Reviews of safaris to Lower Zambezi National Park
362 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Lower Zambezi.
Cj & Gav
NZ
"Incredible. We are hooked on Africa"
I visited Zambia and 1 other country between 21 Oct 2013 and 4 Nov 2013
"Thank you Expert Africa, especially Maruska, for making our honeymoon such a dream.
We had a fabulous time in Africa and we enjoyed all three places (Nkwichi Lodge, Mwamba Bushcamp and Old Mondoro) enormously.
We absolutely intend to return to Africa - next trip Botswana!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Something we had not fully understood (being first time Safari goers) is how much time we would spend with other guests.
We had such a terrific time at Nkwichi Lodge with like-minded people; suffered terribly uncomfortable dinners at Mwamba Bushcamp with a taciturn guest; and felt as if we had to be on our best behaviour at Old Mondoro with the terribly middle-aged and middle class Britons.
We do acknowledge it is the luck of the draw and I think Maruska did a great job of planning for us. But next time we will ask to be with people in our demographic as much as possible :-)" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zambia safari
We had a fabulous time in Africa and we enjoyed all three places (Nkwichi Lodge, Mwamba Bushcamp and Old Mondoro) enormously.
We absolutely intend to return to Africa - next trip Botswana!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Something we had not fully understood (being first time Safari goers) is how much time we would spend with other guests.
We had such a terrific time at Nkwichi Lodge with like-minded people; suffered terribly uncomfortable dinners at Mwamba Bushcamp with a taciturn guest; and felt as if we had to be on our best behaviour at Old Mondoro with the terribly middle-aged and middle class Britons.
We do acknowledge it is the luck of the draw and I think Maruska did a great job of planning for us. But next time we will ask to be with people in our demographic as much as possible :-)" Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Ms G
Washington
"Zambia is a unique and beautiful destination!"
I visited Zambia between 12 Oct 2013 and 18 Oct 2013
"What I wanted in a safari was density and variety of wildlife without lots of other people around. It's a very rare place indeed that can meet these requests. Zambia exceeded my expectations! I'm glad I went at the end of the dry season so that the animals were easier to view due to lack of vegetation as well as being in more concentrated numbers due to limited water sources.
What also made Zambia so unique was that there are sub species of giraffe and zebra that are only viewed in Zambia (and maybe Malawi). Somehow that made the experience that much more special.
I came back from my trip sad that I had to leave and immediately telling my friends on Facebook that they needed to put Zambia on their bucket list! (My images of all the wildlife I saw helped convince many that they too needed to go!)
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Your feedback form is critical if filled out by customers. I like that you follow up trips with a way to leave detailed feedback and I hope (and I believe) that you use the feedback to improve and update your info on the camps. I can't really think of any suggestion I can recommend to improve your system.
Exert Africa has been fantastic. I had no glitches with my arrangements and felt confident that if I did I'd know who/what to do, thanks to your information you provided." Read full review: 6 nights in Africa; 6 on a Zambia safari
What also made Zambia so unique was that there are sub species of giraffe and zebra that are only viewed in Zambia (and maybe Malawi). Somehow that made the experience that much more special.
I came back from my trip sad that I had to leave and immediately telling my friends on Facebook that they needed to put Zambia on their bucket list! (My images of all the wildlife I saw helped convince many that they too needed to go!)
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Your feedback form is critical if filled out by customers. I like that you follow up trips with a way to leave detailed feedback and I hope (and I believe) that you use the feedback to improve and update your info on the camps. I can't really think of any suggestion I can recommend to improve your system.
Exert Africa has been fantastic. I had no glitches with my arrangements and felt confident that if I did I'd know who/what to do, thanks to your information you provided." Read full review: 6 nights in Africa; 6 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mrs & Mr O
California
"Fabulous First Safari"
I visited Zambia between 8 Oct 2013 and 24 Oct 2013
"Our trip was excellent. Thank you, Maruska, for suggesting we add the Lower Zambezi to our trip; it really did offer another dimension, balancing our overall experience.
One disappointment, and I'm not sure who knew what when, or if Expert Africa knew at all, was the added traffic flow caused by BBC filming in South Luangwa. They were given special permission to operate all hours of day and night, and when present at lion and leopard sightings their crew usually added 3-vehicles, making some of our sightings very congested. I had chosen the northern sector of the park, particularly for its lesser density. I know how much the publicity is good for the park, and the wildlife, I just selfishly wish it hadn't interfered with my own experience.
I had initially wanted to add Zambia to our proposed trip to Namibia and Botswana, but our trip was becoming far too long, so we opted to take a 'warm-up' instead. I'm glad we did, as we've opted to go with a private guide/vehicle during our second Africa visit. This will give us more say in what we see and how much time we spend where, something very important in obtaining good photographs.
Expert Africa's arrangements worked flawlessly. Thank you." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Zambia safari
One disappointment, and I'm not sure who knew what when, or if Expert Africa knew at all, was the added traffic flow caused by BBC filming in South Luangwa. They were given special permission to operate all hours of day and night, and when present at lion and leopard sightings their crew usually added 3-vehicles, making some of our sightings very congested. I had chosen the northern sector of the park, particularly for its lesser density. I know how much the publicity is good for the park, and the wildlife, I just selfishly wish it hadn't interfered with my own experience.
I had initially wanted to add Zambia to our proposed trip to Namibia and Botswana, but our trip was becoming far too long, so we opted to take a 'warm-up' instead. I'm glad we did, as we've opted to go with a private guide/vehicle during our second Africa visit. This will give us more say in what we see and how much time we spend where, something very important in obtaining good photographs.
Expert Africa's arrangements worked flawlessly. Thank you." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr S
Southam
"Full on 8 day action packed trip!"
