (Local). Local $150, SADC $160, International $175 per tent per night for two; children on stretchers extra. Same specification as Chipinda Pools Tented Camp.
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.
Rates are the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust's own published figures and operators' rate cards, gathered July 2026, quoted Local / SADC / International where the Trust publishes all three tiers. Accommodation rates generally exclude the daily conservation fee; confirm the total with the Trust when you book. Two names you may still find elsewhere, Mahenye Lodge and Senuko, could not be verified as currently operating: their websites no longer resolve and neither appears on any current operator list.
Questions about Chipale Tented Camp
Is Chipale Tented Camp good for families?
We found no published minimum age for Chipale. Tents sleep up to four, and extra guests on a stretcher bed are charged per person, which suggests children are welcome, so confirm ages and bedding with reservations@gonarezhou.org before you book.
What does the rate at Chipale Tented Camp include?
The nightly rate of $150 to $175, Local to International, is a minimum charge for the en-suite tent, a fully equipped kitchen with a 96-litre fridge-freezer, and cutlery, crockery, linen and towels for up to four guests. It is self-catering, so you bring and cook your own food.
Can you self-drive to Chipale Tented Camp?
The camp sits near the Chilojo Cliffs with its own airstrip at Chipinda Pools, and the Trust's general guidance for the park is a high-clearance vehicle at least, four-wheel drive preferred on remote routes. Chipale's own page gives no specific driving directions, so confirm your route with reservations@gonarezhou.org.
When is Chipale Tented Camp open?
The Gonarezhou Conservation Trust does not publish fixed open months for Chipale, so confirm dates when you book. The wider park closes to visitors from 10 January to 1 March each year, a useful date to plan around.
How do you book Chipale Tented Camp?
Book with the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust at reservations@gonarezhou.org or +263 779 788 811. There are six tents, each taking up to four guests with a maximum of two vehicles per booking, so confirm your tent count in writing.