This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more

Skip to main content

Talk to an expert 1-800-242-2434 Lines now closed

User menu
Kaingo Camp
Kaingo Camp
Kaingo Camp
Kaingo Camp
Kaingo Camp
Kaingo Camp
Kaingo Camp
Kaingo Camp
Kaingo Camp
Kaingo Camp
Kaingo Camp
Kaingo Camp

Reviews of Kaingo Camp

Wildlife sightings and reviews

221 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Kaingo Camp and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in May-2018, 61 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Kaingo Camp.
Lion

98% success

Leopard

98% success

Wild dog

53% success

Elephant

100% success

Giraffe

100% success

Hippo

100% success

Spotted Hyena

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Buffalo

95% success

Wildebeest

80% success

Eland

15% success

Roan antelope

7% success

Sable antelope

2% success

Aardvark

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Showing 31-40 of 221
Duration
Arrival date
Mr & Mrs B
Surrey

"Kaingo Camp review"

2 nights Arrived 26 Jun 2022
"Just 2 nights -restaurant class food and the new rooms are great. Much more game and the camp is lucky enough to have two sets of leopards kittens in the area" See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Good
Sightings Report

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Giraffe

Multiple sightings

Hippo

Multiple sightings

Leopard

Multiple sightings

Lion

Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Mr T
Bangkok

"Luxury in the bush!"

3 nights Arrived 20 Jun 2022
"Not really 'luxury', but Kaingo easily is the most comfortable room we had in this trip.

Room is nicely decorated and spacious with indoor shower and outdoor bath. There is a private balcony with river views - very lovely to sit down and watch hippos, birds, etc during siesta. Food was so delicious and well prepared.

We had Sylvester as our guide (also at Mwamba) for the whole week and we could not have asked for more. He is so good at tracking/spotting wildlife, explaining and telling story. We have seen pretty much everything there is to see except the wild dogs which were not in the area during our visit. We enjoyed his accompany also during lunch/dinner and sundowners.

The only slight disappointment is that some animals such as lions and buffalos were more in-land as there were still plenty of water sources away from the river. But with such a great guide, I don't think it has affected our experience as we still saw so many wildlife. Birds sightings were excellent and we are not even much into birds." See all these reviews: 14n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

2 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

6 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

8 sightings

Lion

1 sighting

Spotted Hyena

3 sightings

Wildebeest

2 sightings

Zebra

5 sightings

Western
Alberta

"Kaingo Camp review"

3 nights Arrived 20 Sep 2021
"I had high expectations of Shenton Safaris and their camps based upon pre-trip research, and they really delivered! I stayed at 4 camps in SLNP, and 1 in LZNP over 13 days, and Kaingo was overall tops, given my focus on wildlife / photography, and extensive prior safari expertise.

I stayed here 3 days followed by 2 days at sister camp Mwamba, which seemed like an excellent combination. I would recommend staying at both, with 5 days total a minimum. An additional day or two at each would have been welcome as well.

Kaingo is a beautiful camp along the river bank, high end, but without being over the top. Guiding was excellent, which make this and sister camp Mwamba about 10 km away an excellent choice and combination for seasoned safari travellers, and wildlife / photography enthusiasts. Derek was in camp during my stay and we had a nice chat.

Kaingo has an in-river floating hide overlooking a carmine bee-eater nesting area in the river bank, very active in September/October nesting period. The hippos were further out in the river with water levels being higher this year, and therefore we didn't use the Hippo Hide. We also didn't access the Wild Dog Lagoon hide, which may have been dry this late in the season.

There is also a raised platform Elephant Hide nearby where you can pre-book to sleep overnight at extra expense, and I've heard good things about it. If you are looking for that sort of experience, this is likely preferable for various reasons to the overnight platform at Mwamba Camp.

Vehicles were open, full width bench seats to move back and forth, lots of adjustable camera supports, dust cloths to cover camera gear while driving, etc. Shenton guides do a good job of sharing sightings and working together to the benefit of the guests.

Kaingo had amazing five star food thanks to chef Catherine and team. There is wifi, but only in the camp back office area, a short walk away, and which you may be allowed to access upon request during daylight hours for a quick upload/download. This seemed like an ideal solution in providing needed but brief connectivity, while also not distracting or intruding upon the wilderness experience.