I visited Zambia between 4 Oct 2013 and 12 Oct 2013
"We had a fantastic time, 2 great camps, some wonderful wildlife, good game drives, superb walks and river activities including catching Tiger fish, excellent company, good food, top quality guiding and camp staff and have some wonderful memories."
Read full review: 8 nights in Africa; 7 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs H
Lisvane
"Highly Enjoyable"
I visited Zambia between 29 Sep 2013 and 14 Oct 2013
"Zambia is a great country to visit and offers a very diverse and great safari experience. The Luangwa valley is a superb park but beware Tsetse flies! We last visited the Lower Zambezi in 2007 and stayed outside the park and did not enjoy the experience so it was great to return and stay at two great camps inside the park.
Old Mondora, Nsefu amd Tafika are all great places to visit." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 14 on a Zambia safari
Old Mondora, Nsefu amd Tafika are all great places to visit." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 14 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Dr B & Ms B
Horsham
"My Sep 2013 trip"
I visited Zambia between 26 Sep 2013 and 10 Oct 2013
"Absolutely amazing safari. It greatly exceeded our expectations and was a truly memorable experience.
Claire was highly professional, knowledgable, friendly and provided excellent advice - fine tuning our initial ideas and correctly assessing what would be good places for us to stay. We were very impressed by the whole organisation - flight timings were perfect and having Tours Africa to ease immigration was fantastic. They were also great when transferring to and from our hotel.
We will be travelling with you next time!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
No. It was excellent." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 13 on a Zambia safari
Claire was highly professional, knowledgable, friendly and provided excellent advice - fine tuning our initial ideas and correctly assessing what would be good places for us to stay. We were very impressed by the whole organisation - flight timings were perfect and having Tours Africa to ease immigration was fantastic. They were also great when transferring to and from our hotel.
We will be travelling with you next time!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
No. It was excellent." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 13 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Dr & Mrs S
Cheshire
"My Sep 2013 trip"
I visited Zambia between 15 Sep 2013 and 29 Sep 2013
"Trip was very enjoyable (as expected, since we've been to these camps before). Once again, having assistance through immigration and with ground transport was very helpful and time saving."
Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 13 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs R
Aberdeen
"My Sep 2013 trip"
I visited Zambia between 14 Sep 2013 and 30 Sep 2013
"Ellie yet again organised a great holiday, everything went like clockwork. The camps were all fantastic and met our requirements perfectly. We are not sure how she managed to organise three different Aardvark sitings but we are glad she did. The title Expert Africa justified comletely.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Pangolin sightings next time" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Zambia safari
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Pangolin sightings next time" Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 16 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs G
Devon
"Goodfellow/Williams Trip Sep 2013"
I visited Zambia between 13 Sep 2013 and 26 Sep 2013
"This trip exceeded our expectations in all respects.
From initial contact with Expert Africa to the conclusion, all details were well and timely arranged and we were kept informed along the way of all matters. At each "choke point" where things might have gone wrong i.e. flights with Proflight, the arrangements worked without a hitch. Transfers between camps occurred seamlessly, and we were expected at each venue.
Congratulations, therefore, to the Expert Africa team for putting together the trip.
The business of tipping we found irksome. At some stages guides and game guards changed and were missed. At others, notably Chongwe, there were so many for the different activities that we lost count. We ended by giving a sum of money to one of the staff at Chongwe and asked that it be distributed fairly among the guides, while also putting money in the tip box. However fair one tries to be, there is always the nagging doubt that some deserving soul has been missed. You ask for money for a donation of £20 to offset carbon emissions from the flights ( for which we have already contributed over £400 for our flights from London , grr), so perhaps there could be a donation similarly for the staff ?.
Throughout the trip the staff were most helpful, courteous, obliging, and knowledgeable and could not be faulted.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Perhaps see comment above re tipping, but otherwise no, we think you are a good organisation with whom we would travel again and which we would recommend to friends.
Thank you." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Zambia safari
From initial contact with Expert Africa to the conclusion, all details were well and timely arranged and we were kept informed along the way of all matters. At each "choke point" where things might have gone wrong i.e. flights with Proflight, the arrangements worked without a hitch. Transfers between camps occurred seamlessly, and we were expected at each venue.
Congratulations, therefore, to the Expert Africa team for putting together the trip.
The business of tipping we found irksome. At some stages guides and game guards changed and were missed. At others, notably Chongwe, there were so many for the different activities that we lost count. We ended by giving a sum of money to one of the staff at Chongwe and asked that it be distributed fairly among the guides, while also putting money in the tip box. However fair one tries to be, there is always the nagging doubt that some deserving soul has been missed. You ask for money for a donation of £20 to offset carbon emissions from the flights ( for which we have already contributed over £400 for our flights from London , grr), so perhaps there could be a donation similarly for the staff ?.
Throughout the trip the staff were most helpful, courteous, obliging, and knowledgeable and could not be faulted.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Perhaps see comment above re tipping, but otherwise no, we think you are a good organisation with whom we would travel again and which we would recommend to friends.
Thank you." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Dr G & Dr E
UK
"fabulous return to zambia"
I visited Zambia between 6 Sep 2013 and 19 Sep 2013
"fabulous trip. interesting to see how things were different to 2009. Much drier and hotter in both parks.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
better access to information regarding special offers" Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Zambia safari
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
better access to information regarding special offers" Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
362
reviews of Lower Zambezi by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
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Where to stay in Lower Zambezi
Our suggestions for safari camps in Lower Zambezi National Park
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.
Chongwe River House
Chongwe River House is a stylish four-bedroom house designed for the exclusive use of families and small groups, affording the ultimate in flexibility on safari.
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.
