Travel reviews by Mr S from Southam

"Clean, modern hotel short drive from airport arrivals.

Staff were helpful and professional in picking us up, checking us in and helping with early departure after an excellent breakfast. A bit disconcerting to be greeted by sniffer dog to gain entry to hotel grounds and then have bags security checked and personal search/scan prior to entering hotel.

Room was clean, modern, spacious, well equipped and comfortable"

"A superb tented camp in a great location with excellent guides, staff and managers.

Food is excellent with 2 great chefs, Peter and Jean Marc delivering superb food. We had a fantastic attentive waiter Simon who looked after us so well and an excellent, experienced guide in Francis. Moses the manager has a great way with guests and staff alike, always positive, enthusiastic and smiling!

One thing to note is that Tent 3 and Tent 4 are either side of the main communal dining and firepit area and some late night noise may be experienced from guests who stay up longer than others!

Some nice touches included a thought for the day left in your tent, pomchos ans well as blankets on the vehicle and hot water bottles in bed!"

"A luxurious property in a great hill top location with great staff and guides, superb food and attentive service.

We appreciated our waiter service from Chris, our guiding from George (2 drives) and Phillip. the lodge was a guide down so we were looked after by George from a sister camp for 1 day. Terrain and geography provided a good contrast to MAra North as we were in much more arid country with more open plains.

Manager Sascha is an experienced operator who clearly has high standards and enjoys interacting with guests.

We took the opportunity to take the trip to Ngare Ndare Forest reserve in the Mt Kenya foothills. this was a great break from game drives and gave an opportunity to see something of the local comunity as well as a forest walk to waterfalls and pools to swim in.

There are opportunities for other trips and activities too"

"Great camp location right on the river with access to 3 hides in the area. Guiding is top notch, special mention to Patrick for the drives and Andrew for the walks, both are extremely knowledgeable, patient and focussed on their clients. You slip quickly in to the camp routine which, for some, may be a little regimented, with pretty strict adherence to a timetable for meals, activities etc. We had the opportunity to meet and spend time with Derek Shenton the owner who took us to see Mwamba Bush Camp, a really nice guy who is clearly passionate about the South Luangwa Valley and it's wildlife.

The thatched chalets are well furnished and comfortable with excellent en suite facilities, the private deck overlooking the river is a bonus! The central lounge, dining and bar area is comfortable, roomy and stylish and a large communal deck over the river provides another spot for relaxation and afternoon tea. Food was excellent with plenty of it and we noted the camp's ability to provide alternatives for those with special dietary needs etc Battery, phone charging facilities are available as is a small shop. The camp staff are very helpful and attentive.

As our visit was towards the end of the dry season there was plenty of game congregated around the available water, we had many memorable sightings both on foot and on game drives. The 3 hides are also a must visit during the day between the morning and late afternoon activities. Clearly a popular camp with serious photographers we enjoyed the company of a multinational set of guests which changed almost daily during our stay, when both Kaingo and Mwamba were full, the guide, ranger and vehicle resources became a little stretched, resulting in a slightly more prescriptive approach to what activities were being organised for us, it took some negotiation and persuasion to alter the camp's plans for us on one morning!

Overall an excellent experience, great location, superb guiding, top notch wildlife viewing, comfortable, well organised camp with good food and hosting."

"Super location at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chongwe rivers, camp is well laid out along the river front with spacious and stylish communal dining, bar and lounge lounge (small shop and charging facilities too) in the middle of the tents which are top quality pitched on concrete bases with thatched roof and an open air en suite, they also have a nice sitting area directly in front of the tents on the river front where you can watch the wildlife at leisure.

Be prepared for close encounters, frequent visitors to the camp included elephant, kudu, impala and baboons, you are escorted back to your tents after dark!! The camp is very well run by Chongwe's General Manager, Flossie who spends a lot of time at the camp despite managing the other Chongwe operations in the area, Flossie is very ably supported by her husband and co-manager Allan, what a great couple! Food is excellent, Chongwe is blessed with a fantastic chef! Three meals a day with nibbles on activities and afternoon tea, a particular highlight were the dinners, superb! Special mention to Wilson the barman, attentive and always there!

Activities were flexible based on what you wanted to do but included drives, walks, boat trips, kayaking and fishing, all of which we did! Guides are top quality, very knowledgeable and friendly, many thanks to Richman for his great guiding. Although the end of the dry season during our stay there was still plenty of water about compared to South Luangwa and so wildlife was more dispersed, drives in to the Lower Zambezi NP were longer and generally game was less prolific than South Luangwa, it was good to spend time in a different location though. Activities on the water were particular highlights.

As with Kaingo the camp enjoyed a multinational set of guests during our stay which we enjoyed, the camp has a much more relaxed and laid back feel to it than many other camps I have stayed at, the more informal approach certainly provides for a very friendly and welcoming camp, there was a lot of laughter! The downside (only a small one) is that at times the small details can be overlooked or forgotten and time can slip away when you are wanting to get out and about. We had the opportunity to see the Albida suite, a 2 tented suite with private dining and lounge, this looks superb and would be fabulous for a family or group of friends.

Overall a great stay at a well run, superbly located camp with good guides and camp staff, I would definitely consider returning as part of another trip to Zambia."