I also stayed 5 days at Time & Tide camps (Mchenja and Nsolo) in this same North Mfuwe sector, and they were good for various reasons, but also different. The vehicles seating and enclosure were less suitable for photography, and other than a beanbag or two, were not similarly equipped for photographers. There were no hides, and the guiding while good, was not to the high Shenton standard. More suited to newer safari travellers." See all these reviews: 6n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

5 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

3 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

2 sightings

Lion

5 sightings

Spotted Hyena

2 sightings

Wildebeest

2 sightings

Zebra

2 sightings

Mrs E
Yardley, PA, US

"Spectacular camp and wildlife sightings"

5 nights Arrived 13 Aug 2021
"My eighth trip to Kaingo is a testament to how much I love this place. The camp itself overlooks the Luangwa River and each chalet has it's own viewing deck above the river. The remodeled chalets are tastefully decorated and very comfortable. Wildlife sightings and guiding here are just the best! Multiple sightings of various predators in one day are not uncommon. Food prepared by Chef Catherine and her staff is unusual, inventive, varied, and delicious. The guides know the behaviours of many individual leopards and lion prides and put you at the right place at the right time to optimize your viewing and photography." See all these reviews: 19n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

9 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

2 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

6 sightings

Lion

9 sightings

Spotted Hyena

5 sightings

Zebra

8 sightings

Ms B and Mr C
Montana

"Kaingo Camp review"

4 nights Arrived 9 Jun 2021
"Not only were we greeted by the welcoming staff, we had an elephant come and sniff us as we relaxed on our lovely private deck overlooking the river! The room had a solid comfortable feel, very comfortable and inviting. there is a private deck with a bathtub where the cheeky monkeys came and stole a necklace of glass beads (part of an artwork display) to try and decorate themselves with, lots of fun. We enjoyed that the wildlife which wandered in to camp was accepted with a sense of inclusion, not to be feared. It made this beautiful remote camp feel at home in the remote bush of South Luangwa. Our guide was Sly (Sylvester) and he was so personable and just excellent. Here we saw the handsome wildebeest species which is endemic here, what a good looking animal..We spotted so many birds! We especially enjoyed 2 evening/night drives with a Mama Leopard whose tiny babies were stashed in a tree.. We never saw them but hearing them mew when mom climbed in was so satisfying. We appreciated that Sly was able to follow the leopard over some distance back to the tree on the second evening sighting to see if the cubs would appear. It is a highlight to patiently watch one animal's behavior. Sly's experience with photography was apprciated greatly..
We enjoyed meeting Derek the camp's founder and being able to chat with folks on the wonderful waterside main deck. Livvie the new camp manager, Gerard looked after us well. Very supportive when our return flight on Emirates was cancelled and we had to make arrangements to return home.
Food was prepared with enthusiasm by Catherine and some delicious meals were enjoyed. especially loved our surprise bush brunch by the river!
We did not get to stay at Mwamba but we did get a tour of the camp and it looked like it would be excellent during lower water levels when animals would gather just outside the rooms." See all these reviews: 16n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

2 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

3 sightings

Lion

1 sighting

Spotted Hyena

8 sightings

Wildebeest

1 sighting

Zebra

10 sightings

Peter
Oxfordshire

"Kaingo Camp review"

4 nights Arrived 30 Sep 2019
"Kaingo is a very special place - in comparison to Kwandwe it is much more remote and a Camp inside a national park. We really enjoyed Zambia and our time in Kaingo.

on our penultimate day we decided to have a walking safari in the morning. This was well worth it - despite some nerves at the beginning. We all learnt a lot from Sandy on all our drives but also the walking safari. I feel i need to raise one issue though - at the end of the walking safari we were due to meet our car at an agreed location. Due to a misunderstanding the car was not there and our guide Sandy had difficulty in getting a response from the Camp on his radio. It seemed like a long time standing and waiting but it probably wasn't that long. What surprised me though was the way the camp office reacted. Surely they must have standard operating procedures - especially on walking safaris?

What if one of us had fallen and broken a bone - or had a heart attack? Being on foot rather than the car creates additional risk that I didn't feel the camp recognised" See all these reviews: 6n in Zambia; 3n in South Africa
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Good
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mrs S
London

"Kaingo Camp review"

3 nights Arrived 21 Sep 2019
"Kaingo is well situated on the Luangwa River - benefiting from beautiful views and some amazing sitings from the comfort of your very own private deck (every room has one!). Their staff are one of their greatest assets. Everyone we met was so welcoming and friendly, really making you feel at home. A special shout out to Joseph and Stephen who must have the biggest smiles on the planet and are always ready with a cool towel and a glass of wine just when you need it!

