Reviews of Kaingo Camp
Wildlife sightings and reviews
222 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
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"Kaingo Camp review"
Being located right on the river and the surrounding wildlife density, gave us a feeling of being in nature 24/7, rather than simply observing it at drive times. To this point, Kaingo accommodation is extremely comfortable and is also right in the nature experience, so don't expect boardwalks or TV and tea facilities in the room etc, as being so close to nature is exactly what makes this a magical place.
The 2 photography hides are very well located and having an additional private viewing deck of the Luangwa River attached to each suite provided maximum photography opportunities.
Our guide team Elias, Benson and Peter were exceptional. Mary, Ben, Catherine and Simon took great care of all our creature comforts.
Located quite close to Lion Camp, so safari drives will cover similar areas." See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia; 7n in Zambia; 5n in Rwanda; 1n in South Africa
"Kaingo Camp review"
"Luxury in the bush!"
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
"Kaingo Camp review"
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
"Spectacular camp and wildlife sightings"
"Kaingo Camp review"
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
"Kaingo Camp review"
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
Firstly, the guide had informed the managers of the planned route for their walk and organised the rendezvous correctly. However, when he first radioed for a pick-up, the message was received by Kaingo, but not passed on as it should have been. When their guide radioed a second time, on arrival at the rendezvous point, poor radio reception caused the message to be garbled, and hence the vehicle was further delayed before it finally arrived. The camp has put additional training in place to double-down on this for the future.
This shouldn’t have happened, and we apologise most profusely to these travellers.
Fortunately, had the situation been more serious or urgent, then there are two more extreme steps that would have been taken – which would have alerted more people and brought help immediately. Fortunately there wasn’t a major emergency, and these weren’t needed.
"Kaingo Camp review"
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
"Had a great time!"
"Luxury by the river"
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
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