This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more

Skip to main content

Talk to an expert 1-800-242-2434 Lines now closed

User menu
Tafika
Tafika
Tafika
Tafika
Tafika
Tafika
Tafika
Tafika
Tafika
Tafika
Tafika
Tafika

Reviews of Tafika

Wildlife sightings and reviews

340 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Tafika and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in May-2018, 97 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Tafika.
Lion

84% success

Leopard

92% success

Wild dog

42% success

Hippo

100% success

Zebra

99% success

Giraffe

99% success

Elephant

98% success

Buffalo

92% success

Spotted Hyena

92% success

Wildebeest

46% success

Eland

9% success

Roan antelope

3% success

Sable antelope

1% success

Aardvark

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Showing 111-120 of 340
Duration
Arrival date
Mr H & Ms E
London

"Back after 19 years and just as wonderful."

3 nights Arrived 10 Oct 2017
"Like going back to welcoming old friends. Tafika has lost none of its friendliness and quality. It's unusual in that it remains a family run venture.

Its natural setting and simple reed huts is underpinned by an amazing infrastructure and attention to detail. Great food and great guiding. We appreciated the introduction of battery fans as it was 104 degrees in the middle of the day in October.

The night drives are a real treat. Saw Leopard and Porcupine as well as many many lions and elephants." 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 R
Salisbury

"Absolutely fantastic"

2 nights Arrived 9 Oct 2017
"As far as we were concerned, Tafika and its sister camps are about as perfect a safari experience as it is possible to get.

The location is fantastic, the guiding is great and no importance is placed on superfluous luxuries.

Given the remoteness of the location, the quality and quantity of the food is quite extraordinary.

Try the mountain biking!" See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia; 3n in Botswana; 2n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr D
Witney

"Traditional Tafika"

3 nights Arrived 19 Sep 2017
"The journey to Tafika from Mfuwe by road is quite long and uncomfortable in the heat of the day; had we known about the option to fly in, we might well have chosen that option as other guests on our Proflight aircraft did. We thought Tafika was delightful and our hosts could not have been more welcoming.

Our stay was marred by Judy feeling quite ill for 36 hours and unable to take part in all the activities but on the second day she was able to sit outside by the river and watch the wildlife, including quite remarkably, the birth of a young Puku - something the owners had not seen in the 40 years they'd been in Africa. The game drives were full of wildlife experiences including lions, elephants, leopards and many species of birds - fantastic photographic opportunities.

The owners, Carole and John, were very keen to ensure Judy was taken good care of and did their very best to get appropriate food and drinks for her. In the end, a doctor who was visiting another guest checked her over and assured us that it was nothing serious and that she would recover, which she duly did." See all these reviews: 16n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Dr & Mrs C
Henley

"great place, great guiding, great place"

4 nights Arrived 19 Sep 2017
"Having been to Tafika many times before, everything there just suits us and meeting up with all the staff is like meeting friends.

John and Carol Coppinger have 'got it right'." See all these reviews: 14n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Dr & Mrs S
Cheshire

"Our favourite lodge"

8 nights Arrived 15 Sep 2017
"We've travelled across much of southern and eastern Africa, and Tafika remains our favourite destination with just the right combination of professional excellence and family friendliness.

Thanks (again) for the birthday cake and serenade." 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 V
Birmingham

"Return to Tafika"

4 nights Arrived 15 Sep 2017
"Again there is impressive guiding as usual; the important part is continuity at the Coppinger's camp. It is really impressive that the key staff are still present from my first visit 9 years ago. The store of experience and knowledge must be almost without challenge. I suppose this is shown by the number of returnees after their previous experience.

I do think that there is some restrictions as to where one can drive to view the game; the Salt Pan route appeared to have problems with mosquitos and tsetse fly and so visits were not frequent.

As usual the river though provided a pleasing focus, for sunsets.

Mona's food was excellent -- particularly lunch." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Good
Mrs M
Mill Valley, CA

"Tafika Review"

4 nights Arrived 13 Sep 2017
"Tafika has a lovely setting on the banks of the Luangwa River. The chalets are attractive and roomy. They are thatched and open at all times, with mosquito netting around the beds at night. This means that you will find more than the usual number of insects and other critters (e.g., mice, dragon flies, small frogs, small snakes) in your chalet.

