Reviews of Lion Camp
Wildlife sightings and reviews
30 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Lion Camp and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
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"Lion Camp review"
The location is superb - we did the transfer from Mfuwe airport in 1hr 50 mins both ways (as they now use closed vehicles rather than safari vehicles) and 3/4 of this is driving in the national park, so you do see game. The camp benefits from being far from the main gate as you rarely see any other vehicles when driving/watching game. The location feels really wild and the variety of game we saw was amazing (even for repeat safari goers). We had more than one predator sighting every day, sometimes 3 or 4. We saw several animals more rarely seen such as a serval and civets. The pool near the camp and the waterhole ensure a huge variety of birdlife. Our guide, Donald, was experienced, a great guide and a good laugh. We did a beautiful walk when we saw a wild dog pair and also tracked (by footprints/drag marks) a hyena dragging a kill back to its den.
The camp overlooks a waterhole with a resident hippo and various visiting game. The main area is stylish with a lovely small swimming pool and sweeping views. Our room (upgraded to the honeymoon suite) was beautiful, huge and very comfortable with every amenity you could ask for. Upon arrival we were greeted with one of the camp locals, an elephant called Charlie standing right next to our (luckily raised) balcony.
The food was delicious and we really liked that it was lighter than in some camps with salads for lunch (though they were very accommodating and would cook anything if you weren't a fan of what was on the menu or swap out as we did by swapping pudding for fresh fruit).
When we were there it was too hot for the fire in the central pit to be lit, but it would be nice to have some central focal point as dining is at separate tables, so there's little interaction with the other guests other than those in your vehicle.
Highly recommended." See all these reviews: 11n in Zambia
"Lion Camp review"
A very good choice for both experienced and novice safari goers." See all these reviews: 13n in Zambia
"Perfect safari experience"
Our room was the honeymoon suite which was extremely well appointed including a tea/ coffee station and fridge. On a practical note, it was great to have a hairdryer and a well lit bathroom! There was also an additional outside ‘star bed’ and an outdoor bath. Looking at the stars through our mosquito net as bats zoomed around, and with all the sounds of the African night was an absolutely magical experience, and we slept soundly! The indoor bed was wonderfully comfortable and the evening breeze cooling system was very effective and much less intrusive than air con.
Our knowledgable guide Mukupa and his 'co pilot' Peter were excellent at spotting, tracking and showing us the plentiful wildlife of the South Luangwa. We were keen to see as diverse a range of creatures as possible, including birds, and Mukupa made sure to point out everything, carefully positioning the vehicle for the best views and photo opportunities.
We saw many lions, as well as leopards, hippos, crocodiles, elephants and numerous species of antelope. In addition, we saw wildebeest, giraffe and zebra, as well as honey badgers, civets, genets, porcupine, mongooses and a serval. There were many species of birds, including a great sighting of a martial eagle with prey.
As well as game drives we did a walking safari, which we found fascinating, and an exhilarating way to get even closer to nature and learn even more about the flora and fauna of the region.
The managers, Vicky and Wayne, were most welcoming and very hands on. Together with their amazing team they have created a very special place that manages to combine the highest standards of hospitality with an informal, friendly and relaxed atmosphere. It was perfect!" See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia
"Lion Camp review"
The largest and most spacious lodge building we have experienced in 5 Zambia trips, stylish too, indoor fire pit for evening chat is appealing. All rooms (huge) elevated on stilts with excellent balconies above a narrow lagoon with animals visiting not far away. We had the luxury suite (!) so spent one night on the roof sleeping under stars and net. Small but clean and good swimming pool refreshing. Small shop has a few attractive items to buy.
The food was superb, with some choices available (Vicky was a chef). Sorry to be staying only 2 nights not 3, luxurious.
We saw only cars from Lion Camp in this northern area - no others, which is welcome. Being sited in the park, immediate access each drive." See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia
"Amazing!"
"Lion Camp review"
Our wildlife viewing experience while at Lion Camp was spectacular. We enjoyed lion and leopard sightings each day we were at Lion Camp. In fact, at 3 of our 5 dinners at Lion Camp we had lions walk by the patio where we sat. Our tented suite at Lion Camp was amazing in every detail. The wonderful king size bed was amazingly comfortable. The bed included a miraculous overhead air conditioning system that kept us quite comfortable as we slept. The in-suite shower was wonderful and the view from our private patio was fantastic.
All of the services at Lion Camp were exceptional. Our guide at Lion Camp, Simon, had very good skills.
We were happily surprised by the delicious food experience we enjoyed each day at Lion Camp. We enjoyed amazing fare at breakfast, lunch and dinner. The customer service team at Lion Camp was wonderful. The Lion Camp general managers, Vickie and Wayne went above and beyond to make us feel as if we were part of the family.
There is no doubt that when we return to South Luangwa, we will be staying at Lion Camp." See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia
"Lion Camp review"
Lion Camp is in a remote area of South Luangwa. It has just ten suites linked by elevated boardwalks with views over an oxbow river. Both in the main camp and from your suite animals and birds can be spotted up close. The camp is unfenced.