The game viewing is exceptional in the South Luangwa - lions, leopards, hippos, elephants, giraffes, civet, genet, porcupines, and some of the most stunning zebra you'll find anywhere. There were a few occasions where the park felt a little too busy, especially on the evening drives when the headlights of competing vehicles are a distraction, but it's a stunning safari location and caters to photographers especially well.

We found the food a little too fussy for our tastes, but we're probably in the minority, and the chef here does a great job of catering to different dietary requirements." See all these reviews: 8n in Zanzibar; 7n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

3 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

5 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

2 sightings

Lion

10 sightings

Spotted Hyena

5 sightings

Wildebeest

6 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

B & G
California

"Had a great time!"

4 nights Arrived 20 Sep 2019
"We loved staying at Kaingo camp! We thought everything about it was wonderful – – the room, the food, the extremely friendly and helpful staff, our great guide, Sandy. The game drives were great and we saw lots of lions and some leopards in addition to the usual suspects—giraffes, kudu, zebra, elephant, etc. The hippo hide and the bird hide were both amazing and a real addition to our experience. We found the scenery in South Luangwa to be particularly beautiful in a haunting African way. We would recommend this camp to anyone." See all these reviews: 12n in Zambia; 4n in Malawi
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mrs S
NZ

"Luxury by the river"

2 nights Arrived 16 Jul 2019
"Again, I was greeted as an old friend. Kaingo ensures that nothing is left undone. Every detail has been thought of by the management and staff, and our every need was attended to. Having photography advice on hand was much appreciated by my elder daughter.

Our 'picnic' lunch out was an absolute treat, and our final meal together on the verandah of our beautiful accommodation was just the most exquisite way to end our special family holiday. Thank you.

Special mention has to go to the wonderful chef who bent over backwards to find my granddaughter's taste buds. The quiche sent for our picnic at the airport hit the spot perfectly. Thank you." See all these reviews: 5n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

2 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

3 sightings

Lion

3 sightings

Spotted Hyena

2 sightings

Wildebeest

1 sighting

Zebra

10 sightings

Donaldsons
ADK, NY

"Kaingo Camp review"

2 nights Arrived 28 Jun 2019
"Kaingo again (this was our second visit) exceeded expectations.

The accommodations are really quite excellent, the guides very qualified. Be prepared for in-camp wildlife, including baboons, hippos and, in our case, a friendly (?) elephant. The food was excellent....top quality. The staff was uniformly friendly and helpful. The common space is really extremely nice...as is the new (to us) waterside deck. Overall, a really great experience.

Only negative was availability....we would have chosen to stay 3 nights but only two were available.

Highly recommended." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

1 sighting

Elephant

1 sighting

Giraffe

1 sighting

Hippo

1 sighting

Leopard

1 sighting

Lion

1 sighting

Spotted Hyena

1 sighting

Wild dog

1 sighting

Zebra

1 sighting

Showing 31-40 of 221
97%
221 reviews of Kaingo Camp by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
193
24
2
2
0
Filter by month

Holiday styles & special interests in Zambia

From birdwatching breaks to walking holidays, find great ideas for your trip in Zambia.


Birdwatching

Birdwatching

Diverse habitats, discreet hides and superb guiding.

Cultural experiences

Cultural experiences

Get an insight into Africa's cultures and history.

Family holidays

Family holidays

Hand-picked camps for an incredible family safari.

Honeymoons

Honeymoons

Romantic safaris and castaway island retreats.

Luxury

Luxury

First-class service, scenic vistas and unparalleled comfort await you during these carefully selected luxury holidays. 

Photography holidays

Photography holidays

Great holidays to suit the keen photographer.

Private villas & houses

Private villas & houses

Enjoy Africa with just your friends & family

Riding holidays

Riding holidays

Explore Africa's wilderness on horseback.

Solo Travel

Solo Travel

Trip ideas ideally suited for a solo traveller.

Walking

Walking

Explore Africa's most scenic trails on foot.

Walking safaris

Walking safaris

Explore Africa's untouched wildernesses on foot.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing

Wellness escapes in stunning locations

Wildlife safaris

Wildlife safaris

These trips include hard-hitting game and fascinatingly elusive species alike, as well as superb guiding and a variety of diverse ecosystems.