The owners, John and Carol Coppinger are very gracious and good hosts, joining their guests for most meals. The staff is attentive and helpful. The guides, led by Brian, are quite good. They don’t use radios in their vehicles (except for emergencies), so if one guide finds something of interest, there’s no way to share that information with the others. However, as Brian pointed out, without radios, the vehicles are quieter, and there’s no chance of the guides’ abusing their use.

The camp is located in the Nsefu sector of the South Luangwa Park, and it seemed to me and my group that the area covered in the game drives is quite a bit less than at other camps (Kaingo and Mwamba, as examples). This led to our retracing our steps in almost every drive. Granted, you still see different things, but sometimes the scenery felt repetitive. That said, we did see a lot of different birds and animals.

Alex was our guide. He was easy to be with and very knowledgeable; however, at times he was unnecessarily aggressive with animals in order to get them to react (e.g., driving fast through a group of buffalo and again through a group of elephants). Also, the guides, as a group, seemed to be competitive toward one another, rather than mutually supportive as we found at other camps." See all these reviews: 17n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Good
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr A & family
UK

"Return to Tafika"

5 nights Arrived 4 Sep 2017
"My 5th visit standards remain very high and importantly for me the Team appears unchanged with the exception of the guiding by local Zambians which has materially improved a very positive development .The food provided was outstanding and better than I recalled .

It was the first time in Africa for my wife and she immediately felt relaxed with the very high professionalism of the whole team." See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs A
Bristol

"Tafika review"

4 nights Arrived 26 Aug 2017
"This was the first safari lodge we had visited and was not disappointed.
Our lodge looked basic from the outside but when one entered it was quite luxurious.
All the staff were friendly, professional, and always available to help.The guides were incredibly knowledgeable and made our walking safari and game drives fun and educational.

It would be remiss of me not to mention that we probably owe our lives to Steven and Justin, our guides, and Ronaldo our Scout. When we were charged by a very angry bull elephant it was only their quick thinking and training that kept us from harm. We had never run so fast in our lives.

The catering is absolutely incredible with every meal being a delight. How this is achieved in the bush I don't know. You do not lose weight at Tafika.

We enjoyed our time at Tafika and would wholeheartedly recommend it to anybody visiting South Luangwa." See all these reviews: 16n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs B
Dersingham

"Too short a time at Tafika"

2 nights Arrived 21 Aug 2017
"We had wanted to stay longer but when we were booking there were no more free places. It was disappointing to find when we arrived that those reservations had not been taken up, so in fact we could have stayed longer.

This was our third visit to Tafika and when we arrived we were greeted like old friends even though it was four years since we last visited. There were many familiar faces. One new face - Tatti - is a real asset to the camp, being friendly, engaging and pro-active.

The rooms, décor and routine were all comfortingly familiar - when something works so well you don't need to change it.

Guiding, as usual, from Bryan and Lloyd was of the highest standard." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Showing 111-120 of 340
98%
340 reviews of Tafika by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
313
24
2
1
0
Filter by month

Holiday styles & special interests in Zambia

From birdwatching breaks to walking holidays, find great ideas for your trip in Zambia.


Birdwatching

Birdwatching

Diverse habitats, discreet hides and superb guiding.

Cultural experiences

Cultural experiences

Get an insight into Africa's cultures and history.

Family holidays

Family holidays

Hand-picked camps for an incredible family safari.

Honeymoons

Honeymoons

Romantic safaris and castaway island retreats.

Luxury

Luxury

First-class service, scenic vistas and unparalleled comfort await you during these carefully selected luxury holidays. 

Photography holidays

Photography holidays

Great holidays to suit the keen photographer.

Private villas & houses

Private villas & houses

Enjoy Africa with just your friends & family

Riding holidays

Riding holidays

Explore Africa's wilderness on horseback.

Solo Travel

Solo Travel

Trip ideas ideally suited for a solo traveller.

Walking

Walking

Explore Africa's most scenic trails on foot.

