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
100% success
94% success
40% success
100% success
100% success
100% success
100% success
100% success
100% success
93% success
27% success
7% success
7% success
0% success
0% success
"Great game/setting; customer care needs work"
On our arrival, we were directed to the lunch "buffet," which was one dish and one salad that looked pathetic on the table. Optimistically, we thought, well, we’re at the end of lunch, so maybe other dishes ran out. Nope. We would learn that each meal had only one option. No “seconds” are offered. Our vegan companion had one particularly dreadful meal: basically all veggies, which is not enough fuel without protein. She asked for more to eat and Vicky returned from the kitchen to say there wasn't any more, and walked away without attempting any solution. We couldn't believe it. About 15-20 minutes later, they did bring out more food. But the encounter left a very bitter taste.
Vicky told us they work hard to avoid waste (which we applaud) and guests like her smaller portions; now she knows Laura needs more to eat. And indeed, Laura was provided with a double helping of quiche the next day. But on at least one day, they simply put out the same breakfast dish at lunch. What is promoted as around the clock coffee and tea is two thermal flasks of hot water and instant coffee and tea bags. I will say that the boma meal was great for three of the five of us, and the desserts were always excellent.
The staff was nice but passive, ineffective and inconsistent. For example, they didn’t always offer each person coffee at breakfast. Our friends did not have shampoo in their room upon arrival. When they asked Oscar, the head guy, he called housekeeping, then told them the shampoo was in their room. Which it wasn’t. It was a wasted 10 minutes or so questioning the guest instead of simply providing them with shampoo. In contrast, the bartenders were very good.
The room was comfortable and modern, with good lighting by the bed, and an attached sitting area. Surprisingly, there were no drawers or shelves, though the bathroom had lots of counter space. The deck was great, with a view to the river with hippos and elephants and more. But just a year after refurbish and our room had a very sticky door to the deck; the shower splashed all over the room beyond the small wooden frame; the toilet flush was sticky; the safe did not work electronically.
Their washer had a problem so they were reluctant to take our laundry but I insisted. “Just put it in a pile by the toilet,” Oscar said. Later we were told there was no washer problem—yet both Oscar and Dottie spoke about it (Dottie attempted to explain the problem!), discouraging laundry.
We really liked being able to come and go without a guide on the raised platform although we had a close encounter with an elephant in camp that was a little precarious. The pool at the lodge looked in need of cleaning but the view to the creatures at the river and bank was great. Lion Camp says they have WiFi everywhere, but it seems to be overstretched, resulting in poor service throughout the camp.
We met at 5:30 for coffee/tea, oatmeal and muffins before leaving at 6. Upon our return breakfast was offered with one entrée. Lunch was a “buffet” of one entrée and one salad. Dinner was plated with one entrée (except for one boma night). Sundowners were fine, with real glasses.
Our guide, Meyam, was very good. He worked hard for us, drove well, and was very knowledgeable if a little too serious. We had excellent game viewing, including being the only jeep to watch a mom leopard play with her cub for about 30 minutes, and sitting with a pride of lions as they patiently prepped for a hunt, which was unsuccessful.
On our last night, Meyam asked what time we would like breakfast before departing at 7. We said 6:15. The morning of departure, there was no breakfast. When I asked, they pointed to the usual minimal continental items! After I grumbled to Meyam and Oscar, we were served eggs and bacon around 6:40. It seemed clear to us they had no intention of providing a real breakfast for our departure.
In conclusion: We loved the game and the setting but were quite disappointed by the customer care." See all these reviews: 6n in Zambia; 4n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
We contacted the camp regarding their feedback on the meals in general and on vegan dishes for one of the party. Vicky, who is responsible for meal planning and overseeing the kitchen, advised that she met with these guests upon arrival to talk over the requests passed on by Expert Africa prior to their stay. She described that as a rule the camp team offer a lot of fresh salads, vegetables and vegetarian soups and that they prepared a special vegan dish with every meal. Their lunch meal typically includes one main dish, a fresh salad and a baked item each day. It is designed to be a light meal as it is served only a few hours after brunch – a full breakfast served after the morning game drive. Whilst this would work well for guests already at the camp who were well fed mid-morning, we can understand why it might seem insufficient for new arrivals where lunch is their first meal at the camp.
Vicky is very apologetic over these guests experience. She would have liked to have understood the group’s needs better during her initial conversation with them, and she has learnt from this experience. She notes that after the initial issue, the offerings were adjusted to try and better fulfil the guests’ requests, and she regularly checked with them to make sure everything was satisfactory.