Other lodges in South Luangwa National Park

Alternative places to stay in this same area.


Tafika

Tafika

One of the best camps in Zambia, Tafika is naturally built, combining excellent service and food with top guiding skills for a superb wildlife experience.


98% (340 reviews)
Nkwali

Nkwali

On the banks of the Luangwa River, with its own access to the national park, the intimate Nkwali is open year round.


97% (252 reviews)
Nsefu

Nsefu

One of the Luangwa's oldest camps, Nsefu is a great safari camp in a remote, beautiful and game-rich location with top-rate guiding.


98% (203 reviews)
Mwamba Bushcamp

Mwamba Bushcamp

Small, remote and owner-run, Mwamba offers first-class walking, 4WD safari drives and superb hides, with excellent guides and a real bush feel.


99% (160 reviews)
Tena Tena

Tena Tena

One of the Luangwa's best camps, in a beautiful, remote bush location, Tena Tena is very small, exceedingly well-run and has top-rate guiding.


95% (160 reviews)
Chikoko Tree Camp

Chikoko Tree Camp

Chikoko Tree Camp is an excellent small, rustic bushcamp that concentrates on walking safaris, and is run by a top-quality operation.


99% (126 reviews)
Big Lagoon Camp

Big Lagoon Camp

Big Lagoon Camp is a great little rustic bushcamp built to high standards that focuses on excellent walking safaris, with the emphasis on top wildlife guides.


98% (101 reviews)
Luangwa River Camp

Luangwa River Camp

Luangwa River Lodge is a small and consciously stylish lodge in the Mfuwe area, overlooking the Luangwa River and the South Luangwa National Park beyond – an area renowned for great game.


97% (82 reviews)
Flatdogs Camp

Flatdogs Camp

A relatively big safari camp, Flatdogs offers value for money with great guiding and good food in a comfortable, relaxed setting.


98% (78 reviews)
Kapani Lodge

Kapani Lodge

Kapani Lodge is now the main office base for Norman Carr Safaris, one of the Luangwa's oldest safari operations.


95% (78 reviews)
Mchenja Bushcamp

Mchenja Bushcamp

Set in a shady ebony grove on the banks of the Luangwa, Mchenja is a smart tented bushcamp. It combines well with Kakuli and Nsolo – its sister camps with a focus on walking safaris.


98% (71 reviews)
Kakuli Bushcamp

Kakuli Bushcamp

Beside the Luangwa River, Kakuli is a comfortable tented bushcamp offering 4WD safaris and walking safaris – the best of which are camp-to-camp walks linking Kakuli with its nearby sister camps.


97% (66 reviews)
Nsolo Bushcamp

Nsolo Bushcamp

Nsolo is a small, comfortable bushcamp overlooking one or two pools in the usually dry Luwi riverbed. It concentrates on walking safaris in an interesting and diverse area, led by a knowledgeable guide.


97% (55 reviews)
Kafunta River Lodge

Kafunta River Lodge

Kafunta is a laid-back, friendly and good-value lodge on the outskirts of South Luangwa National Park.


96% (45 reviews)
Luwi Bushcamp

Luwi Bushcamp

In a remote part of the South Luangwa National Park, Luwi is a rustic bushcamp whose emphasis is on walking safaris with great guiding and a chance of seeing some rarely seen and elusive antelope.


93% (39 reviews)
Robin Pope Safaris bush-camp

Robin Pope bush-camp

RPS bushcamping in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia


99% (30 reviews)
Lion Camp

Lion Camp

Lion Camp is an established and comfortable camp with a swimming pool, located near to the game-rich Lion Plain in the northern part of South Luangwa National Park.


95% (30 reviews)
Robin Pope Safaris Mobile Safari Camp

Robin Pope mobile

RPS mobile safari camps are at the heart of their set-itinerary walking safaris in South Luangwa National Park, which start and finish at a permanent camp.


98% (25 reviews)
Puku Ridge

Puku Ridge

Puku Ridge is a luxurious designer camp set in a stunning location, high on a hill overlooking a floodplain within South Luangwa. Explore from here on 4WD safaris and walks.


96% (23 reviews)
Kapamba Bushcamp

Kapamba Bushcamp

In the remote far south of South Luangwa National Park, Kapamba is a small and very comfortable bushcamp offering good walks and game drives.