Walking safaris

Walking safaris

Explore Africa's untouched wildernesses on foot.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing

Wellness escapes in stunning locations

Wildlife safaris

Wildlife safaris

These trips include hard-hitting game and fascinatingly elusive species alike, as well as superb guiding and a variety of diverse ecosystems.

Other lodges in South Luangwa National Park

Alternative places to stay in this same area.


Nkwali

Nkwali

On the banks of the Luangwa River, with its own access to the national park, the intimate Nkwali is open year round.


97% (252 reviews)
Kaingo Camp

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.


97% (221 reviews)
Nsefu

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.


98% (203 reviews)
Mwamba Bushcamp

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.


99% (160 reviews)
Tena Tena

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.


95% (160 reviews)
Chikoko Tree Camp

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.


99% (126 reviews)
Big Lagoon Camp

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.


98% (101 reviews)
Luangwa River Camp

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.


97% (82 reviews)
Flatdogs Camp

Flatdogs Camp

A relatively big safari camp, Flatdogs offers value for money with great guiding and good food in a comfortable, relaxed setting.


98% (78 reviews)
Kapani Lodge

Kapani Lodge

Kapani Lodge is now the main office base for Norman Carr Safaris, one of the Luangwa's oldest safari operations.


95% (78 reviews)
Mchenja Bushcamp

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.


98% (71 reviews)
Kakuli Bushcamp

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.


97% (66 reviews)
Nsolo Bushcamp

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.


97% (55 reviews)
Kafunta River Lodge

Kafunta River Lodge

Kafunta is a laid-back, friendly and good-value lodge on the outskirts of South Luangwa National Park.


96% (45 reviews)
Luwi Bushcamp

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.


93% (39 reviews)
Robin Pope Safaris bush-camp

Robin Pope bush-camp

RPS bushcamping in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia


99% (30 reviews)
Lion Camp

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.


95% (30 reviews)
Robin Pope Safaris Mobile Safari Camp

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.


98% (25 reviews)
Puku Ridge

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.


96% (23 reviews)
Kapamba Bushcamp

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.


95% (20 reviews)
Mfuwe Lodge

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.


95% (19 reviews)
Kuyenda Bushcamp

Kuyenda Bushcamp

Kuyenda Bushcamp is a classic bushcamp with particularly delightful hosts and offers top-class walking safaris in South Luangwa National Park.


99% (16 reviews)
Luangwa Safari House

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.


100% (14 reviews)
Three Rivers Camp

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.


95% (13 reviews)
Island Bush Camp

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.


100% (13 reviews)
Bilimungwe Bushcamp

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.


95% (13 reviews)
Chinzombo

Chinzombo

Opened in early June 2013, Chinzombo offers luxurious and stylish accommodation with very high levels of service and excellent guiding.


98% (13 reviews)
Chindeni

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.


97% (12 reviews)
Robin's House

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.


95% (11 reviews)
Kawaza Village

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.


95% (11 reviews)
Chamilandu Bushcamp

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.


100% (6 reviews)
Mwamba Camp-out

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.


92% (5 reviews)
Zungulila

Zungulila

Zungulila is a small, comfortable tented bushcamp with an emphasis on walking safaris, in the remote southern section of the South Luangwa.


93% (3 reviews)
Shawa Luangwa Camp

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.


93% (3 reviews)
Luwi Riverbed Sleepout

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.


100% (2 reviews)
Chichele Presidential Lodge

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.


100% (1 review)
Chikunto Safari Lodge

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.


No reviews yet

Login to Expert Africa

Sign in with password

Sign in with email link


New to Expert Africa? Create an account

Forgotten your details?

It's free & quick to set up

  • Save your wish-list
  • Send us an enquiry
  • Pay online for your trip
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Give us feedback on your trip
  • Full site benefits of the site

Need some help? Talk to our team

Newsletter background

Stay in the know with Expert Africa

Join our newsletter. Get the latest on new camps and lodges, insights from our team, uplifting conservation stories and more...

A few more details and you're subscribed

Thanks!

Almost there! We've sent you an email to confirm your subscription. Just click on the link and you'll soon be receiving our newsletter in your inbox.

In the meantime, take a look at our previous Bush Telegraph newsletters.
Africa