Reviews of Chiawa Camp
(96%) From 28 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Chiawa Camp review
friendly knowledgable staff, beautiful location, care and attention
Read more about the whole safariChiawa Camp review
Since this was the most expensive camp we stayed at, we had high expectations. The tented rooms were large and there was lots of room for us despite the fact that we had 3 in a room.
The hosting couple are present and really go out of their way to make sure you have a special experience. The food here was superb and one can enjoy an a la carte dinner menu. The house wine was also excellent here. Special touches included a surprise lunch for the 5 of us that travelled together on a boat. After an excellent canoe excursion we were greeted by the hostess and had sun downers on a sandy spit. Later, all guest were treated to a surprise dinner in the bush. Even posh loos were set up for the guests.
The guys went fishing out on the river here with a guide in between an activity. There is lots of choice here. It is almost like a safari resort, yet I don't mean that in a negative way. Everything runs smoothly here and the atmosphere is relaxed. Some of the ktichen staff even sung a few songs for the guests. A Chiawa water bottle is given to you so that they can cut down on plastic water bottles. You have to be boated in here which adds to the adventure of this camp. The night drives were superb here. The best of any of the 4 camps we stayed at as there were always cats to see.
I did not enjoy the walking safari that much here as the area we walked in had very little to see. Also, a guide should ask have you been on any other walking safaris as since we had already been on 5 walks this trip and others on different trips, we had some basic knowledge about the common stuff you see. Also, since the terrain is hilly here, the walk is in a flatter area, but as a result ended up being quite short- 1.5 hours. I also had a hrad time understandiing our guide at times.
Two of the guides here were excellent- Paul and Rory. I am sure they are tops in their field. Paul led us on an amazing canoe safari , proably a highlight for me. The channel is full of birds and I enjoyed them and I am not a birder. Also, we had a thrilling expereince with the elephants that crossed the water channel and had a mud bath!
Rory took us out for a 4 hour plus morning jeep ride and since there was not lots of game out, he focused on the birds, plants and trees. Some of the guides were in training , but thier communication skills will need to really improve if Chiawa wants to maintain its status of having top guides. Again, I prefer just having one guide but we had many here. The setting is again idyllic and the moutains provide a wonderful backdrop. This was the perfect place to end our safari vacation.
Living first-class in the bush
Grant & Linsey were in charge, and did a terrific job. Linsey organised a (surprise) private dinner for us on a boat on the Zambezi, which was delightful. They organised a "bush" dinner for the whole camp the next night as a surprise - wonderful.
The birding, both on land and on the river, with Rory as a guide, was excellent - definitely to be recommended to serious birders.
Chiawa cannot be compared to the previous 3 camps as it is operated on a different level. It lived up to everything we had expected.
Chiawa Camp
Chiawa Camp - excellent management, by owners Grant and Lindsay Cumings and by manager Jason. Atmosphere was warm and welcoming, all staff treated guests in the same warm, friendly manner.
Only difficulty was the monkeys were able to open the zippers and get into the rooms, causing havoc in the room and stealing all medications, pills etc. They are working on solving this problem.
Loved being able to boat on the river, from sunset cruises to fishing to canoing.
Chiawa Camp still leads the way.
This was our fourth visit to this camp which says everything.
I cannot fault it in any way and can only say it is excellent in everything it is and does.
Chiawa Camp review
Hosts very attentive to desires of guests
Programs flexible to suit desires of guests
Everyone very friendly and attentive
Guides, including owner, excellent and knowledgeable
Chiawa Camp review
A delightful stay at Chiawa. Wonderful opportunity for canoeing down the Zambeze - if you have the nerve! Great guides too, although it might have been nice to have stayed with the same one throughout.
The game here was much better than at Old Mondoro, but not as good as at South Luangua.
Chiawa Camp review
The beauty of the setting and the standard of accommodation at Chiawa - plus the dedication of the married couple running the camp - made this a very special experience indeed.
We had opted for one of the new "Superior" tents - which was well worth the extra cost (I cannot stress this enough - they are of a fantastic quality, and appeared to be on a very different level from the standard tents).
The thoughtfulness of the management of Chiawa was also exceptional - ie the meals in surprising locations - as was the flexibility of the service (there was never any question of a guest not getting the activity they requested) and the variety of of activities on offer (from canoeing, cruising and fishing as well as the "usual" game-drives and walks).
Chiawa also serves wonderful food. We would judge this to be the most purely enjoyable three nights on safari we've ever had.
We have always believed that acting responsibly is the only way to approach tourism and we're one of
the few companies to hold AITO's original coveted 5-star status for responsible tourism. It's a lead
that others are now following.
