Zambia and India Forge New Luxury Safari Link as SUJÁN Acquires Two Lower Zambezi Camps

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India’s luxury wilderness hospitality sector has gained a major foothold in Zambia after SUJÁN acquired two established safari camps in Lower Zambezi National Park, strengthening the company’s ambitions to build an international collection of conservation-focused properties.

The Indian hospitality company has purchased Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro from Chiawa Safaris. Both properties sit in one of Zambia’s important wildlife landscapes along the Zambezi River.

The acquisition was announced on 28 September 2026 and represents a significant international step for SUJÁN.

Rather than pursuing conventional urban hotels, the company is concentrating on wilderness hospitality built around wildlife, conservation, local communities and low-impact visitor experiences.

The Zambian acquisition also forms part of a bigger growth plan. SUJÁN intends to more than double its portfolio during the next four years through carefully selected expansion.

SUJÁN Moves Into the Lower Zambezi

The acquisition brings SUJÁN into Lower Zambezi National Park, an area known for river-based and land-based wildlife experiences.

Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro have been operated by Chiawa Safaris for more than three decades.

Their location gives guests access to the Zambezi River and surrounding wilderness, creating opportunities for wildlife viewing both on land and from the water.

The camps are different in character but complement each other as part of a Lower Zambezi itinerary.

The acquisition price has not been publicly disclosed.

What SUJÁN has made clear is that the company sees the deal as more than simply adding two properties to its portfolio.

The expansion is intended to extend its conservation-led hospitality philosophy into another major wilderness region.

Chiawa Camp Brings More Than Three Decades of Safari History

Chiawa Camp has a long history in Zambia’s Lower Zambezi tourism sector.

Its position beside the Zambezi River allows guests to experience the landscape through a mixture of traditional game drives and water-based activities.

This gives the destination a different character from safari regions dominated almost entirely by vehicle-based wildlife viewing.

The camp has developed its reputation around guiding, wildlife and the river environment.

Its established presence also gives SUJÁN something particularly valuable when entering a new international market: an operating safari business with a recognised identity rather than a property that must be built from the ground up.

SUJÁN has indicated that it wants to build on the legacy created by Chiawa Safaris rather than replace the conservation philosophy behind the camps.

Old Mondoro Offers a More Intimate Wilderness Experience

Old Mondoro provides another side of Lower Zambezi tourism.

The camp is positioned around a small-scale bush experience where the surrounding wildlife environment is central to the stay.

Its setting provides opportunities to encounter animals including elephants and predators within the wider Lower Zambezi ecosystem.

The smaller scale of the property is particularly relevant to the type of tourism SUJÁN is pursuing.

Luxury safari travel does not always depend on building larger resorts.

In remote wildlife destinations, exclusivity can come from keeping accommodation limited, reducing the physical footprint and giving travellers closer access to the natural environment.

That model also fits the growing demand for highly personalised wilderness holidays.

Conservation Is at the Centre of the Acquisition

SUJÁN has built its hospitality identity around the argument that luxury tourism and conservation should support one another.

Founder and Chairman Jaisal Singh described Africa as significant not only for its wildlife and landscapes but also for demonstrating how responsible tourism can contribute to conservation.

The company says its approach connects hospitality with three broader goals:

• Protecting natural ecosystems
• Supporting neighbouring communities
• Maintaining wilderness landscapes
• Providing responsible wildlife experiences
• Creating long-term conservation value

This philosophy closely matches the identity Chiawa Safaris has developed in Zambia.

That shared approach appears to have been an important element behind the acquisition.

SUJÁN Co-Founder Anjali Singh has also emphasised that the company intends to maintain its focus on stewardship and conservation as it expands internationally.

Zambia Gains Attention in the Luxury Safari Market

The transaction also places additional attention on Zambia as a high-value safari destination.

The country competes with some of Africa’s most famous wildlife markets, including Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana and South Africa.

But Zambia offers a somewhat different proposition.

