Quick facts: Tier: Luxury · Opened late 2023 · Location: south bank of the Nile, within a private low-impact concession · Rooms: 5 en-suite tents · Operator: Wildplaces Africa
Papa's Camp is a small, classic-style tented camp named after Ernest "Papa" Hemingway, who survived two plane crashes in this exact stretch of wilderness. With only five tents, it's one of the most exclusive stays in the park, set beneath fig trees on the south bank within a private concession shared with no other camp besides sister property Kulu Ora. The area is known for a genuinely strong lion population — a recent census counted over 45 in the surrounding concession — along with a habituated hyena den near camp that offers reliable, close-range viewing.
The drive to the top of Murchison Falls from camp takes roughly 90 minutes through wildlife-rich terrain, so getting there is itself part of the safari. As with Kulu Ora, this is a lodge for travellers prioritising exclusivity over proximity to the standard activity circuit.
Five spacious en-suite tents along the riverbank with open-air showers and private verandas, plus a classic canvas-and-leather dining and lounge area evoking the golden age of safari travel rather than a modern resort feel.
Travellers wanting the most exclusive, classic-safari-style stay in the park, with strong odds on lion and hyena sightings directly from camp.
