Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs B from Sevenoaks

"A wonderful place to stay! Peaceful location with attentive staff who tailored activities and meal times to suit individual guests. It is not the nearest to the falls but we appreciated being able to relax here after our flight, and were escorted to and from all that we wanted to see, while enjoying peaceful trips on the river away from the crowds of the town.

Claudia welcomed us, and was eager to know what we would like to do so that she could create a timetable for us. We were seen off on each trip and welcomed back by one of the managers. Claudia was particularly helpful.

All staff were charming and attentive, and we enjoyed talking to them about their lives in Zambia on drives to and from Livingstone. Boat trips and a tour of the village from which several staff came were a highlight. We had not expected to see any animals here, so glimpses of elephants, hippo, crocs were an unexpected bonus, while the birdlife was amazing, and we wished we had done the guided birdwalk which was offered.

This lodge is not one you usually recommend - but we were interested that the rep from Audley Travel was there for a site visit as it is one they use. The lodge managed to combine the camaraderie of drinks together around a fire with the privacy of separate dining , and the meals were delicious!"

"A beautiful spot with friendly staff and great guides. We were welcomed and had time for a late lunch before joining a group for our first safari.

As the river was low the pontoon could not be used, so we drove straight through the river and up the bank - a baptism of fire for those who hadn't been on a jeep before! Our group included seasoned self drive safari goers, keen to see lion, and the first drive felt a bit like a lion hunt, but on the second day we were able to just observe what there was to see around the park . Our guide Josephat was excellent, finding something to tell us about everything we saw, rather than just driving until we found animals. As we started to ask questions we got even more out of the drive.

We had planned to spend 2 nights here before moving to the Island Bush Camp. On arrival it was suggested that we should move to the bush camp after just one night, so that on our return we could have 2 nights to relax before we left. We were initially apprehensive about this, as it felt we were being rushed, but it turned out to be good advice and we enjoyed the facilities of Kafunta more on our return."

"The bush camp is set in a beautiful location beside the river, and after our initial shock at how close we were to nature we settled down to a fantastic experience. Experienced safari goers might know the difference between a lodge and a bush camp, but we hadn't quite grasped it before we got there! Chalets are on stilts facing the river and it was amazing to sleep with just a mosquito net between us and the hippos in the river.

The staff here are amazing; the food was better than at the River Lodge, and the kitchen safari at the end of our stay increased our admiration for Kenneth and what he had produced from the limited facilities he had. We ate together with our guide and the camp manager each evening, though the latter was not as outgoing as the managers at either Kafunta or Waterberry.

We were led out on walks by the wonderful Josephat, who coped well with the mixed experience of the group; 2 seasoned self drive safari experts and ourselves - one first timer and one nervous second timer. He proved to be as experienced an observer of human behaviour and interaction as of animals, and despite the abundance of safari adventure stories which were being thrown about, the nervous were reassured and not pushed too far outside their comfort zone."

"After 2 nights in the Island Bush Camp we returned to Kafunta to find that we had been upgraded to a luxury chalet, and enjoyed a fabulous room and bathroom with private elevated deck. Here we were able to have relax in privacy after drives, continuing to watch animals all around us.

At Kafunta guests are divided into groups for safaris and meals, and eat with their guide. This gives a great opportunity to talk to the guides about the wildlife - and about their lives in Zambia. Lunches were excellent, cold chicken etc and salads, which were brought to the table and we served each other. Evening meals were served plated, but the food was often cold and a little disappointing. There was a long walk between the kitchen and the deck where we ate, and we wondered if it would not have been easier to serve from the side table on the deck.

The management team were friendly and welcomed us back from each drive. Their suggestion that we would enjoy 2 nights at Kafunta after the Island Bush Camp rather than before was a good one - we really appreciated the time in our chalet, which set us up well for the charity trip which followed our holiday."