Tafika: Information from the owner
General information
- Type
- Safari Lodge
- No. of rooms
- 6
- Check-in time
- 12h00
- Check-out time
- 10h00
Facilities at Tafika
- Property facilities
- Bar, Communal Dining, Eco Friendly, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Private Vehicle Available
- Room facilities
- En-Suite, Fan, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Mosquito Nets, Outside Shower, Pure Cotton Linen, Safe, Shower, Tea / Coffee, Verandah
- Activities on site
- Bird Watching, Cycling, Game Drives, Game Viewing, Game Viewing Hide, Game Walks, Garden Tours, Night Drives, Safaris, Walks (Guided), Wildlife Tours
- Nearby activities
- Cultural Tours, Mountain Biking
- Languages
- English
Room types at Tafika
Family chalet
There is one large family chalet offering two bedrooms, one with a king-sized bed, the other with two double beds and a spacious outdoor bathroom. The bathroom includes two covered flush toilets and two showers open to the stars.
This chalet is ideal for guests travelling with children or friends.
King chalet (honeymoon)
The honeymoon chalet has one extra large king bed and a double shower open to the stars.
Twin double chalet
Each thatch chalet has two double sized beds, under-cover veranda, en-suite bathroom with double vanities, flush loos, hot and cold running water and solar powered lighting.
Activities at Tafika
Cultural visits
At Remote Africa Safaris the local village, Mkasanga, kindly invites guests to visit and gives them the opportunity to learn about the lives of the people from the Luangwa Valley.
Highlights of these visits include: a guided tour of the local school - proudly showcased by the teachers, a visit to the village and a local church choir performance where guests experience the perfect harmony of Africa's song
Game drives
All vehicles are open, comfortable and accommodate only four guests allowing for great photographic moments and plenty of opportunity to ask the guide questions.
Morning drives set off early from camp and are taken at a relaxed pace. A stop is taken at a scenic sight during the morning to enjoy a hot cuppa' and snack.
On afternoon drives, sundowners are taken overlooking the Luangwa River, after which a spotlight is brought into play, revealing Africa's nocturnal wildlife.
Hides
The Tafika camp hide is available to all camp guests and can be accessed any time of the day from the camp. The hide is a dug out seating chamber that looks out over a lagoon behind the camp. Birds, baboons and antelope frequent the lagoon and elephants visit on a daily basis from about August during the hotter time of the year.
A seasonal Carmine bee-eater hide is built annually at Tafika. The hide is built into the banks of the Luangwa river to gain the best view of the carmine colony as they flock around their newly dug breeding holes. This hide is generally available during September and October and visits to the guide are done with a guide.
Tafika guests are also able to visit the Kawere hide during a game drive activity. It is built on the camps private land and overlooks a productive waterhole where elephants and buffalo come to drink and fishing parties frequent towards the end of the season.
Mountain bike safaris
Sitting in a game-viewing vehicle or walking delicately through the African bush may not provide the level of activity craved by more energetic guests. For these guests Tafika offers mountain bike safaris led by an experienced guide who in most cases is the owner, John Coppinger.
The cycling route takes the safari cyclists along the tracks and paths of the Game Management Area, adjacent to Tafika Camp. Mountain bike safaris generally take place in the afternoon. This gives participating guests enough time to finish their ride and meet up with the game drive, just before sunset, giving them the opportunity to enjoy the sights and sounds of a night drive after an hour and a half of cycling.
Night game drive
All vehicles are open, comfortable and accommodate only four guests allowing for great photographic moments and plenty of opportunity to ask the guide questions.
On afternoon drives, sundowners are taken overlooking the Luangwa River, after which the drive continues in the dark with the help of a spotlight.
Night drives are led by an experienced guide accompanied by a hawk-eyed spotter who controls the spotlight and finds many nocturnal animals rarely seen during the day activities.
Walking safaris
On foot guests are given the rare opportunity to become part of nature, to immerse themselves in the wonders that present themselves at every turn. A walking safari is always led by an experienced guide with an armed National Park scout and a tea bearer so their are many eyes ready to spot the Luangwa's wildlife, identify the smallest insect, track last night's lion spoor and identify a possible threat before it really becomes one.
Children under the age of 12 are unfortunately not able to take part in walking safaris at Remote Africa Safaris.
Other lodges in South Luangwa National Park
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Nkwali
On the banks of the Luangwa River, with its own access to the national park, the intimate Nkwali is open year round.
Kaingo Camp
Small and owner-run, the riverside Kaingo occupies a a quiet but excellent game area, with a series of wildlife hides and a focus on photography.
Nsefu
One of the Luangwa's oldest camps, Nsefu is a great safari camp in a remote, beautiful and game-rich location with top-rate guiding.
Mwamba Bushcamp
Small, remote and owner-run, Mwamba offers first-class walking, 4WD safari drives and superb hides, with excellent guides and a real bush feel.
Tena Tena
One of the Luangwa's best camps, in a beautiful, remote bush location, Tena Tena is very small, exceedingly well-run and has top-rate guiding.
