Reviews of Shoebill Island Camp

"This camp is located in the unique environment of the Bangweulu Wetlands. The tents are comfortable and have attached bathrooms with hot running water and WC. We stayed in a tent on the water-view side. The dining room/lounge is quite large and open air with little decoration. Staff was quite friendly and eager to please.

We did manage to see a shoebill among the reed and papyrus-filled swamp. The polers had to work very hard to get our boat through the narrow, and sometimes very shallow, waterways. We also saw thousands of black lechwe, hundreds of tsesebe, and several endemic bird species.

There were many fires all over the area, some of which so close to camp that we could hear crackling, and the smoke was everywhere. The fires are set by the local people to enrich the soil and encourage the growth of new grass, but they can be unpleasant for visitors." See all these reviews: 19n in Zambia; 1n in South Africa

"A stunning place especially for birdlife, we saw over 50 different species and we are not expert birders! Including of course the amazing shoebill - we were lucky enough to see 2. The flight in over the wetlands is just incredible seeing the thousands of Lechwe.

Unfortunately we did hear some gunshots at night and our guide Lewis reported it to the scouts in the area.

Lewis our guide here was extremely knowledgeable about the birdlife having grown up in the area." See all these reviews: 12n in Zambia; 1n in South Africa

"Our 3 night stay at Shoebill Islands Camp was triggered by a fascinating National Geographic documentary over the Bangweulu Wetlands. Our main focus was of course the unique and spectacular Shoebill, but we also wanted to experience the land where the water meets the sky. We were able to land at the close-by airstrip which had dried out sufficiently by end of May. From there it was a 1.5h boat transfer to the camp.

The camp itself is rather simple and could need a little of work to freshen up, but we understand that the necessary funding has been provided by African Parks. The entire staff were very friendly and accommodating. The food was basic but tasty, and considering the remoteness actually rather good (also the options for vegetarians). The guide and the boat crew knew the birdlife and the little channels very well. In particular the boat paddlers worked tirelessly from sunrise to sunset to ensure that we get to see a Shoebill. It showed that the bird is rather shy and sometimes simply prefers hiding in the reed. While looking for the bird, we passed little fishing villages and narrow channels which when opened to a lagoon covered by hundreds of water lilies. So the rides were very pleasant and interesting even without a Shoebill sighting.

We also had an afternoon drive in drier area of the Bangweulu Wetlands. This area is home of thousands of Black Lechwe, some Zebras and a handful of recently reintroduced Cheetahs. Seeing such large herds of Black Lechwe in the sunset was incredible. The evening turned epic, when a Cheetah brought down a Black Lechwe at close distance from our vehicle. Just unbelievable !

We finally also had a Shoebill sighting. It was a formerly tame one, but at least very photogenic and well performing. So we went home with some lovely Shoebill pics: portrait, walking, nesting, eating Catfish and even flying.

Having said that Shoebill might not be the most comfortable and stylish camp in the world but it takes you to another world. Its a hidden gem in a wilderness area that few know about and even fewer visit. It's probably rather an experience for people head-over-heels in love with Africa." See all these reviews: 13n in Zambia

"High water levels meant that our plane could not land at the nearby airstrip so part of the adventure was a 2.5 hours rough land transfer followed by a lovely 45 minute boat ride. It was interesting to see the villages along the way with loads of children and folks waving hello. Inside the Bangweulu Wetland area was the remarkable site of a huge expanse of flat grassland with thousands of Black Lechwe grazing. Even more amazing was hearing and seeing these handsome animals migrate into the waterways at dark and return to the plains at dawn.

The bird-life was astonishing. Many new species for us including the blue cheeked bee-eater . And of course the Shoebill. We actually saw 8 of them! The high water levels meant that we could boat out into the swamp to look for them, very comfortable for us but a lot of hard work for the strong men who poled the boat. Magical to glide amongst the tall grass and reed islands just filled with interesting birds and ducks. We only had one full day there but it was one of our best ever safari days, one of the most interesting of our lives really. Our guide was Brighton who was just brilliant as he showed us around "his office"

Remote Safaris have just started managing this camp and we were lucky to be accompanied by Nick on our trip. The tents are comfortable, in fact this was the most comfortable bed of our safari. Hot running water and excellent food.Watching the bats fly around in the evening and the lechwe splashing in the water made for a special sundowner. Little touches like the fragrantly scented bath products made this stay feel like real luxury in such a remote place.

The only thing lacking here was an attention to Covid protocol

We felt truly grateful to have visited Shoebill Island Camp." See all these reviews: 16n in Zambia

"Shoebill Island Camp exceeded our expectations and we saw three Shoebills.

We expected the camp to be basic but the tent we had was new, adequately fitted out with a cold but fun bathroom area.

The service we had could not be faulted due to the Boyd. the man with a plan and his welcoming team. we arrived to find the camp was full. There were four very charming and friendly South Koreans film makers and us. We thought that as the Koreans were making a documentary on Zambia we may be overlooked. But the South Koreans were good company and Boyd went out of his way to ensure we got all the activities we wanted.