Vicky also apologised that two of the guests didn’t get shampoo in their room when they asked. She explained that the rooms are serviced daily and items checked and replenished where needed. If guests use up items quicker and require them to be replenished more than once a day that can certainly be requested. She asked us to pass on her thanks to these guests for bringing their experience to her attention and noted she will be certain to check more regularly and closely on their room servicing.
She clarified that Lion Camp’s washing machine was not broken and explained that when guests check in to Lion Camp they are advised of water and electricity limitations, but Vicky assures us they never refuse laundry. Lion Camp, like many of Africa’s safari camps, is a remote, totally self-sufficient camp with purified borehole water and solar electricity supplied via batteries. They offer round the clock electricity, hair dryers, charging points and evening breeze cooling in the rooms – all of which use a lot of electricity. To enable them to control their usage they have to be careful with application of equipment on an hourly basis, including the use of their washing machines. For this reason they ask guests to put together a limited amount of items to be laundered each day. Vicky is very sorry if this message was miscommunicated and misunderstood. She says there was certainly no reluctance to assist with laundry on their part.
Vicky did note that there was one further unfortunate incident over meals whereby their guide joined the group for dinner on their last night. During the meal early morning breakfast requirements were discussed, but the guide forgot to share the details with the kitchen team. Luckily they begin their day early and as soon as the guests asked about their breakfast a plan was made. However, Lion Camp is sorry that the guests were put in a situation where they had to repeat their requests.
Lion Camp was especially recommended to these guests as their key focus for their safari was wildlife viewing, especially of predators, and that is what this area of South Luangwa National Park offers. So it was wonderful to hear that they had the special experiences of spending time watching a leopard play with her cub and a pride of lions attempt a hunt.
"Manager"
Buffalo
Multiple sightings
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
1 sighting
Hippo
Multiple sightings
Leopard
Multiple sightings
Lion
Multiple sightings
Spotted Hyena
1 sighting
Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Lion Camp was just perfect"
Every day a new variation on the menu that was perfectly prepared." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
Buffalo
3 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Hippo
10 sightings
Lion
10 sightings
Spotted Hyena
7 sightings
Wildebeest
3 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Lovely Lion Camp"
Management did make every effort to make our stay comfortable and accommodating - and that is much appreciated! There had been a fire in the staff quarters a couple of days before our stay and yet the staff continued to provide great service
We were less than impressed with the management's professionalism. On a couple of occasions, the manager yelled at a staff a member in front of the guests. It made me feel very uncomfortable. It seems there is some tension between the staff and management - and that is not something guests should be able to easily observe.
We felt our guide was a bit distracted and not very enthusiastic compared to other guides we had." See all these reviews: 11n in Zambia
Buffalo
3 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
9 sightings
Hippo
10 sightings
Leopard
1 sighting
Lion
5 sightings
Spotted Hyena
2 sightings
Wildebeest
1 sighting
Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Lion Camp review"
Wayne and Vicky are great hosts. Food exceptionally good.
We mainly had Maiyam as our guide who is very knowledgable. Also had Simon and Thomas - both very good." See all these reviews: 6n in Zambia
Buffalo
4 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Hippo
10 sightings
Leopard
4 sightings
Lion
4 sightings
Spotted Hyena
6 sightings
Wildebeest
4 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Lion Camp review"
"Under new management"
The new activity/meal schedule is not to my taste- coming back from the morning game drive at 9:30am for a 10am breakfast, then having lunch at 2:30pm, with standard afternoon game drive time being 4pm. Lunch has been moved even later from the 2pm it was in June, meaning the earliest you could realistically get out in the afternoon was 3:30pm, which we did just to scrape a little extra game viewing time, but it was still a rush. This schedule made for an incredibly long down time just sitting around camp. In contrast, at our next camp we were out at 6:15 every morning, and not back until 11:30 or 12 for lunch at 12:30, then out again at 3:30pm after tea at 3:15pm.
They have also abandoned communal dining in favour of separate tables for each game viewing vehicle (or completely separate for each party at dinner it seemed). Mixing with other guests is something I really enjoy at safari camps, and I much prefer the atmosphere at camps where dining is family style. I was with my parents for this part of the trip, but I certainly would not enjoy this new arrangement if travelling solo as I often do.