Chikoko Tree Camp
Chikoko Tree Camp is an excellent small, rustic bushcamp that concentrates on walking safaris, and is run by a top-quality operation.
Big Lagoon Camp
Big Lagoon Camp is a great little rustic bushcamp built to high standards that focuses on excellent walking safaris, with the emphasis on top wildlife guides.
Luangwa River Camp
Luangwa River Lodge is a small and consciously stylish lodge in the Mfuwe area, overlooking the Luangwa River and the South Luangwa National Park beyond – an area renowned for great game.
Flatdogs Camp
A relatively big safari camp, Flatdogs offers value for money with great guiding and good food in a comfortable, relaxed setting.
Kapani Lodge
Kapani Lodge is now the main office base for Norman Carr Safaris, one of the Luangwa's oldest safari operations.
Mchenja Bushcamp
Set in a shady ebony grove on the banks of the Luangwa, Mchenja is a smart tented bushcamp. It combines well with Kakuli and Nsolo – its sister camps with a focus on walking safaris.
Kakuli Bushcamp
Beside the Luangwa River, Kakuli is a comfortable tented bushcamp offering 4WD safaris and walking safaris – the best of which are camp-to-camp walks linking Kakuli with its nearby sister camps.
Nsolo Bushcamp
Nsolo is a small, comfortable bushcamp overlooking one or two pools in the usually dry Luwi riverbed. It concentrates on walking safaris in an interesting and diverse area, led by a knowledgeable guide.
Kafunta River Lodge
Kafunta is a laid-back, friendly and good-value lodge on the outskirts of South Luangwa National Park.
Luwi Bushcamp
In a remote part of the South Luangwa National Park, Luwi is a rustic bushcamp whose emphasis is on walking safaris with great guiding and a chance of seeing some rarely seen and elusive antelope.
Lion Camp
Lion Camp is an established and comfortable camp with a swimming pool, located near to the game-rich Lion Plain in the northern part of South Luangwa National Park.
Robin Pope mobile
RPS mobile safari camps are at the heart of their set-itinerary walking safaris in South Luangwa National Park, which start and finish at a permanent camp.
Puku Ridge
Puku Ridge is a luxurious designer camp set in a stunning location, high on a hill overlooking a floodplain within South Luangwa. Explore from here on 4WD safaris and walks.
Kapamba Bushcamp
In the remote far south of South Luangwa National Park, Kapamba is a small and very comfortable bushcamp offering good walks and game drives.
Mfuwe Lodge
In a game-rich area close to the South Luangwa’s main Mfuwe Gate, Mfuwe Lodge is relatively large by park standards, but it’s stylish, modern and family friendly.
Kuyenda Bushcamp
Kuyenda Bushcamp is a classic bushcamp with particularly delightful hosts and offers top-class walking safaris in South Luangwa National Park.
Luangwa Safari House
Luangwa Safari House is a vast and very smart four-bedroom house specifically designed for families and small groups, and offering an exclusive and flexible safari experience.
Three Rivers Camp
In the remote far south of South Luangwa National Park, Three Rivers Lodge sits at the confluence of three of the valleys rivers.
Island Bush Camp
Island Bushcamp is a good-value, rustic, walking-only camp, in arguably one of the most remote parts of the South Luangwa, well away from all other camps.
Bilimungwe Bushcamp
A smart bushcamp with four very spacious chalets, Bilimungwe offers interesting walking safaris in pretty riverine woodland, as well as day and night safari drives.
Chinzombo
Opened in early June 2013, Chinzombo offers luxurious and stylish accommodation with very high levels of service and excellent guiding.
Chindeni
Chindeni Bushcamp is a very modern and minimalist camp, which is a far cry from your traditional bushcamp and unlike most of the other camps in South Luangwa.
Robin's House
With your own expert guide, private vehicle, chef and valet, the two-bedroom Robin's House offers an exclusive, flexible safari experience – and is open year round.
Kawaza Village
Kawaza Village – beside the South Luangwa National Park, offers guests the rare opportunity to appreciate local village life. Visit for a few hours or stay overnight.
Chamilandu Bushcamp
A comfortable little bushcamp, Chamilandu has a picturesque setting by the Luangwa River, in an area with a range of habitats to explore on foot and by 4WD.
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
Zungulila is a small, comfortable tented bushcamp with an emphasis on walking safaris, in the remote southern section of the South Luangwa.
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
For an adventurous night in South Luangwa National Park, come and sleep out in the bush, around a campfire, with an experienced guide and game scout.
Chichele Lodge
Currently in the final stages of an extensive rebuild, Chichele Presidential Lodge stands high within the park, with superb views, and is due to reopen in early 2025.
Nkonzi Camp
A simple and rustic bush camp, Nkonzi has a strong focus on walking safaris in this remote section of Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park.
Chikunto
Chikunto Safari Lodge is a more traditional property in the South Luangwa National Park, sitting on a peninsula of land created by the meandering Luangwa River.
