Reviews of Mwamba Bushcamp
Wildlife sightings and reviews
160 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Mwamba Bushcamp and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
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"Mwamba Camp July 16"
Met at the camp by hosts Craig and Lindy who were absolutely wonderful throughout my stay - nothing was too much trouble for them - even when they didn't get much sleep because a wandering elephant was trying to 'move' their hut all night.
The rooms are basic 'bush' rooms of the type often found on safaris, but I would say 1 up on the 'luxury' tents some camps use. Comfortable bedroom area and outside flushing loo and shower. Food was excellent - plenty of it and all to a high standard.
The camp has a hide within its ambit which is well worth a visit to watch the birds and animals who 'drop in' for a drink.
My guide was Patrick - alias Dr Doolittle - I witnessed him 'talking' to a herd of wildebeest which he made turn towards us for good photos, and holding a 5 minute conversation / singing contest with a coucal which I would not have believed if I had not seen it. Very informative and knew just where to go for the best game sightings - on the last morning we followed a hunting pack of wild dogs and then saw them calling to compatriots on the other side of the river, at which point on the far bank 15 appeared and raced across the beach towards us - sensible enough not to try to cross because of the crocs - but it was an incredible hour or so which I won't ever forget.
Can't recommend the place highly enough." See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia
"Mwamba Bushcamp review"
The Camp is sufficiently different to be with a stay there, as is the slightly more inland approach to the drives (though the Hippo Hide was not neglected)." See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia
"Amazing experience at Mwamba Bushcamp"
We were guided by Sylvester, who was excellent. As we had an extended period with him, Sylvester chose to take us to different areas (for example, the Boabab Forest and Kapanda Lagoon). We did both walks and drives with Sylvester and were equally impressed on both. His ability to mimic bird sounds was truly amazing - he was able to call an owl back and forth between 2 trees (numerous flights back and forth) so we could photograph it in flight. He also found some of the more rare animals for us - notably a serval.
The staff at Mwamba were lovely. Craig and Lindy, camp managers, clearly love their job and love the property. Hopefully they will be with Shenton Safaris for years! We loved the rustic feel of the thatch chalets - Mwamba was our favorite camp for its accommodations. The food was excellent and varying food preferences were easily and graciously accommodated. After leaving, Lindy was kind enough to forward the recipes to us.
We chose Mwamba (and its sister camp Kaingo) for the focus on photography. The bean bag rests and dustcovers were appreciated. The guides are keen photographers as well, and passed along many helpful hints.
We highly recommend Mwamba Bushcamp, particularly to photography enthusiasts." See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia; 4n in Seychelles; 1n in South Africa
"Mwamba Bushcamp - 3 nights"
I wanted a camp that went back to basics - especially the bucket shower - and Mwamba delivered this excellently. The rooms are 'basic' but very comfortable and the service was very good indeed (for example: specific requests about our mosquito net were very well executed).
The guiding here was excellent and Andrew deserves a rating in our 'top ten' guides over fifteen years of visiting Africa. His method of waiting and listening to the environment was an amazing experience.
We really enjoyed this camp because it was simple (which we wanted) and had superb staff and viewings." See all these reviews: 16n in Zambia
"Mwamba Bushcamp review"
The wildlife was not as dense, but we did have a lot of viewings and also lots of eagles. The facilities are so unique and it was fun to experience them. Charlie and Matt were very good hosts / guides." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia
"Mwamba Bushcamp review"
Game in the area was simply astounding - lions galore, leopards day and night, along with all the other mammals. The hides were a spectacular addition, enabling intimate photography with animals and birds. The food was excellent and we especially enjoyed our romantic dinner on top of the anthill.
Mwamba provided the perfect blend of bush camp life with a high level of comfort. We couldn't have had a better introduction." See all these reviews: 14n in Zambia
"Finally really the bush"
What we liked the most was that we were always alone with our guide in the vehicle and we kept the same guide for the whole period (including the time spent in the sister camp Kaingo)." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
"Special place"
One of the highlights was the hide: as it is very dry this year in the Luangwa valley, a huge range of animals, including herds of elephants, wildebeest and impala, as well as flocks of lovebirds, went to the watering hole to drink every day; one could spend hours there! The drives were superb, including a speculative one out to Kapanda lagoon where we found two lionesses and four cubs.
We kept Sylvester as our guide throughout our stay at Kaingo and Mwamba, and the continuity worked really well for me.
Food was similar to that at Kaingo, and equally good. Absolutely loved my stay there." See all these reviews: 11n in Zambia
"Beware the drums"
This year, the camp was being run by Matt and Charlotte (Charlie), a very likeable couple. The camp is a genuine bush camp but facilities were good with hot water for bucket showers provided on demand.
Game drives or walks started early, followed by a substantial brunch at around 11.00 - all the food was very good. Matt acted as our guide for the whole time and did a great job - we saw lots and continued to cover new ground. The permanent waterhole is a definite bonus - there were always animals and birds coming to drink – and the hides at Kaingo can also be used. Note that battery charging is a bit rudimentary, I think using vehicle batteries." See all these reviews: 13n in Zambia
"Wonderful bush camp"
Mwamba is tiny and very remote and is an authentic bush camp. Simple, not flashy, fitting perfectly with the surroundings - just lovely.
The camp is rebuilt every season and so looked really fresh. Our room was clean and welcoming. The bed was so comfortable and lying in bed looking at the stars was very relaxing.
Matt and Charlie were great hosts - warm, attentive and they clearly take a lot of pride in the camp. We really enjoyed our time with them as they both make excellent company. All staff were helpful and friendly and could not have looked after us better.
Our guide was Sly (Sylvester) and we had a great few days with him. He was knowledgeable and easy company. We did both drives and walking and enjoyed both. The game viewing was really good - lot of leopard sightings, lion, hyena, elephant and the endemic sub-species of giraffe, zebra and wildebeest which we had never seen before. Birdlife was plentiful and interesting." See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia
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