Reviews of safaris to Lower Zambezi National Park
365 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Lower Zambezi.
Mr & Mrs G
Guildford
"A really great first safari experience!"
I visited Zambia between 12 Aug 2011 and 22 Aug 2011
"We would rather have put EXCELLENT but 'very satisfactory' will have to do!
We have recommended our trip to everyone on our return and will certainly be exploring some future opportunities to travel on safari again with Expert Africa!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Nothing to suggest - it was all excellent!" Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zambia safari
We have recommended our trip to everyone on our return and will certainly be exploring some future opportunities to travel on safari again with Expert Africa!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Nothing to suggest - it was all excellent!" Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs F
Maidstone
"A wonderful 50th birthday celebration!"
I visited Zambia between 17 Jul 2011 and 1 Aug 2011
"It was a very enjoyable and happy trip that lived up to or exceeded our highest expectations!
We were surprised that there was no game meat and if we have one comment to all the camps it would be that they should serve less "safe European" and more local food (especially game meat). Also whilst the service was always very efficient perhaps at times it could be a bit more relaxed, especially when there are only a small number of guests?
My wife was particularly grateful for all the hot water bottles!
Thank you Claire and all involved!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
none" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 14 on a Zambia safari
We were surprised that there was no game meat and if we have one comment to all the camps it would be that they should serve less "safe European" and more local food (especially game meat). Also whilst the service was always very efficient perhaps at times it could be a bit more relaxed, especially when there are only a small number of guests?
My wife was particularly grateful for all the hot water bottles!
Thank you Claire and all involved!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
none" Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 14 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr & Mrs G
Sweden
"The best vacation ever"
I visited Zambia between 11 Jul 2011 and 29 Jul 2011
"The trip was worked out around our wish of spending 3 weeks in Zambia including North and South Luangwa, doing as much walking as possible plus Kawaza village. On Maruska recommendation Lower Zambezi was added. We also asked for camps/lodges were game viewing was the main focus.
Hence we had quite a few camps and lodges that we stayed in, all in all 9. The logistics between the camps, including the flight connections were as one would say in modern consultancy terminology seamless. The only mishappening was our luggage to Kawaza village, but Proflight worked it out.
The mix of camps was very good as well as the choice of areas, it gave a very good insight in what is available on the eastern side of Zambia. This must have been one our best trips/vacations ever.
As we do quite extensive research ourselves in beforehand we knew what we had to expect, at least to some extent. we understood that this was not the case for all and every one.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
As you know we missed our first day due to Lufthansa delay in Johannesburg. The delay was due to the aircraft, the new Airbus 380 with more than 500 passengers. It took more than 30 minutes to get off the plan. Apart from 15 min late arrival. 1h50 was not enough to make the transfer. We had booked the flight, this is more for you to be aware of the potential risk of delays with these immense aircrafts." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 17 on a Zambia safari
Hence we had quite a few camps and lodges that we stayed in, all in all 9. The logistics between the camps, including the flight connections were as one would say in modern consultancy terminology seamless. The only mishappening was our luggage to Kawaza village, but Proflight worked it out.
The mix of camps was very good as well as the choice of areas, it gave a very good insight in what is available on the eastern side of Zambia. This must have been one our best trips/vacations ever.
As we do quite extensive research ourselves in beforehand we knew what we had to expect, at least to some extent. we understood that this was not the case for all and every one.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
As you know we missed our first day due to Lufthansa delay in Johannesburg. The delay was due to the aircraft, the new Airbus 380 with more than 500 passengers. It took more than 30 minutes to get off the plan. Apart from 15 min late arrival. 1h50 was not enough to make the transfer. We had booked the flight, this is more for you to be aware of the potential risk of delays with these immense aircrafts." Read full review: 18 nights in Africa; 17 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Dr & Mr G
Bangor
""
I visited Zambia between 10 Jul 2011 and 22 Jul 2011
"Fantastic! Apart from the lengthy journey back, everything fell into place, and was amazing."
Read full review: 12 nights in Africa; 11 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
THB47
New Zealand
"Trip as a whole"
I visited Zambia between 5 Jul 2011 and 21 Jul 2011
"We probably won't go back to Zambia as we prefer Sabi Sand game and, in particular, the frequency and quality of cat sightings. We enjoyed the walking safaris and the water activities a lot.