The main camp consisted of a large open deck with seating areas, curio shop, pool, bar, dining area and viewing deck. Very cleverly designed around existing trees with beautiful views over the river just metres away and the bush. There were frequent visits to the river from herons, storks, baboons, hippos, elephants and antelopes. Our hosts who managed the camp were Vicky and Wayne who were great company, good fun and very experienced, particularly Vicky's attention to detail at meal times. The food was delicious and any special requests were no problem at all. The staff serving were polite and extremely efficient.
Our room was very comfortable and spacious with a seating area, cool breeze system which operated over the bed, en-suite bathroom with indoor shower. Our deck overlooked the river and bush which was wonderful.
Game drives were eventful with great sightings of lions, elephants, baboons, puku, leopards, hippos, warthogs, giraffes, kudu and hyenas. Also, African fish eagles, grey herons, yellow billed storks, saddle billed storks, marabou storks, black headed herons, carmine bee-eaters and lilac breasted rollers. In 22 years of going on safari we have never seen two lilac breasted rollers viciously fighting in the dusty track for several minutes in what appeared to be a territorial battle - an amazing spectacle.
There were only four of us on the safari vehicle - two other guests with whom we got on extremely well. Our guide, Mukupa was also good company and joined in the fun we had on drives. He also did some very commendable work for his community in helping encourage families to send their daughters to school by demonstrating the benefits through theatre plays he wrote. He also, with the support of the camp, was involved in a 'buy a brick' project to build a clinic for his community.
We spent quite some time over a period of 2/3 days to immerse ourselves into family life of three leopards, two cubs and their mother. The two cubs were left to fend for themselves while their mother was away hunting. After watching the mother lose a kill to a hyena we eventually saw that she had made another kill which was good news as the cubs had been without food for at least three days. Just as we were wondering where the mother would take the kill a hyena rushed in from behind our vehicle and chased the leopard away and started to eat the kill. This would be disastrous for the cubs. However, another hyena appeared and for some strange reason they both ran off allowing the mother to drag the kill off deep into the bush and up a tree. The next day the mother had called her cubs to share in the feast.
After one of our morning drives we stopped for a surprise bush breakfast which was wonderful.
During our stay it was our wedding anniversary. Vicky and Wayne very kindly presented us with a beautiful coffee table book, 'Africa's Ultimate Safaris' and a bottle of pink champagne. A lovely gesture - thank you.
A special mention to Dottie who was the reservations manager - she was a lovely person with a great sense of humour. She helped us in contacting our previous camps & lodges to track down where I might have lost my wallet. It was found and delivered to us at Lion Camp - many thanks, again.
We really enjoyed our stay at Lion Camp and would definitely recommend it to anyone thinking of visiting the South Luangwa area. The camp is remote and bear in mind it takes a long time to get there by road from Mfuwe airport but well worth the trip." See all these reviews: 19n in Zambia
"Lion Camp review"
The honeymoon suite was outstanding. Our only regret was that there was so much else to do here that we didn't have time to sleep in the alternative outdoor bedroom, under the stars in this suite. This chalet is located far from the lodge area with unobstructed views over the lagoon from 2 angles.
The three game drives per day (morning, afternoon/night) with Donald exceeded our expectations. We chose on 2 occasions to substitute the morning drive for walking safaris. The walks provide an alternative perspective focusing on smaller species and tracking knowledge, while your senses are heightened to the potential for encountering the larger animals. We came across a leopard and cubs on our first walk with our walking guide Meyam and elephants with our second walking guide, Innocent. Large animals are viewed from a safe distance. Both walking guides were excellent.
Lion Camp also has a very nice photography hide at lagoon level. Good in June but we can't comment on photography ops from the hide when the lagoon is dry." See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia; 7n in Zambia; 5n in Rwanda; 1n in South Africa
"Leopardmania around Lion Camp"
The area is very rich in wildlife. The amount of leopards and lions is hard to beat anywhere else in Africa. Lion cubs were a regular sighting and even a leopard cub on one occasion, allowing me to spend an hour with no other car. Very exclusive encounter indeed. Very laudable are the walks. Truly enjoyed walking, learnt lots about animal tracks and animal behavior: it definitely activated all my senses and I must have been the most skittish creature in the bush. During the night drives I also encountered plenty of leopards, lions, porcupines etc.
Great food, great accommodation, great scenery, great people and a quasi-guaranteed sighting of leopards and lions...not much more to ask for. Looking forward to returning one day." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia
"Lovely Lion Camp"
Wayne and Vicky are doing an absolutely first class job of running this lodge. Lion Camp pays attention to detail - the Boma dinner was a lovely experience.
The game drives were wonderful - we had Thomas, assisted by Max. We had our own vehicle for our family of four. Thomas selected some amazing places for sundowners!" See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia
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