Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs W from Bedford

"The main attraction of this camp is its position (30/40 meters) in front of a large waterhole fed by fresh water and floodlit at night. It was also the only waterhole on an animal corridor to/from Zimbabwe which meant that herds of elephants, antelopes, warthogs and birds were present all day and night, including a resident hippo, providing continuous entertainment and many photo opportunities. Sightings of leopard and a male lion were also spotted during the night.

A rustic, very comfortable camp with great hosts who made us feel very welcome. It was a relaxed time at the camp with meal times, game drives etc., at our pace. Food at breakfast, high tea and dinner were all excellent and well presented.

Our room was very comfortable and spacious and also close to the waterhole which was special as night time sights and sounds drew you into the bush. The weather during our stay was hot (September) and there was no air-con, just a couple of fans - so, at times it was a little uncomfortable, especially at night.

Game drives were fun but quite quiet in terms of spotting animals. The landscape/vegetation was uninteresting, very dry and with signs of wild fire. Most of the action of game spotting was around the waterhole at the camp.

Animals spotted were:
Elephants
Male Lion
Leopard
Hippo
Giraffe
Warthog
Impala
Rohan antelope
Sable antelope
Kudu
Zebra
Tsessebe
Black backed jackal
Reed buck"

"Beautiful lodge with the most stunning views over the plains towards Namibia in the distance. Lovely bar and restaurant positioned just above a plunge pool and multi levelled patio deck.

Our room was very comfortable and with the same spectacular views over the plains from the bedroom and its own patio and plunge pool outside. The room was on two levels with a spacious bathroom and shower on the second level. Most welcome with the heat (38 degrees) was the aircon.

The staff were very friendly and attentive. There was a choice on the menu for lunch and dinner and the meals were excellent.

The game drives started by driving on the tar roads to the Chobe Game reserve gate and then a long uncomfortable drive through the forest with little or no sightings, before reaching the river and plains. Plains game were plentiful with many elephants and birdlife. It was not possible to get too close to the animals because of the terrain. Our guide MK was good company and he did in fact find a leopard sighting which was wonderful. Also, we came across 9 lions sleeping in the shade. They were spotted first by a large number of self drive safari vehicles in the area.

We opted to do a full day safari the next day including a boat safari which was very pleasant and then a game drive stopping for a picnic lunch and a drive back to the lodge late afternoon. The day was enjoyable although long and not too many sightings.

Not a safari location or activities we would recommend although the lodge was quite special."

"Nambwa Tented lodge was in a lovely location with views across the plains and the river. The main deck and tents were positioned on tall walkways which allow elephants to walk through as the camp's location is positioned on an ancient migration route, down from Angola. It gave the whole lodge site an interesting and quirky feel. Sadly, we never saw any elephants pass through - we were advised the migration is usually when the first rains come.

There were 10 tents and most of the time the lodge was full which made it feel busy. Our tent was very comfortable and spacious. There was no aircon and during the day and most nights it was sweltering and a little uncomfortable. Our tent was positioned under a large sausage tree which seemed to keep the baboons amused most of the day and night with the occasional sausage pod (approx. 30lbs) dropping loudly on our tent and deck.

Meals were served on a beautiful large main deck built under a number of majestic Knobthorn, Jackleberry and Sausage trees. A very comfortable area to relax with a drink from the bar admiring the expansive views and listening to the baboons squabbling in the trees. Food was very good albeit a bit repetitive at lunchtimes. Just thought the staff, although very pleasant could have benefited from better training to increase their ability to interact with the guests and also their knowledge of what dishes/courses were on offer.

Beavan was our guide who's company we enjoyed on vehicle and boat drives. Game drives were fairly quiet and uneventful. Boat safaris on the Kwando river channels were very enjoyable and relaxing. Birdlife was plentiful, such as sightings of kingfishers, bee-eaters, hundreds of colourful carmine bee-eaters on the banks of the river. Hippos, crocs and monitor lizards were also spotted."

"The Zambezi Queen was a wonderful and relaxing experience. All facilities including restaurant, bar and lounge decks were beautifully appointed and very comfortable. The atmosphere on board was very informal and service by all staff was of a very high standard.

Meals were excellent with a choice on the menus. Bar service at all times was efficient. Not sure why they felt it necessary to charge for spirits which was a bit surprising though it was not a major issue.