As noted earlier, Expert Africa information packs should state that women's underwear will not be laundered by the lodges.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Without wishing to go on about this, tell people women's underwear will not be washed at camps in Zambia." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 15 on a Zambia safari
As noted earlier, Expert Africa information packs should state that women's underwear will not be laundered by the lodges.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Without wishing to go on about this, tell people women's underwear will not be washed at camps in Zambia." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 15 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Good
Mr & Mrs L
USA
"Special Trip"
I visited Zambia and 1 other country between 3 Jul 2011 and 17 Jul 2011
"This trip met and exceeded our expectations. All the arrangements in Africa were perfect, and the selection of where to go and stay made the trip interesting.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
As this was our first trip to Africa, Claire was very helpful in planning our trip." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zambia safari
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
As this was our first trip to Africa, Claire was very helpful in planning our trip." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Miss L
Scotland
"Our Fantastic Trip"
I visited Zambia between 26 Jun 2011 and 10 Jul 2011
"This is the second trip we have made with Expert Africa. Staff are helpful, patient and knowledgeable.
I like the fact that we can talk to a member of staff with first hand experience of the lodges we planned to visit.
Both trips we have undertaken have exceeded expectation. This last one was absolutely fantastic. Every detail was taken care of and we didn't have to worry about anything. All we had to do was pack our bags, turn up at the airport and have the time of our lives.
All three camps were exceptional - I do believe that we chose the best. Staff were efficient, friendly and did everything they could to make our stay very enjoyable. Meals were comparable to good city restaurants which is remarkable considering the logistics of getting supplies.
Expert Africa is the only company I have ever come across that gives travellers a card with Staff emergency telephone numbers. This reflects the care that the company takes to ensure that clients have the best possible service. I wouldn't travel to Africa with any other company.
Thanks everyone - we had a wonderful time. We hope to return." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 11 on a Zambia safari
I like the fact that we can talk to a member of staff with first hand experience of the lodges we planned to visit.
Both trips we have undertaken have exceeded expectation. This last one was absolutely fantastic. Every detail was taken care of and we didn't have to worry about anything. All we had to do was pack our bags, turn up at the airport and have the time of our lives.
All three camps were exceptional - I do believe that we chose the best. Staff were efficient, friendly and did everything they could to make our stay very enjoyable. Meals were comparable to good city restaurants which is remarkable considering the logistics of getting supplies.
Expert Africa is the only company I have ever come across that gives travellers a card with Staff emergency telephone numbers. This reflects the care that the company takes to ensure that clients have the best possible service. I wouldn't travel to Africa with any other company.
Thanks everyone - we had a wonderful time. We hope to return." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 11 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Mr E
Berkeley
"Zambia Safari"
I visited Zambia and 1 other country between 17 Jun 2011 and 3 Jul 2011
"The trip overall was quite good. There were a few bumps, but they were resolved without too much trouble. I think the camps in South Luangwa were uniformly excellent, and I got good value for the time of year that I went (June). Lower Zambezi was excellent - I think this is a truly beautiful area for safari. Unfortunately, my game viewing was as good as I would hope, but I can't fault the camp or the guides for that. The river activities provide an great change of pace.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
My only suggestion would be to perhaps provide an alternate way of contacting Expert Africa while traveling. Perhaps, a skype number? I mention this because I had to use my mobile phone to contact Expert Africa during my travel due to a misconnect at JNB, and the roaming charges and long distance charges can add up rather quickly. My mobile phone contract in the US charges me whether I send or receive unlike many European contracts, so I had to pay for every minute used. In retrospect, I probably should have asked to correspond via e-mail since I had free internet access in the South African Airways business class lounge.
Also, it was great that you provided me the contact information in your packet, but it would also be a good idea to provide instructions on who to call and when if anything should go wrong during the trip. It seems like you've got representatives covering all the time zones, but it would be good to identify particular numbers to call for problems." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 14 on a Zambia safari
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
My only suggestion would be to perhaps provide an alternate way of contacting Expert Africa while traveling. Perhaps, a skype number? I mention this because I had to use my mobile phone to contact Expert Africa during my travel due to a misconnect at JNB, and the roaming charges and long distance charges can add up rather quickly. My mobile phone contract in the US charges me whether I send or receive unlike many European contracts, so I had to pay for every minute used. In retrospect, I probably should have asked to correspond via e-mail since I had free internet access in the South African Airways business class lounge.