Lion Camp food was always exceptional, and with the extra training the chefs have had I was expecting to be blown away. In fact, the food was disappointing and not up to the standard of the old Lion Camp. Breakfast was simply cereals, toast, fruit, and one hot dish (no choice). Lunch had no choice either- on the first day there was one dish of lasagne and one bowl of green salad, followed by a dessert. This is compared to the old Lion Camp brunches which had a wide choice of different salads and meat/fish dishes. Dinners were OK but unimaginative compared to the previous Lion Camp menu which had the chefs making fresh pasta starters or interesting salads for starters. Tea no longer featured in the schedule- the old Lion Camp teas were also a well thought out and beautifully executed sweet and savoury option as well as a different home made cold drink (eg lemonade with ginger or rooibos iced tea with cranberry). Despite the attempts made to create an air of luxury in the rooms with fancy toiletries and bed linen, for me the new menu felt like cost cutting compared to the Lion Camp of old. In contrast, the wines were better quality than the old choices.
On the plus side, the rooms are a vast improvement on the old ones (good as you spend so much time in them), although they have some strange features such as precarious steps in odd places and a shower that automatically runs cold after about 5 mins- some sort of safety feature apparently, but I had to restart my shower twice during one shower. They also don't automatically roll the mesh front of the tents up during the day. One of the features of the rooms is the view, and as the decks are in full sun, it's not appealing to sit outside in the day. If the mesh is rolled up you can enjoy the view from the sofa in the shade, but this is fiddly to do yourself. I asked for this to be done in my room, which it was, but they should do this automatically in all the rooms (my parents had to try and do it themselves).
The main area has been opened out, but I personally found the new decor a bit bland compared to the old bright colour scheme.
Overall, the feel of the place is now more like a soulless luxury hotel in the bush. It lacks the warm, inclusive and sociable atmosphere of a safari camp. I can see that the owners are attempting to create a more upmarket camp, but it is possible to do this without losing the safari camp feel.
Sadly, I very much doubt I'll be returning to Lion Camp. The best thing about our stay was the excellent guiding by Meyam but even that is not enough to make me want to return. The game viewing in the area is superb, but there are other camps in the same area which I think will suit me better." See all these reviews: 15n in Zambia
Buffalo
1 sighting
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Hippo
10 sightings
Leopard
1 sighting
Lion
6 sightings
Spotted Hyena
Multiple sightings
Wild dog
1 sighting
Wildebeest
2 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Refurbished Lion Camp "
Although the comfort and facilities in our room were greatly improved, there were 2 dangerous trip hazards from changes in levels especially the substantial step down to the seating area. It was not clear that some of the light switches were slow start dimmer switches and we were not informed that the hot water on the shower was on a timer (about 5 minutes?) and would suddenly cut out. You then had to wait 30 seconds before restarting. We were told this was a "safety feature" - or was this an economy measure?
The camp/rooms have lost most of their colourful character which has been replaced by anodyne corporate hotel decor including PLASTIC plants.
The new food regime with breakfast at 10 am, lunch at 2.30pm, NO afternoon tea then afternoon game drive spoiled the safari experience. Food was mediocre compared to previously with no choice at lunch. The change from communal dining to separate tables is not in the spirit of safari.
However the game viewing, location and guiding were excellent as ever.
We understand that next year's room rates will be rising substantially." See all these reviews: 13n in Zambia
Buffalo
1 sighting
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
1 sighting
Hippo
Multiple sightings
Leopard
Multiple sightings
Lion
Multiple sightings
Spotted Hyena
Multiple sightings
Wild dog
1 sighting
Zebra
1 sighting
"Lion Camp review"
Game drives were in vehicles with three rows of seats and on 2 of our 3 days there were six of us game viewing. This wouldn’t have been a problem if 2 of the passengers had followed protocol by not talking constantly. There was definitely a bias towards seeking lions and we had some excellent viewings, including part of the Hollywood pride trapping a leopard up a tree. We later watched it make a sneaky escape when the lions were dozing! Possibly the same leopard at the top of a tree waiting to catch guinea fowl as they came in to roost, while we enjoyed sundowners (she was successful on two separate occasions)." See all these reviews: 15n in Zambia
"What a view!"
Simon our guide was incredible. He was so knowledgeable about every aspect of the Park and showed great patience with all our questions. We were lucky to have amazing sightings of lions and leopards, including watching a leopard eat an impala in a tree, whilst being circled below by hyenas. The amount of game we saw far exceeded our expectations.
The staff were all helpful, friendly and polite and the meals were superb. We would thoroughly recommend having dinner on your own veranda - it is a unique experience.
