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
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"Great experience would love to go back"
The accommodation, setting, service and food was excellent and the enthusiasm of all of the team was really great. The idea of having three activities a day is really good as it minimises the downtime. The hides are a great idea although it is a slight pity that you can't just pop into them.
The night drives were good as were the low density of people and camera equipped vehicles." See all these reviews: 6n in Zambia; 6n in Malawi
"Superb game drives & outstanding hosting"
They have a terrific support team in Ruth and the local staff, who have also perfected the knack of anticipating your needs. A marvellous team who make you feel most welcome, and who go beyond expectations to ensure your enjoyment and satisfaction.
The food here was excellent, the best out of all the camps I visited. And they are one of the few camps to serve a true brunch.
Terrific game drives, in well-equipped vehicles, complemented the fantastic service provided in camp." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia; 7n in Botswana; 5n in Tanzania; 1n in South Africa
"Kaingo - great camp to start with"
We lucked out getting Andrew as our guide. What a passionate guy. He truly loves his country and wildlife and is so knowledgeable - he certainly made the holiday memorable. All the other guides were also very friendly and knowledgable.
My only criticism would be the evening meal. The portion sizes were far too big! Brunch was much better as it was buffet style, but I think a lot of food was potentially wasted on the evening meals. The food itself was delicious, just far too much of it.
It was a great camp for the introduction to South Luangwa." See all these reviews: 12n in Zambia
"Kaingo Camp"
We didn't realise until we were at the next camp that Kaingo translates to 'leopard', and yes we had some great sightings of these beautiful creatures.
A really charming camp with a very friendly and helpful team." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
"Great safari at Kaingo."
The camp hosts, Garth and Liz, were extremely helpful and gave the camp a very relaxed feel.
Our room was lovely with the deck overlooking the river being a real bonus.
The food was excellent here.
We were lucky enough to have the head guide, Patrick, whose knowledge of the bush is second to none.
We had amazing sightings of Leopard every day, with many sightings of large prides of Lion.
We were also lucky to see a pack of Wild Dogs having a tussle with a Hyena over a Puku kill.
We went on a three hour walk with him to get to the next camp, Mwamba , during which we had sightings of many animals and birds, including Lion which felt very special.
It was a wonderful camp to visit." See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia
"Kaingo camp July 16"
Nothing was too much trouble for the staff- in particular my guide Sandy who was full of information and expertise. The food was so good I began to worry whether I'd still fit in my clothes at the end of the stay! This has to be the best place in the world for leopard viewings, and everything else too from wild dogs to eagles.
I couldn't recommend this place highly enough, and hope to go back next year." See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia
"Kaingo Camp review"
A quick greet and we were off on the first of many trips, going to the Hippo hide immediately as requested - the main point of the whole exercise. After that the 4 days passed in a whirl of painter dogs, lions, leopards etc. interspersed with good food with brilliant guides.
A wonderful place to spend 4 days." See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia
"Fabulous stay at Kaingo"
We were very impressed by our guide Sylvester. He would read the tracks in the dust of the road and off we would go - and there would be the wild dogs or the lion pride! The game is plentiful around Kaingo but it still requires a high degree of skill to locate 5 leopards in a day. Highlights of the game viewing were a pride of lions hunting buffalo and a leopard exploding from a gully in an effort to bring down an impala. One day I went on walking safari with Sylvester while my companion, Gina, went on a drive. On the walk with Sylvester and the ranger Peter, I witnessed wild dogs hunting. Down on one knee taking pictures, the dogs raced by about 5 metres away.
We had selected Kaingo for two reasons. First was the focus on photography. Kaingo really shines in this aspect! There were bean bag lens rests in each vehicle and dustcovers were provided. The guides are all terrific photographers and shared their knowledge, as did other guests. Second, we wanted to support an owner-run independent camp. Derek's family has been involved in developing and protecting South Luangwa for many years. Kaingo camp was obviously designed to minimize impact. While everyone spoke highly of Derek, we were surprised to learn that he and Jules live in Lusaka and are not at the camp full time. Re-reading the Expert Africa webpage on Kaingo, it notes that Derek often helps out with guiding. Perhaps this should be updated.
Kaingo camp offers lovely accommodation in chalets, each with a private deck overlooking the river. The outdoor bathtub felt a bit excessive but others visiting the camp might really enjoy that kind of amenity. The food was excellent and Kaingo catered to people's dietary needs with grace and ease.
We would highly recommend Kaingo, particularly for serious photographers." See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia; 4n in Seychelles; 1n in South Africa
"Kaingo Camp review"
In our opinion Kaingo is the best location in the area and this must be a view shared by many other guests as we have never seen so many photographers with "serious photo kit" at a camp before. The explanation for this lies in the camp having constructed 5 separate hides to enable photographers to get close to their subjects and the fact that the river and its banks provide an excellent backdrop for many photos. Having reviewed our photos we can only confirm that this is an excellent photographic environment.
The camp is well run and operates in a flexible way so that guest preferences for activities can be organised to suit. There is always plenty to do.
The rooms are of a standard which is common to camps in the area.
Food is varied with much supplied from the camp's farm on the outskirts of Mfuwe. The standard is good - one must remember that this is a wildlife safari and not a gastronomic tour.
We can highly recommend this Camp and hope to return very soon" See all these reviews: 9n in Zimbabwe; 8n in Zambia
"Our favourite camp"
The game drives and hide visits were wonderful and we were accompanied throughout by a superb guide, Sylvester, and spotters" See all these reviews: 11n in Zambia
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