Thomas Baines and the Zambezi he painted
Who was Thomas Baines, and why is the camp named after him?
Thomas Baines was an English artist and explorer, born in King’s Lynn in 1820, and trained as a painter of coach panels and heraldry. In 1858 he joined David Livingstone’s Zambezi expedition as its artist and storekeeper, and set about recording a river that few people in Europe had ever seen. Rich cultures, endless birds, water that had run wild since before anyone thought to name it.
His time with the expedition ended in 1859, after a dispute with Livingstone. He kept painting. In 1862 he reached the Victoria Falls from the west and painted them on the spot. An album of prints of those paintings, published in London in 1865, gave many people their first look at the Falls. He died in Durban in 1875, still planning the next journey.
That is the man the camp is named after. He painted the river because he could not bear to forget it.
What did the river leave on Thomas Baines, and on those who came after him?
One line: you do not visit this river, it imprints on you.
A young zebra learns its mother by heart in the first hour of its life. The pattern fixes, and it never fades. This part of Africa works the same way on the people who reach it. It fixed on Baines. It fixed on Tim Featherby, who built a home on the north bank and let the camp grow around it. It holds Craig and Di Featherby, its stewards, who keep it wild for whoever comes next.
The story does not end with them. It turns to you. To fish water few will ever cast on. To walk where the wild still runs, unbroken. To leave this valley better than you found it.
Where can you see the river he painted, and what comes next?
We made a short film that follows him onto the Zambezi of today. It is on our Home page and on YouTube.
If it leaves you wondering which season suits your group, our guide to when to visit the Lower Zambezi sets out each month. Then tell us who is travelling and when suits, and we will shape the rest around the river. 2026 filled faster than any year we can remember, so for the weeks that matter most to your group, now is the time to start the conversation for 2027 bookings.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Thomas Baines?
Thomas Baines was an English artist and explorer, born in King’s Lynn in 1820. He joined David Livingstone’s Zambezi expedition in 1858 as its artist and storekeeper, reached the Victoria Falls in 1862, and published his paintings of the Falls in London in 1865. He died in Durban in 1875.
Why is Baines’ River Camp named after Thomas Baines?
The camp takes its name from the Victorian artist and explorer who painted the Zambezi in the 1850s and 1860s. Founded by Tim Featherby and stewarded today by Craig and Di Featherby, it stands on the north bank of the Lower Zambezi in Zambia, opposite Mana Pools National Park.
Did Thomas Baines visit the Lower Zambezi?
Baines’ 1858 expedition worked the lower river in what is now Mozambique, and in 1862 he reached the Victoria Falls far upstream. We have not found a record of him painting the stretch opposite Mana Pools. The camp sits between those two reaches of the same river.
Where is Baines’ River Camp?
Baines’ River Camp is on the northern bank of the Lower Zambezi in Zambia’s Chiawa Game Management Area, directly opposite Mana Pools National Park. Camp capacity is never more than twenty guests.
