Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs M from New Mexico

"I could not imagine that a safari adventure could be any better. Kafunta River Lodge is located next to a great lagoon, fed by the natural hot spring that feeds the spa. Every lodge has a great view of the river and the various wild life that comes to drink and lounge in the water. The deck where meals are served overlooks the lagoon and you have a wonderful view of the Hippo, Elephants, Giraffe, African Wild Dogs, Lions and what ever else happens to wander by.

The staff is first rate all the way and someone is always around to tend to your every need. The chef and staff prepared some of the best meals that you could ask for. The lodges are open and airy with a private deck that over looks the river.

We were very fortunate to have Martin for our guide for most of our stay. He can spot a wild dog a half mile away just from the white on the tip of it's tail. We saw almost every animal on our list of "hope to see" by the second day. The guides are very knowledgeable and are a wealth of information, although as good as he is I find it hard to believe that Martin can tell how many spots are on a leopard just by looking at the footprint. We saw Lions, Leopards, Elephants, Hyena, Wild Dogs, Giraffe, Eagles, Hippos, Antelope. Wild dogs making a kill, a leopard with a fresh kill, leopards during the day, leopards at night. If there was wildlife around than Martin would find it, he is amazing.

The staff are so much fun, you can tell that they all love the Luangwa Valley and do every thing they can to ensure that you have a good time.

Robert and Joan"

"We were fortunate to have Martin travel with us as our Guide to the Island Bush Camp, about a 2 1/2 hour drive from the Kafunta River Lodge. Klaus and the staff were waiting to greet us upon our arrival with a refreshing drink.

The Bush Camp has no to limited electricity but that had no effect on our stay. The bush camp is a little more rugged that the River Lodge but was more that adequate, the lodges are very comfortable with a great view overlooking the Luangwa river. Klaus and the staff took care of everything and were a great source of entertainment.

The day begins at dawn with breakfast around an open campfire before heading out for the morning safari. The walking safaris were not difficult, I am 67, and lasted about 3 hours with a tea break in the middle. Martin is a wealth of knowledge and kept us entertained and well informed as we walked, pointing our various plants and how it is used to cure various ailments. We saw many types of wild life on the walking safari and you can not appreciate how big an elephant is or how tall a giraffe is until you are standing on the ground and looking up.

After our morning safari it was back to the bush camp for lunch and a siesta before heading out for the evening safari.

The evening safari ends around dusk either by ending up back at the camp or someone brings a vehicle and we ride back to camp and wash up before dinner. The food was excellent and there is plenty to eat so you will not go hungry. Sitting around at dinner with Klaus and Martin telling stories about the bush and hearing the hippos in the distance, while enjoying some of the best food that you could ask for, it does not get any better than this.

At the end of our stay we took a safari of the kitchen, which consisted of a wood stove, which made the quality of the food that much more amazing. How the staff could prepare such wonderful meals using only a wood stove is beyond me.

All in all we could not have asked to more and if you are looking for something a little more out of the way, we did not see a single person or vehicle during our stay, than the bush camp would be an excellent choice. We spent 3 nights and that was just about the right amount of time as you will not see the amount of wildlife on a waking safari as you will from a vehicle."