Read 12 traveller reviews of Mchenja Bushcamp

Mchenja Bushcamp is Norman Carr Safaris' flagship bushcamp. It's a beautiful camp in a lovely setting within an ebony grove, beside a bend of the Luangwa River. It was completely refurbished in 2004/5 to quite a luxurious standard – making it quite different from the small, wooden A-framed chalets that used to stand here!

We loved Mchenja Camp when we visited in June 2007! The whole camp, including all the rooms, has lovely wide views of the river, and is cool and shaded under the grove of tall ebony and sausage trees around it.

The main lounge-and-bar area is cleverly designed and quite unusual; it incorporates a tree that looks as if it's falling into the dining area. The lounge has comfortable chairs and sofas as well as a small library – many of which are about the local area. The bar is well stocked with soft drinks, spirits, beer and wine; we were told to help ourselves when we wanted to!

The deck of the sitting area extends outside the thatch, with a recliner, a couple of comfortable chairs and a sofa to relax upon. On the deck, under the thatch, there's a small shaded plunge pool. This is deep enough to completely submerge in, but not large enough to swim in.

Mchenja is a small camp with only five tented chalets; three on one side and two on the other. Each is a big and very comfortable octagonal tent – designed to be light and airy, wide canvas windows let the breeze through – with an en-suite, open-air bathroom with a (hot & cold) shower, a flush toilet and hand-basin in the corner.

The guiding here is good – Levy Banda, the camp manager, has been with Norman Carr Safaris for 14 years and trained under Norman Carr himself. When we visited in June 2007, he was ably helped by a superb camp hostess and a great team.

Mchenja is in a good game area and offers both walking safaris and 4WD safaris (with more-or-less equal emphasis on both). As with most of the South Luangwa, sightings of lion and leopard are fairly common (we stayed just a night, but had a good lion sighting in that time), and birding highlights of our stay here included saddle-billed and yellow-billed storks and some fish eagles.

Generally the game drives either head north, towards Kaingo Camp and the Lion Plain area – or you head south into the north side of the park's main network of roads around Mfuwe Lagoon. The walks usually meander in and out of the ebony grove, which runs roughly parallel to the course of the main Luangwa River.

Mchenja makes a great relaxing end-point for a safari in South Luangwa; it's small, and rather more luxurious than most of the Luangwa's other bushcamps.

Click on the link below 'Trips to Mchenja Bushcamp …, on the right of this page, for examples of such trips >>

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Tented Chalet at Mchenja Bushcamp

Lodge overview

Lodge type: Safari

No. of bedrooms: 5 tents

Season: 20 May to 31 October

Ideal length of stay: Ideally about 3 nights – and Mchenja combines well with its sister-bushcamps, Nsolo Bushcamp, Kakuli Bushcamp and Mchenja Camp - and, of course, trips will often start and/or end (or both) at Kapani Lodge

Central facilities: The central 'chitenge' area consists of comfortable sofas and chairs, as well as a small bar area and large dining table. There is also a small plunge pool shaded under the thatch – but this isn't very secluded or private!

Geographics

Location: South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

Directions: Fly to Mfuwe and transfer to camp. About 2 hours easy drive (part through villages, part safari) from Mfuwe Airport.

Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer

Key personnel

Owner: Norman Carr Safaris

Staff: Camp manager and guide – Levy Banda assisted by a hostess. Guide: relief guides are brought in from Kapani to help out when the camp is full (we had Brian from Kapani during our stay in June 2007) Chef: Stanley assisted by Andrew

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Full Board

Food quality: On our visit in June 2007 the food was very good and the house wine was of a good quality. A light breakfast is served at sunrise on the grassy rivers edge, before your early morning activity. There is a good selection of cereals, porridge, homemade flapjacks and toast cooked on the open campfire along with tea, coffee and fruit juice. Brunch is a buffet and is served in the main area at about 11:30 - there is usually a hot and cold choice. On our recent trip, we had a quiche and lasagna along with a selection of salads followed by fruit salad. After a midday siesta, everyone gathers for afternoon tea and delicious homemade cake before heading out for their afternoon/evening activity. Sundowners are served whilst out on your game drive and a wide choice of drinks is normally available along with some nibbles. Dinner is served at about 20:00 – 20:30 on your return from your evening game drive. This normally consists of three courses followed by tea or coffee.

Dining style: Group Meals

Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining

Room service: No

Cost of meal e.g. lunch: Included

Drinks included: Yes - soft drinks, house wine and local spirits are included in the rates. Note that fine wines, champagne and imported spirits and liqueurs, are charged as extras.

Special interests

Honeymoons: Mchenja is a wonderful romantic spot to be pampered – the tented chalets have a soft, romantic feel, and the team here are good at making people feel special. For example, special private honeymoon dinner can be arranged. - See more of our suggestions of the best places for Honeymoons

Birdwatching: Mchenja stands beside the Luangwa River, and near several large lagoons – so has several different environments within easy reach. The birding here is good; with water-birds and many dry-country species. Nearby on a short visit we saw flocks of yellow-billed storks, many solitary saddle-billed storks, fish eagles, white-fronted bee-eaters, kingfishers and many others. - See more of our suggestions of the best places for Birdwatching

Walking: South Luangwa is probably Africa's best park for big game walking safaris. Mchenja always offers walking safaris as an optional activity – in a lovely area for walking. Muchenja as particularly easy to combine into a camp-to-camp walking trip. It's only a morning's walk from its sister-camps, Kakuli Camp or Nsolo Camp. - See more of our suggestions of the best places for Walking

Wildlife: South Luangwa is one of Africa's top big game destinations, with high densities of wildlife; night drives make sightings of lion and leopard particularly common. On our last drive here, we saw many antelope – including impala and puku – a slender mongoose, a genet and a bushbaby, before an exciting hour or more following a pride of three lion out hunting. - See more of our suggestions of the best places for Wildlife

Children

Attitude towards children: Children under 12 years of age are accepted only if the camp is booked exclusively for the family group. For safety reasons, children under 12 years are never allowed out on guided walks – but they can join game drives.

Age restrictions: No children under 12.

Equipment: None

Generally recommended for children: No – unless booked out for the whole family group.

Notes: The camp is unfenced, and has dangerous big game wandering through it regularly. It's also beside the steep, unfenced and occasionally unstable bank of the Luangwa River – with crocs and hippos below! So any children brought here must be closely supervised at all times.

Central communications

Power supply: Solar Power

Communications: Radio only.

TV & radio: None – you are on safari!

Health & safety

Malarial area: Yes

Medical care: The nearest doctor is based at a clinic near Kapani (about 1 hour fast drive) For emergencies one would need to be airlifted to Lusaka or Joburg.

Dangerous animals: High Risk

Security measures: The camp is located within the National Park and is unfenced. You are requested not to walk alone after dark and will be escorted to and from your tent by a guide.

Fire safety: None

Extras

Disabled access: Not Possible

Laundry facilities: Full Laundry Service - Included

Money: No money is accepted in camp (but then everything, apart from tips and a few special drinks, is included in the cost).

Accepted payment: None

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