Our suite was very comfortable, spacious and with aircon - most welcome. Two balconies which gave us great view of the river and its banks. The luxury suite is well worth the extra cost.

Activities were outlined each day. We opted for both tender boat safari trips and the early morning birding trip. All were excellent."

"We arrived at Lusaka airport to catch a Royal Zambezi charter light aircraft to the lodge. Unfortunately there was nobody to meet us. After some waiting we went in search of their offices which was hidden in the domestic terminal (more like a building site than a terminal) which was being completely refurbished. Someone in the office was surprised to see me as they expected us the next day. After many apologies from them they arranged for us to catch the flight to Royal Zambezi.

The lodge was beautiful and in a prime location, just a short board walk from the Zambezi river. We were made very welcome and introduced to the layout of the lodge, its facilities and the daily schedule of activities etc., by Mwaka, lodge manager. There were no precise times for meals which was very flexible and activities such as game drives/walks, canoeing and boat rides were our choice and were available at any time.

There are 15 rooms, so fairly large but the main deck and general public areas were designed in an open, light and specious way that didn't feel overcrowded. Our room was comfortable although quite rustic with a fan only, no aircon - guests travelling in summer may wish to make note of that. Outside shower only which was taken quickly when a cool breeze was blowing! Great view of the Zambezi river and between our deck and the waters edge a lot of wild life was spotted which was nice to see when relaxing between game drives. Birds, such as, grey heron, cattle egrets, African darter, hadeda ibis, saddle-billed stork, white-throated and little bee -eaters. Also, wandering up and down were families of wart hog, hippos, impala, water buck, baboons and elephants. One elephant ended up by our plunge pool and deck, stripping the leaves and branches above the pool. The lodge was open to the animals so it was not a surprise to see an elephant or two walk down the path. After dark we had to be escorted to our room by a member of staff. A point to note should anyone feel nervous about that.

Meals were excellent, not heavy or too rich and served by friendly staff. It's difficult to describe the wonderful feeling of the sunset cruises we enjoyed, watching up close, elephants in the reeds on islands in the middle of the 'mighty' Zambezi and hippos who were either scrambling into the water as we came close or watching us curiously with eyes just above the water level and ears twitching. All this whilst sipping on our gin and tonics!

This lodge for us was a 'settling in' and 'get over the journey' stay for us, so we didn't go on any early morning game drives, just a couple of afternoon/evening drives. We had the vehicle to ourselves which is always a plus as we don't like to be crowded in and we had the undivided attention of our guide, Jo. He was very knowledgeable and it gave us a chance to find out all about his career so far, his family, his ambitions and how he coped during the pandemic - fascinating discussions.

Game viewing consisted mainly of elephants (lots of them), a few zebra, hundreds of baboons, crocodiles by waterholes, some warthogs and impala so not particularly prolific but still very enjoyable. We did however have a few amazing sightings of Civet and Genet cats as well as a rare porcupine sighting.

We would recommend this lodge to anyone visiting this part of Zambia, for its location, river views and activities and high standard of service from the staff. This lodge stays open throughout the year - unusual for this part of Zambia."

"After a very pleasant 30 minute boat ride from the Royal Zambezi lodge we arrived at Chiawa Camp's jetty to be enthusiastically met by Simon, the General manager and Juliet, the guest relations Manager.

The camp's open plan lounge, bar and dining area was only a few meters from the river bank and provided wonderful views across the Zambezi river. Our welcome chat with Juliet regarding the layout of the lodge, its facilities and daily schedule was delivered most professionally as was her tour of our room later. For the benefit of travellers thinking of staying at Chiawa, the camp was unfenced and as a result had frequent visitors, such as elephants and sometimes leopards (not when we were there). walking through it. As such, you had to be escorted back and forth from your room both during the day and at night. A walkie talkie was in your room to call a member of staff. We found this a little restrictive but on the whole it wasn't an issue for us as safety of the guests was paramount. The main camp and rooms were positioned under a canopy of trees and so it was relatively dark and cool - in the summer months it might offer some relief from the heat.

Our tent, a little like a rustic cabin, was comfortable but with no air con or fan - again, not a real problem for the winter months. It had both indoor and outdoor showers.