Also, it was great that you provided me the contact information in your packet, but it would also be a good idea to provide instructions on who to call and when if anything should go wrong during the trip. It seems like you've got representatives covering all the time zones, but it would be good to identify particular numbers to call for problems." Read full review: 16 nights in Africa; 14 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
Dr M & Dr Y
Richmond
"Another great trip with Expert Africa"
I visited Zambia and 1 other country between 15 Jun 2011 and 30 Jun 2011
"We have been lucky enough to travel with expert Africa on four occasions and the service we have received has always been exceptional.
We enjoyed the trip to Malawi and Zambia even more than our previous trips and think the two countries combine very well. A great factor in the success of the holiday was the choice of lodges/camps. The thing that we particularly appreciate is the fact that you can typically deal with one person in the organisation to discuss and plan a trip. The personal knowledge of all the various camps and lodges that the Expert Africa staff have is essential. This was very much the case for this holiday where we were unsure where to stay in the Lower Zambezi and were given specific advice which led us to change the choice of camp to Old Mondoro and we were delighted we did that.
Likewise we were unsure about whether Pumulani was right for us but again specific knowledge of the Lodge within the Expert Africa team reassured us and again this was spot on. As a consequence we stayed in 4 different camps all of which were excellent and complemented each other perfectly.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
As before the connections, pick ups etc all worked perfectly and the only minor difficulty we had was connecting to the flight to Jeki in Lusaka airport as the flight was not on the Proflight list or display board as it was a charter and they did not seem to know exactly where we should go but this was resolved very quickly by another member of staff. I am afraid I cannot add anything more constructive as all went so well - thanks for another excellent trip.
Particular thanks to Maruska who was great." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zambia safari
We enjoyed the trip to Malawi and Zambia even more than our previous trips and think the two countries combine very well. A great factor in the success of the holiday was the choice of lodges/camps. The thing that we particularly appreciate is the fact that you can typically deal with one person in the organisation to discuss and plan a trip. The personal knowledge of all the various camps and lodges that the Expert Africa staff have is essential. This was very much the case for this holiday where we were unsure where to stay in the Lower Zambezi and were given specific advice which led us to change the choice of camp to Old Mondoro and we were delighted we did that.
Likewise we were unsure about whether Pumulani was right for us but again specific knowledge of the Lodge within the Expert Africa team reassured us and again this was spot on. As a consequence we stayed in 4 different camps all of which were excellent and complemented each other perfectly.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
As before the connections, pick ups etc all worked perfectly and the only minor difficulty we had was connecting to the flight to Jeki in Lusaka airport as the flight was not on the Proflight list or display board as it was a charter and they did not seem to know exactly where we should go but this was resolved very quickly by another member of staff. I am afraid I cannot add anything more constructive as all went so well - thanks for another excellent trip.
Particular thanks to Maruska who was great." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 10 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
G & G
Glasgow
"Double 40th birthday trip to Zambia"
I visited Zambia between 6 May 2011 and 16 May 2011
"We were aware that May can sometimes be a bit early in the dry season as the wildlife can still be spread-out and the bush lush but you can't shift your birthdays!
Zambia though offers a wide range of National Parks and spread of activities so the plan was to visit Lower Zambezi NP for the first time, South Luangwa which we'd really enjoyed before and finally get to Vic Falls. It turned out better than we hoped - camps great with wonderful views over the rivers, excellent knowledgeable guides and some really good sightings.
A few game drives were pretty quiet but more than made up for by some of the boat/canoeing outings. The camps set up some lovely touches for our birthdays too. The whole holiday including logistics between Parks went seamlessly and Claire Scott organised another great trip for us.
Looking forward to planning the next one!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
no" Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zambia safari
Zambia though offers a wide range of National Parks and spread of activities so the plan was to visit Lower Zambezi NP for the first time, South Luangwa which we'd really enjoyed before and finally get to Vic Falls. It turned out better than we hoped - camps great with wonderful views over the rivers, excellent knowledgeable guides and some really good sightings.
A few game drives were pretty quiet but more than made up for by some of the boat/canoeing outings. The camps set up some lovely touches for our birthdays too. The whole holiday including logistics between Parks went seamlessly and Claire Scott organised another great trip for us.
Looking forward to planning the next one!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
no" Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Zambia safari
Overall trip
Excellent
365
reviews of Lower Zambezi by travellers since August 2007
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Inspire meWhere 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.