Our only negative comment would be that the management did not seem to want to spend time with the guests. Loraine was helpful but we did not meet any other member of the management team and only found out that Emma was not a guest when she wore a badge on our last day. She did not speak to us at all." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia
"Thank you for taking the time to complete the feedback, we value it as it helps us to improve.
Getting the balance right between ensuring the lodge runs smoothly and spending time with guests is not always easy, especially during peak season. I apologise for not introducing myself as the GM, but I do remember having a conversation with you. I am delighted that you rated your stay as excellent. I also want to mention that as a company we are committed to mentoring and promoting our Zambian employees, and I'm sorry that it wasn't clear that Oscar is part of our management team."
"They don't call it Lion Camp for nothing!"
Again, it is a camp in a lovely position overlooking a small river/stream with lots of animals coming down to drink there . We also saw the Hollywood pride a little further off under a tree and generally mooching around. One female had cubs hidden away somewhere and we saw her walking between them and the rest of the pride early mornings.
There was a film crew there at the time and also a couple of fairly serious photography groups- so it's obviously a place that they know they can reliably see lions and leopards -which are sadly becoming harder to see everywhere.
The vehicles they use weren't my favourite as they have three bench seats which are a bit hard especially when going over rough terrain. The front row was OK but the other rows have a spare wheel on the floor which gets in the way a bit . No roof
Wake up call 5:30 , coffee, gloopy porridge, toast available, then leave 6am
Back by 10
Brunch at 11:15
Tea at 3:30
Out at 4
Stop for sundowners at 6
Night drive from 6:30 to 7:30
Dinner 8:15
I like the early starts , but it might have been nice to have a packed breakfast during the game drive instead,as I wasn't that keen on the breakfast provided in camp. Generally just had coffee. Food at lunch and dinner was great however.
The camp itself was lovely , but they are having quite a revamp next year and they are hoping to build another property too ( not sure exactly where - they did tell me and I'm afraid I've forgotten)
The rooms are nice but they are all wood and very dark inside. Of course this might change.
I couldn't resist making suggestions for the refurbishment to Emma , the manager. ( I don't think she minded :) )
In my opinion they should open up the front of the rooms completely ( a la Mchenja) to bring in light and also give more room in the bathroom area as we found sharing one small washbasin and mirror was a tight squeeze when you're in a hurry to get out for your early game drive.
The raised walkways are useful as you don't need any escort between buildings.
We had great game viewings - and the guides were very knowledgeable.
Our guide was really excellent - I think his name was Simon ? Apologies if incorrect - I should have written this review sooner or made notes. Anyway, he had just moved from Mchenja and John ( our previous guide at Mchenja) had got his old job ! Small world.
We also had an elephant visit us in camp . He walked through some short trees and shrubs to eat something he liked and knocked over the poles around the parking area. Apparently, they used to nail them in place, but he knocks them off so frequently that they now just have them laid in place on cradles.It was very exciting to come face to face , eye to eye, -( thanks to raised walkways)
with an elephant. Believe me , they look quite different than when you're in a vehicle.
I think the manager Emma ( ably assisted by Lorraine) run a lovely camp.
It was a bit bigger than our first two camps and we did feel a bit awkward on our first evening when everyone else seemed to be laughing and having a great time at the bar and we knew nobody. But by the next night - it was us laughing and having a great time at the bar with everyone. it just takes a bit longer to get to know a larger group of oeople.
We got to speak to Emma later on, but it might have been nice to have either her or Lorraine to welcome newcomers and help break the ice a bit. We were met by Oscar on arrival and I wasn't sure if he was the manager or our guide or what.
Anyway, by the time we were leaving we felt like old friends and had tears in our eyes as we waved goodbye.
The lodge is really charming and has a nice shop, a library area that is a quiet zone to sit and read or borrow a book.
There was always somebody around to provide cool drinks throughout the day - and a great pool to cool off in while watching the animals by the river.
All in all, we can't wait to return to Lion Camp.!" See all these reviews: 11n in Zambia
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Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Tafika
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Kaingo Camp
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Nsefu
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Mwamba Bushcamp
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Tena Tena
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Chikoko Tree Camp
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Big Lagoon Camp
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Luangwa River Camp
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Flatdogs Camp
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Mchenja Bushcamp
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Kakuli Bushcamp
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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.
Zungulila
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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.
Luwi Riverbed Sleepout
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Chichele Lodge
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Chikunto
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