Reviews of Nsefu
Wildlife sightings and reviews
205 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Nsefu and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in Mar-2018, 72 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Nsefu.
Peacocks/LC
USA
"Three day safari at Nsefu Camp"
3 nights Arrived 4 Sep 2012
"Coming off a custom mobile tented safari with a very experienced Professional guide in Zimbabwe, we felt we needed to avoid comparisons. The Robin Pope Safari team was very professional and we loved Nsefu Camp, it's setting overlooking the river, and had no complaints with the food staff or service.
Some Highlights:
* The elephants were less aggressive than in Zimbabwe and smaller due to the selective poaching of the large bulls.
The villagers still do selective poaching, but the international pressure had slowed the process.
One highlight was watching a maternal group of elephants swim the river with the baby elephants clutching their Mother's tails.
* Encountering five lions that had killed a young Cape Buffalo. In total, we came in close contact with nearly twenty lions over the three days at Nsefu.
* Finding a young female leopard who was as curious about us as we were about her. Magnificent to see in the daylight!
* We found a three female pack of the rare African Painted dogs as they moved along the river bank. Painted dogs are endangered and hadn't been seen in the area in some time.
* Leopards are difficult to find during daylight, but we were lucky to witness an hour long battle between a troop of 50+ yellow baboons and a female leopard they had chased into a large tree. She survived, but must have had quite a headache from all the baboon screeching!
My spouse loved Nsefu's decor and we found the food, staff and Roundels charming." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia; 6n in Zimbabwe
Some Highlights:
* The elephants were less aggressive than in Zimbabwe and smaller due to the selective poaching of the large bulls.
The villagers still do selective poaching, but the international pressure had slowed the process.
One highlight was watching a maternal group of elephants swim the river with the baby elephants clutching their Mother's tails.
* Encountering five lions that had killed a young Cape Buffalo. In total, we came in close contact with nearly twenty lions over the three days at Nsefu.
* Finding a young female leopard who was as curious about us as we were about her. Magnificent to see in the daylight!
* We found a three female pack of the rare African Painted dogs as they moved along the river bank. Painted dogs are endangered and hadn't been seen in the area in some time.
* Leopards are difficult to find during daylight, but we were lucky to witness an hour long battle between a troop of 50+ yellow baboons and a female leopard they had chased into a large tree. She survived, but must have had quite a headache from all the baboon screeching!
My spouse loved Nsefu's decor and we found the food, staff and Roundels charming." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia; 6n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs G
EastEwell
"Nsefu Camp Experience"
2 nights Arrived 19 Jul 2012
"Good location on the river and very nice camp with pretty rooms. Very good guides and camp staff and very good camp manager. Good game viewing activities and a lot of game to see.
Good location in S Luangwa National Park." See all these reviews: 14n in Zambia
Good location in S Luangwa National Park." See all these reviews: 14n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr H
Isle of Man
"Daudi runs an excellent camp!"
4 nights Arrived 11 Jun 2012
"A second visit - this time in the winter season. Our guide Braston was very good and worked very hard at finding interesting game for us to view. He was always willing, full of fun and very helpful. Having found us a leopard and her cub on the first game drive, he then excelled himself by finding the male leopard (and sensitively dealt with the leopard killing an impala one evening) and a pair of mating lions on the way to Nkwali on our last day.
The food and the atmosphere were as good as ever and the staff went out of their way to make my birthday sundowner on the river an occasion to remember. Shared stories of the day's events around the campfire in the evening were a highlight of the visit. Getting up at 4.30 a.m. to drive to the hot springs and then a bush breakfast was equally special.
I'd encourage guests to visit the Kawaza village project and the school. We enjoyed our day very much and the children were a joy." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
The food and the atmosphere were as good as ever and the staff went out of their way to make my birthday sundowner on the river an occasion to remember. Shared stories of the day's events around the campfire in the evening were a highlight of the visit. Getting up at 4.30 a.m. to drive to the hot springs and then a bush breakfast was equally special.
I'd encourage guests to visit the Kawaza village project and the school. We enjoyed our day very much and the children were a joy." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs E
Glos.
"Perfect Nsefu"
7 nights Arrived 10 Jun 2012
"Our fourth visit to our favourite Camp in South Luangwa.