All meals were excellent. They were light and flavoursome. Some meals were served in the dining area, some upstairs in a viewing area looking out over the river and an incredible champagne lunch on the boat cruising up the Zambezi. One night after a game drive we were treated to a bush dinner, which was a lovely surprise. Tables and hurricane lamps all laid out, bar, camp fire and food on the BBQ or Braai (even a loo). The night was clear and the milky way visible. Nice to have a variety of locations.

The staff were very friendly, polite and efficient - nothing was too much trouble for them. Our guide on the game drives was obviously very experienced as his knowledge of the bush and wildlife was extensive He also had a great sense of humour. Game viewing was steady with usual sightings of elephant, hippos, impala and hundreds of baboons. One highlight was coming across a lioness with her two cubs. The two cubs were hidden up a tree, presumably told to stay there while mum went hunting. That plan was flawed in that the cubs kept popping their heads up through the leaves and then decided they would come down and go into play mode. This involved mum who seemed a bit reluctant at first to join in but then had no option. We spent some time at this sighting just watching this family's world playing out before us.

We opted for a canoeing activity one afternoon where we were taken out by boat to a channel off the Zambezi. Our canoes and boatmen were already there waiting for us and after a brief safety talk we each got into our canoes with the boatmen doing the paddling, leaving us to take in the calm and quiet views. Well, I say quiet, there were several snorts from the hippos around us as we glided past them. This was a fantastic experience and perspective viewing birds, hippos, crocodiles and elephants that came down to the waters edge to drink.

We enjoyed staying at this camp and recommend it to others, for the friendly and helpful staff, the boating activities and location, so close to the Zambezi river."

"A 30 minute boat ride took us to a small jetty where we were met by our guide, Mwila from Anabezi camp. A great chap who we soon found out was very knowledgeable, polite and a good conversationalist. The drive back to the camp was about an hour so plenty of time to sit back and enjoy the game spotting.

Anabezi camp was situated in a superb location with the main deck, dining area and bar high up on stilts overlooking a grassy plain in front of the Zambezi river. All the rooms were in fact linked by 7/8 ft board walks. A beautiful main deck where wildlife, such as, elephants, waterbuck, baboons, warthogs and lions (more about them later) meandered across in front of us and in the background hippos were splashing about and snorting in the river.

Our room was comfortable with an overhead fan but no air-con. I keep mentioning this because in the summer months some travellers may find this uncomfortable. Outside shower only - a little chilly, as it was winter when we visited. The bathroom was positioned between the sitting area and the bedroom, with canvas walls and a curtain for a door. Not ideal for privacy. Our deck had a plunge pool and wonderful views over a grassy plain and out towards the Zambezi river. We had frequent visitors including elephants, waterbuck, impala and baboons.

Our game drives were excellent thanks to our guide who had a knack of knowing where the best sighting would be and on many occasions when we were following leopards he would successfully anticipate where the leopard would appear again. We had the vehicle to ourselves which was great. Our sightings consisted of leopards, lions, families of elephants, wild dogs trying to chase down several waterbucks with no success, a young bull elephant who challenged us to pass him on the track, the occasional zebra, many African fish eagles, saddle billed storks, grey herons and lilac breasted rollers. Our sundowner stops were amazing, either overlooking the river, sipping gin and tonics to the chorus of snorting and laughing hippos or by a lagoon with the sky a multitude of pinks, oranges and red. We also had a stunning boat ride up and down the Zambezi in the evening, navigating around the hippos and trying to spot kingfishers and bee-eaters.

On our final day whilst finishing breakfast two lions walked across the grassy plain just in front of us on the main deck, heading in the direction of our room. As we walked back to our room after breakfast we saw that the two lions had made an impala kill just 30/40 metres from our room. Even though we were up on the board walk, it was still unwise of us to walk the last 20 or so metres to the door of our room so we waited until our guide and other staff, who had heard the commotion and come running over, advised us it was safe to go into our room - some last minute excitement before we moved on to our next lodge.

We would recommend this camp to others for it's outstanding location, excellent quality of guiding and game sightings.

There were just a number of small things that added up together would perhaps dissuade us from returning. For example, there was tea and coffee making facilities in the room but no milk and none was offered so we had to ask for it. Hand towels disappeared for a few days and we had to raise the issue in order to get hold of some. The pump action on some of the shower gel and lotion bottles did not work until the last day. A staff security radio device was left in our room in the evening still switched on so camp calls/chatter could be heard, until we decided to turn it off - we were somewhat surprised that nobody seemed to have missed it. Some drinks orders at the main deck and bar were different to what we asked for and my wife's request for no nuts at meal times was noted but on at least one occasion nuts appeared on a desert. Small and perhaps slightly irritating things but were not experienced at other camps."