95% (20 reviews)
Mfuwe Lodge

Mfuwe Lodge

In a game-rich area close to the South Luangwa’s main Mfuwe Gate, Mfuwe Lodge is relatively large by park standards, but it’s stylish, modern and family friendly.


95% (19 reviews)
Kuyenda Bushcamp

Kuyenda Bushcamp

Kuyenda Bushcamp is a classic bushcamp with particularly delightful hosts and offers top-class walking safaris in South Luangwa National Park.


99% (16 reviews)
Luangwa Safari House

Luangwa Safari House

Luangwa Safari House is a vast and very smart four-bedroom house specifically designed for families and small groups, and offering an exclusive and flexible safari experience.


100% (14 reviews)
Three Rivers Camp

Three Rivers Camp

In the remote far south of South Luangwa National Park, Three Rivers Lodge sits at the confluence of three of the valleys rivers.


95% (13 reviews)
Island Bush Camp

Island Bush Camp

Island Bushcamp is a good-value, rustic, walking-only camp, in arguably one of the most remote parts of the South Luangwa, well away from all other camps.


100% (13 reviews)
Bilimungwe Bushcamp

Bilimungwe Bushcamp

A smart bushcamp with four very spacious chalets, Bilimungwe offers interesting walking safaris in pretty riverine woodland, as well as day and night safari drives.


95% (13 reviews)
Chinzombo

Chinzombo

Opened in early June 2013, Chinzombo offers luxurious and stylish accommodation with very high levels of service and excellent guiding.


98% (13 reviews)
Chindeni

Chindeni

Chindeni Bushcamp is a very modern and minimalist camp, which is a far cry from your traditional bushcamp and unlike most of the other camps in South Luangwa.


97% (12 reviews)
Robin's House

Robin's House

With your own expert guide, private vehicle, chef and valet, the two-bedroom Robin's House offers an exclusive, flexible safari experience – and is open year round.


95% (11 reviews)
Kawaza Village

Kawaza Village

Kawaza Village – beside the South Luangwa National Park, offers guests the rare opportunity to appreciate local village life. Visit for a few hours or stay overnight.


95% (11 reviews)
Chamilandu Bushcamp

Chamilandu Bushcamp

A comfortable little bushcamp, Chamilandu has a picturesque setting by the Luangwa River, in an area with a range of habitats to explore on foot and by 4WD.


100% (6 reviews)
Mwamba Camp-out

Mwamba Camp-out

The Mwamba-Camp Out allows you to have an incredibly adventurous night in the bush, sleeping under mosquito nets with activities led by some of the best guides in Zambia.


92% (5 reviews)
Zungulila

Zungulila

Zungulila is a small, comfortable tented bushcamp with an emphasis on walking safaris, in the remote southern section of the South Luangwa.


93% (3 reviews)
Shawa Luangwa Camp

Shawa Luangwa

Opened in June 2021, Shawa Luangwa Camp is a small, intimate and rustic camp, with a good location in a remote section of the South Luangwa National Park.


93% (3 reviews)
Luwi Riverbed Sleepout

Luwi Riverbed Sleepout

For an adventurous night in South Luangwa National Park, come and sleep out in the bush, around a campfire, with an experienced guide and game scout.


100% (2 reviews)
Chichele Presidential Lodge

Chichele Lodge

Currently in the final stages of an extensive rebuild, Chichele Presidential Lodge stands high within the park, with superb views, and is due to reopen in early 2025.


100% (1 review)
Chikunto Safari Lodge

Chikunto

Chikunto Safari Lodge is a more traditional property in the South Luangwa National Park, sitting on a peninsula of land created by the meandering Luangwa River.


No reviews yet

Login to Expert Africa

Sign in with password

Sign in with email link


New to Expert Africa? Create an account

Forgotten your details?

It's free & quick to set up

  • Save your wish-list
  • Send us an enquiry
  • Pay online for your trip
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Give us feedback on your trip
  • Full site benefits of the site

Need some help? Talk to our team

Newsletter background

Stay in the know with Expert Africa

Join our newsletter. Get the latest on new camps and lodges, insights from our team, uplifting conservation stories and more...

A few more details and you're subscribed

Thanks!

Almost there! We've sent you an email to confirm your subscription. Just click on the link and you'll soon be receiving our newsletter in your inbox.

In the meantime, take a look at our previous Bush Telegraph newsletters.
Africa