Reviews of Chongwe River House
Wildlife sightings and reviews
8 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Chongwe River House and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
"Chongwe River Camp review"
A 20 minute drive from the airport until we arrived at the Camp, but what a sight when we got there. The most beautifully designed house which optimises the viewing of the river and the animals that are seen roaming very nearby. We had elephants on our doorstep, baboons nearby, impala grazing and hippopotamus snoozing.
The house is full of the comforts you would expect, and the hosts (Nicky and Alan) led a team that were professional, friendly and always willing to help. Food was exceptional and they looked after our parties dietary requirements with ease.
Whether on land or on water, the safari adventures were wonderful and Alan is so enthusiastic to find animals in the bush that it is contagious. I would have absolutely no hesitation whatsoever to return." See all these reviews: 13n in Zambia
"Chongwe River House review"
"Chongwe River House review"
There would be a couple of suggestions we would offer as thoughts for improvement - leather drapes instead of doors don't really offer much privacy and for large groups like we had more staff are required at meal times so that the food (which is of a very high standard) reaches the table at its best (the distance from kitchen to table isn't short so at dinner it sometimes wasn't hot when arriving).
These are minor suggestions and in no way impacted the enjoyment and memorability of our stay. The combination of river safari and driving safari was just amazing and the experience of paddling for sun-downers in the middle of The Zambezi will remain with us for the rest of our days." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia; 2n in Zimbabwe
"Dramatic private house overlooking river"
Overall this was an excellent and very comfortable stay although the open plan nature of the house meant that the rooms lacked privacy and there was quite a lot of noise in the morning as people congregated downstairs.
Probably the nicest thing was the proximity to the river which allowed us to take a boat deep into the park and be met by a vehicle and driven slowly back. This was especially helpful since the game in the vicinity of the gate was pretty lacklustre compared to what could be seen deeper in the park. The team also put on an awesome lunch by the Zambezi as well as a fun sundowner on a sandbank in the river." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia; 2n in Zimbabwe
"Multiple Activities at Chongwe River House"
As with our other guides in Zambia, Moses led us in four days of great wildlife and bird viewing with the highlight being a walk that encountered a small pack of African Wild Dogs on a chase." See all these reviews: 13n in Zambia; 3n in Namibia
"Chongwe River House review"
The seamless way this team functioned and the obvious competence of everyone we interacted with just added to our experience. Brenden, who was preparing to leave for a paternity break, exudes confidence and experience and was delightful company. Mario, our guide, introduced us to tiger fishing and to canoeing on the Zambezi.
Special mention needs to be made of the chef, Mario's brother, and of Francis, who took great care of us.
After two plus weeks of game drives time spent on the water was a welcome change. It was good scheduling to do this at the end - not the start - of our trip" See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia
"Great service at Chongwe River House"
Canoeing and fishing on the Zambezi offer an active alternative to game drives." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
"The Awesome Chongwe River House"
There was a good sized glass topped table in the living room along with a table and chairs on the deck by the pool for eating. The seating area in the living room was not the most comfortable for lounging but ok for flicking through one of the many books or writing up a diary. This was probably the only downside we had with the house.
Our hosts were Garth and Lindsey, who, sadly have now left. Lindsey created some innovative menus - even the porridge was served with whisky cream. An unusual start for 6.00am!!
It had rained twice by the time we arrived in the second week of November so game was perhaps a little harder to spot but Garth pulled out all the stops and despite the Lower Zambezi not having the variety of game as, say, the South Luangua, we weren't disappointed.
One of the biggest +s for us was the variation of activities at Chongwe River House. We were a party of five and, inevitably, some people were more comfortable doing one thing than another. One day, the five of us split into three groups, so my son and I went fishing on the Zambezi for tiger fish, my husband went for a canoe trip and my in-laws did a safari drive. It was all very flexible.
This was our fourth trip to Zambia and by far the best overall. Highly recommended." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia
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Other lodges in Lower Zambezi National Park
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Old Mondoro Bushcamp
For an intimate safari in the Lower Zambezi, with superb guiding, Old Mondoro is up there with the best.
Chongwe River Camp
A blend of the stylish and traditional in a most picturesque site in the Zambezi Valley, Chongwe River Camp offers an excellent safari experience and real value for money.
Chiawa Camp
One of Zambia's top safari camps, Chiawa is family owned and run, offering superb service and a flexible approach from a location well inside the Lower Zambezi National Park.
Sausage Tree Camp
Sausage Tree is a high-quality safari camp offering a luxurious stay and excellent personal service deep inside Zambia's Lower Zambezi National Park.
Potato Bush Camp
Potato Bush is located right in the heart of the Lower Zambezi National Park, with privately guided activities taking you on game drives, walks, boat trips and canoeing.
Anabezi Luxury Camp
Anabezi Luxury Tented Camp offers a high degree of understated luxury in a very lovely, quiet part of the Lower Zambezi with outstanding wildlife.
Amanzi
Opened in 2015, Amanzi is an intimate and rustic yet luxury camp in a very quiet area of the Lower Zambezi, with plenty of wildlife and good birding.
Kutali Camp
Kutali Camp offers the opportunity to experience the wilderness of Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park, in this simple tented camp located on Kulefu Island.
Kasaka River Lodge
Kasaka River Lodge is a relatively simple, family-friendly camp. It's outside the Lower Zambezi National Park and, with a recent change of ownership for the better, it offers a great-value safari destination.
Chula Island Camp
Chula Island Camp offers the opportunity to experience the wilderness of Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park, in this simple fly-camp located in a natal mahogany grove on a small island on the Zambezi River.
Lolebezi
A chic safari spot, luxurious Lolelbezi is the Lower Zambezi’s newest camp and offers a mix of walking, canoeing and game drives led by excellent guides.
Royal Zambezi Lodge
This family-friendly lodge is located just on the outskirts of the Lower Zambezi National Park, in a great location overlooking the river.