"Our guide drove us from Anebezi Camp to Jeki airstrip which was about an hour away. Lovely little airstrip in the middle of the bush. We caught a light aircraft flight to Lusaka, about 40 minutes, flying low over the bush and the Zambezi river - a fantastic experience. We then flew from Lusaka to Mfuwe airport and were driven to Lion Camp which was a long drive, about 3 hours on some not so comfortable roads, even though some of the villages we passed through were interesting to see. Other travellers may need to take note.

Lion Camp is in a remote area of South Luangwa. It has just ten suites linked by elevated boardwalks with views over an oxbow river. Both in the main camp and from your suite animals and birds can be spotted up close. The camp is unfenced.

The main camp consisted of a large open deck with seating areas, curio shop, pool, bar, dining area and viewing deck. Very cleverly designed around existing trees with beautiful views over the river just metres away and the bush. There were frequent visits to the river from herons, storks, baboons, hippos, elephants and antelopes. Our hosts who managed the camp were Vicky and Wayne who were great company, good fun and very experienced, particularly Vicky's attention to detail at meal times. The food was delicious and any special requests were no problem at all. The staff serving were polite and extremely efficient.

Our room was very comfortable and spacious with a seating area, cool breeze system which operated over the bed, en-suite bathroom with indoor shower. Our deck overlooked the river and bush which was wonderful.

Game drives were eventful with great sightings of lions, elephants, baboons, puku, leopards, hippos, warthogs, giraffes, kudu and hyenas. Also, African fish eagles, grey herons, yellow billed storks, saddle billed storks, marabou storks, black headed herons, carmine bee-eaters and lilac breasted rollers. In 22 years of going on safari we have never seen two lilac breasted rollers viciously fighting in the dusty track for several minutes in what appeared to be a territorial battle - an amazing spectacle.

There were only four of us on the safari vehicle - two other guests with whom we got on extremely well. Our guide, Mukupa was also good company and joined in the fun we had on drives. He also did some very commendable work for his community in helping encourage families to send their daughters to school by demonstrating the benefits through theatre plays he wrote. He also, with the support of the camp, was involved in a 'buy a brick' project to build a clinic for his community.

We spent quite some time over a period of 2/3 days to immerse ourselves into family life of three leopards, two cubs and their mother. The two cubs were left to fend for themselves while their mother was away hunting. After watching the mother lose a kill to a hyena we eventually saw that she had made another kill which was good news as the cubs had been without food for at least three days. Just as we were wondering where the mother would take the kill a hyena rushed in from behind our vehicle and chased the leopard away and started to eat the kill. This would be disastrous for the cubs. However, another hyena appeared and for some strange reason they both ran off allowing the mother to drag the kill off deep into the bush and up a tree. The next day the mother had called her cubs to share in the feast.

After one of our morning drives we stopped for a surprise bush breakfast which was wonderful.

During our stay it was our wedding anniversary. Vicky and Wayne very kindly presented us with a beautiful coffee table book, 'Africa's Ultimate Safaris' and a bottle of pink champagne. A lovely gesture - thank you.

A special mention to Dottie who was the reservations manager - she was a lovely person with a great sense of humour. She helped us in contacting our previous camps & lodges to track down where I might have lost my wallet. It was found and delivered to us at Lion Camp - many thanks, again.

We really enjoyed our stay at Lion Camp and would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking of visiting the South Luangwa area. The camp is remote and bear in mind it takes a long time to get there by road from Mfuwe airport but well worth the trip."

"We were driven in a safari vehicle for approx. an hour from Lion Camp and were met by a guide from Puku Ridge at a halfway point. Another hours drive through the bush we arrived at the lodge.

We had a enthusiastic greeting by the management and staff who welcomed us with singing as we arrived. After a brief chat about the lodge layout and daily schedule from Grant, lodge manager, we were taken to our room by a lovely lady called Beauty who showed us around, including the star bed upstairs.