It, as always, is a friendly and relaxed place with great guiding and the staff are excellent and helpful. They made my 70th birthday very special which will always be remembered. The food was always a temptation and their cakes are a weight watchers nightmare." See all these reviews: 17n in Zambia
It, as always, is a friendly and relaxed place with great guiding and the staff are excellent and helpful. They made my 70th birthday very special which will always be remembered. The food was always a temptation and their cakes are a weight watchers nightmare." See all these reviews: 17n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
The Sand Martins
Oxon
"River safaris at Nsefu"
3 nights Arrived 17 Mar 2012
"We had visited Nsefu twice before in the dry season, but visiting the camp in the Emerald Season was a very special experience, and quite intimate with a maximum of 6 guests. The river safaris provide unique opportunities to complement dry season game drives. The bird life was very diverse, with a highlight being the walk to the stork colony. We had a spectacular thunderstorm one night, but the days were dry.
Daudi reigns supreme as the heart and soul of Nsefu: a superb guide, and an excellent manager of the camp who made our stay so enjoyable and so memorable." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
Daudi reigns supreme as the heart and soul of Nsefu: a superb guide, and an excellent manager of the camp who made our stay so enjoyable and so memorable." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Excellent
Dr & Mrs B
Herts
"Nsefu review"
3 nights Arrived 18 Feb 2012
"Beautiful camp on a broad bend in the Luangwa river in the Nsefu sector. Not far from (on the opposite bank) Kaingo, but you'd never know it. You can almost sense the history of the valley in this lovely camp. Again, we were the only guests in camp, and Duadi and his team did a fabulous job looking after us and accommodating our wishes during some slightly inclement weather.
Great sightings of a group of elephants struggling to climb the steep river bank in fast flowing water, having crossed the river - they succeded. Beautiful late afternoon trip up the Mwamba tributary past hippos and all sorts of birds (including a Pel's fishing owl). And a lovely walk around the ebony grove area on the Kaingo side of the river. We even had a brief stop off to see what Kaingo looked like out of season.
At this time of the year this is a boat / walking camp only, and this provides a very different experience to the drives. The rondeval rooms are nicely furnished with a great deck and chairs out front, and a shower and bathroom at the rear. Thanks Daudi and his team. And Thomas - good luck with your guiding exams next month." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
Great sightings of a group of elephants struggling to climb the steep river bank in fast flowing water, having crossed the river - they succeded. Beautiful late afternoon trip up the Mwamba tributary past hippos and all sorts of birds (including a Pel's fishing owl). And a lovely walk around the ebony grove area on the Kaingo side of the river. We even had a brief stop off to see what Kaingo looked like out of season.
At this time of the year this is a boat / walking camp only, and this provides a very different experience to the drives. The rondeval rooms are nicely furnished with a great deck and chairs out front, and a shower and bathroom at the rear. Thanks Daudi and his team. And Thomas - good luck with your guiding exams next month." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Richard/Mary
England
"Nsefu"
5 nights Arrived 31 Oct 2011
"AS good as ever - out third visit here. Good guiding. Congratulations to Chulumeba, a new guide - good with birds. Very polite. Very hot +40 degrees. Daudi runs a good camp. Film crew were a little overpowering at evening drinks before dining, but did not mind our vehicle near theirs.
A chair in the bathroom would be a good idea." See all these reviews: 16n in Zambia
A chair in the bathroom would be a good idea." See all these reviews: 16n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Mr A
Cambridgeshire
"Nsefu review"
3 nights Arrived 13 Oct 2011
"Both Nsefu and Tena Tena were excellent and for me quieter - a bit more like the real bush.
I found all the activities well run and all the staff excellent." See all these reviews: 17n in Zambia
I found all the activities well run and all the staff excellent." See all these reviews: 17n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mrs B & Ms W
Surbiton
"Nsefu"
3 nights Arrived 8 Oct 2011
"Another great camp. Elephants clearly thought so too because they stayed outside our room for an hour. Fortunately we were in the bar at the time, in the company of four guides, and had to stay there until the elephants left..."
See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia; 3n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs W
Northnts
"Nsefu review"
2 nights Arrived 3 Sep 2011
"View from the room over the river was excellent with regular visitors including elephants coming down to drink.
Highlight was joining lions out on a hunt at night with good lion sightings most days.
No leopards was the only dissappointment
We walked fron Nsefu to Tena Tena which was an easy 3 1/2 hour stroll. This was interesting and made a nice change to the jeeps." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia
Highlight was joining lions out on a hunt at night with good lion sightings most days.
No leopards was the only dissappointment
We walked fron Nsefu to Tena Tena which was an easy 3 1/2 hour stroll. This was interesting and made a nice change to the jeeps." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
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