The food was exceptional home cooking.

The highlight of the activities were the two trips by canoe to find the Shoebills with thousands of birds as a great bonus. Then after spotting Spoonbill locations by climbing trees. we canoed in to the swamps to see them. We saw three, two at ground level and one that took off as we approached. We also enjoyed the drive among the thousands of black lechwe and saw other animals including a sitaunga. The birding walk through the fishing areas was also an amazing experience.

The facilities at the camp were adequate and more than met our expectations but could benefit from a little more investment." See all these reviews: 21n in Zambia

"The staff were great and gave excellent service. Food was simple but good and well cooked and generous in quantity.

They found us shoebills on our second day. The drives and walks were excellent especially for birds. Once again the game was limited but that was expected. Black Lechwe were in abundance and there were a couple of surprises like wild pig and jackal.

On the down side. The camp, while expectedly basic, seemed to be taking basic to new levels. The tents were in need of repairs. e.g. the zips on our tent didn't close properly and I saw another tent with a rip in the front flap. The 'ensuite' toilet and shower were in need of attention. The cement floor was breaking up. The use of the plastic plumbing and the same plastic taps as at Wasa caused me real problems here. These were even stiffer and in the end exacerbated the arthritis in my thumb joints which caused pain for the rest of the trip. The one to the wash basin fell off one time risking running out of water to the toilet as all the water was hand filled into our individual header tank. The lights in the main dining room, lounge hut were led lamps powered from an inadequate solar panel/battery system which ran out on the last night.
This sounds like a major complaint but it isn't. I'm just trying to point out some of the short comings of the camp which I believe could be eradicated by the application of of a little effort and relatively small amount of money." See all these reviews: 12n in Zambia

"The camp is simple but the facilities are quite satisfactory. The food was very good considering how remote the camp is. The manager had only been there a month before we got there. It shows. I think he was more used to people arriving with their own guide. We were the only guests so we were able to make sure we got a knowledgeable guide for the birds and the shoebill trips, but I think if there had been more guests there then we may not have been so well looked after.

There were also problems with water in the bathroom. It was easily sorted out with a room move but again this could have been a problem with a fuller camp.
The shoebill trips are not for the fainthearted! We were lucky enough to see them on both visits but were not really prepared for how difficult it would be to wade out in the swamp area. I took reef shoes which were a great help and perhaps should be recommended to future visitors. It was probably the most unusual safari experience I have been on and I am very glad I went. I would not want to go again however!

Apart from that the other birds on the lake are amazing and the boat trips were very special. Again we had to make sure we had a good birding guide with us." See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia

"Not the normal time to visit this location but we were in the area. Interesting to see the vast dry plains and a chance to get around the area. Huge herds of Black Llechwe and several Hyenas close to the camp. Grass burning everywhere threatened the camp briefly. Very much the end of the season and the camp needs better tents and a bit of TLC and investment!

Almost 2 hour drive to a swamp and much fun wading through was rewarded with 3 Shoebills! Brilliant experience despite the effort and a fairy tale ending when we expected to see nothing! We had been advised that drinks were not included at Wasa or Shoebill island camp under the Kasanka Trust but were told we were on a fully inclusive rate.

The camp staff were excellent and the visit was quite an experience overall" See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia; 6n in Zimbabwe

"In common with, we suspect, the significant majority of visitors there, we went to Bangweulu with a specific objective, ie to see shoebills. With two sightings - one good, one excellent - we came away after our two-night stay well satisfied that we had achieved our goal. The bonuses were: the spectacular wetlands scenery; the literally thousands of black lechwe grazing the grasslands; abundant birdlife in addition to the shoebills (including some notable rarities); and the fascinating dynamic between the wetlands and its wildlife on the one hand and the fishing communities much in evidence there on the other.

Our guide, Webby, and boatmen did an excellent job on our outings into the wetlands; and the chief steward, Paul, looked after us well in the mess tent.

As for the accommodation, meals etc, Shoebill is - as advertised - fairly basic; but that certainly did not detract from our enjoyment of the whole experience." See all these reviews: 12n in Zambia

"Wonderful location and trips by boat and vehicle. We saw three Shoebiills and many other beautiful birds. The meories of gliding in a boat through the water lillies will stay with us for a long time. The tranquil atmosphere may have been even better than usual becasue we were the only guests. Frank, our guide was excellent, finding a Sitatunga very close to the camp and a spotted eagle owl on the island.

The camp staff were also very attentive, the tents were comfortable and hot water available when needed. Food was very good and the supply of hot and cold drinks plentiful.

We had been warned that the landing strip near the camp was not usable, so we had a 60km trip by vehicle in both directions on fairly poor roads, but this gave us the opportunity to see some more of the countryside and the villages. It was interesting to be able to compare them with the much samller fishing villages in the wetlands themselves.

Very relaxing, a great experience." See all these reviews: 14n in Zambia