Our room was very comfortable, spacious and well appointed with fans and aircon, if needed. There was a seating area, mini-bar (replenished daily, if required), tea and coffee making facilities, en-suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers. The outside deck and plunge pool overlooked a wide open plain where we spotted animals, such as, elephants, buffalos, puku, baboons, giraffes, and on one occasion, lions roaming through. The lodge and our room was literally on a ridge so we were looking down on a vast open plain with great views. The gravel path from the main deck to our room had several steps, up and down hill. Just a warning, particularly for elderly travellers - we found it a bit tiring at times.

The main lodge and large deck area was beautiful with lots of seating, a library area, dining areas, open fire (boma type) area, all looking over a waterhole and the grassy plains beyond. A stunning location.

The management team, Grant and Annemie and staff were efficient, polite and also great fun. The food was delicious and there was a choice on both the lunch and dinner menus.

Our guide, Abel found a number of good sightings hence there was lots to see on game drives including elephants, giraffes, herds of buffalo, leopards, prides of lion, hyenas, puku, baboons, hippos, ground hornbills, African fish eagles and white-backed vultures. We stopped one day for a surprise bush lunch which was amazing. Unusually, we had a wonderful stir fry cooked in front of us by Grant, the lodge manager.

We would definitely recommend this lodge for its location, game drives, food and such friendly and efficient staff."

"A very comfortable hotel room with a nice bar and restaurant.

We only stayed here for one night and had to leave very early the next morning to catch a flight from Lusaka airport to Johannesburg. The only issue we had was there was no hot water in the morning which was irritating.

Our road transfers between the hotel and airport worked well."

"We thought the location and setting of this lodge was stunning with beautiful grounds and fantastic views across the Zambezi. The rooms were nicely positioned on the banks of the river and had an interesting interior layout. It was great to experience the sights and sounds in the evening. I guess, just to be picky, the rooms could do with some investment in refurbishment or makeover but it didn't really cause us any worries.

Food was excellent, dinner served on the patio with the Zambezi as the backdrop was outstanding and service was very efficient.

Our chosen activities, sunset cruise, elephant back safari and visit to the Vic falls, including the helicopter flight were all very special."

"We had a very enjoyable flight from Kasane airport to the Jao airstrip, flying relatively low over parts of the delta so that we could see both the sheer size of the landscape and the incredible amount of water. The highest levels in some 20 + years, I believe. The high levels caused some headaches and logistical problems for the management and staff at the nearby camps, especially Kwetsani.

Part of the airstrip and surrounding area was under water so we had to drive just past the airstrip, park the vehicle and get into a motor boat. It was then a 30 + minute ride to the camp where we got into another vehicle to take us to the entrance to the camp itself.

The motor boat ride through the water channels and Papyrus was an awesome experience which we both enjoyed. Each time we went out for game viewing, however, it involved swapping from boats to vehicles and vice versa which was quite time consuming and not appreciated by everyone but it couldn't be helped and anyway we are both a bit like kids and found it great fun and exilerating.

We liked the camp very much, it had a tree-house look and feel to it with a rustic comfort. We were well looked after by Ian and Michelle and the staff and the food and facilities were excellent. Views from our room, the main deck and the plunge pool were stunning."

"We arrived at Vumbura after a 10 minute scenic flight which once again showed that the high water levels were still rising higher. The camp was absolutely fantastic with a very unusual but eye catching main deck, bar and dining area. Our room was awesome! Very spacious and extremely comfortable. We were at the end of the walkway and so our views were superb – I've never taken a shower for so long before!! The food and service were excellent with a choice on the dinner menu which was a nice touch.

We did mostly game drives and one Mokoro trip which was brilliant as it was so peaceful and gave us a different perspective of the wildlife we saw on the water's edge. The drives were wet and dry and on some occasions the water level rose above the bonnet of the vehicle. I guess the game viewing was the only slightly disappointing part of the trip ( at both camps) as on many drives we or rather the Guides worked very hard to spot what we did. The water levels obviously had an impact on the game in that area, especially pushing out the big cats and so sometimes it was very quiet indeed but it did not in any way spoil things at all.

We were again looked after very well by Noku (Nick, I think), Kate and the staff. (I appreciated the typical English sense of humour of Noku). On the final morning the flight mode and times changed by the minute as water levels threatened to flood the airstrip. Only when we arrived at the airstrip was there an announcement that it would close and after some time we were then whisked away to Maun by helicopter – as you can imagine, a 35 minute flight at low level over the delta by helicopter was one hell of a way to finish off our holiday."