Its wilderness destinations can provide relatively remote safari experiences, particularly for travellers seeking smaller camps and lower visitor density.

Lower Zambezi National Park is especially distinctive because of its relationship with the Zambezi River.

Visitors can experience wildlife from different perspectives rather than relying exclusively on game drives.

The combination of river, woodland and wildlife habitat creates opportunities for activities that can include:

• Game drives
• Boat-based wildlife viewing
• Walking experiences where offered and permitted
• Fishing subject to applicable rules and permits
• Birdwatching
• Photography
• Wildlife observation around camp areas

The location therefore provides SUJÁN with a product that complements rather than simply duplicates its Indian wilderness portfolio.

India Provides the Foundation for SUJÁN Growth

SUJÁN’s roots remain firmly connected with India.

For more than 25 years, the company has developed luxury wilderness experiences around distinctive landscapes.

Its portfolio includes Sher Bagh in Ranthambhore, JAWAI in Rajasthan and The Serai in Jaisalmer.

Each property connects hospitality with a particular environment.

Sher Bagh is associated with the forests and tiger landscape of Ranthambhore.

JAWAI is built around the rocky wilderness of Rajasthan, an area famous for its leopard population and relationship between wildlife and local communities.

The Serai presents a different environment through the desert landscapes around Jaisalmer.

The acquisition of Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro takes that landscape-driven hospitality philosophy into Zambia.

SUJÁN Plans to More Than Double Its Portfolio

The Zambian acquisition is not expected to be an isolated move.

SUJÁN says it aims to more than double its portfolio over the next four years.

However, the company is presenting the strategy as selective rather than expansion at any cost.

Future additions are expected to follow its conservation and hospitality principles.

This is important because wilderness hospitality presents different challenges from conventional hotel expansion.

Suitable properties must provide compelling natural experiences while operating responsibly in environmentally sensitive locations.

Wildlife habitats can also be damaged if tourism development becomes too intensive.

Expansion therefore requires a balance between commercial growth and ecological limits.

Luxury Safari Travel Is Moving Beyond Traditional Ideas of Luxury

The acquisition also reflects a wider change in high-end travel.

Luxury was once strongly associated with large rooms, elaborate facilities and highly visible displays of comfort.

Wilderness tourism can work differently.

For safari travellers, value can come from privacy, expert guiding, wildlife encounters, remoteness and access to landscapes that remain relatively undisturbed.

This has encouraged hospitality companies to place greater emphasis on conservation credentials.

Travellers increasingly encounter properties that promote:

• Smaller accommodation footprints
• Local employment
• Conservation programmes
• Community partnerships
• Responsible wildlife viewing
• Reduced environmental impact
• Longer and more immersive stays

The challenge is ensuring that sustainability claims translate into measurable action rather than simply becoming a marketing message.

India and Zambia Create a New Safari Connection

SUJÁN’s acquisition creates an interesting connection between two very different wildlife destinations.

India offers tiger forests, leopard landscapes and desert ecosystems.

Zambia brings the Zambezi River and southern African wildlife into the company’s expanding portfolio.

The environments are different, but the business model has a common foundation: premium hospitality built around access to wild landscapes.

For Zambia, the transaction brings another internationally ambitious luxury hospitality operator into the Lower Zambezi.

For SUJÁN, it provides two established properties with decades of safari history.

Most importantly, the acquisition gives the Indian company a platform from which to pursue its wider international ambitions.

Whether further African acquisitions follow remains to be seen. SUJÁN has not publicly detailed every market it could enter during its four-year expansion programme.

But the direction is clear.

The company wants to grow beyond India without abandoning the conservation-led identity that built its reputation.

Chiawa Camp and Old Mondoro now provide the first major test of that strategy in Zambia.

If the existing character of the camps is preserved while conservation and community programmes continue to develop, the deal could demonstrate how Indian luxury hospitality is beginning to play a larger role in the international wilderness tourism market.