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
Nkwali
Nkwali
Nkwali
Nkwali
Nkwali
Nkwali
Nkwali

Reviews of Nkwali

Wildlife sightings and reviews

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

Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in Apr-2018, 60 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Nkwali.
Lion

88% success

Leopard

93% success

Wild dog

63% success

Hippo

100% success

Elephant

98% success

Giraffe

98% success

Zebra

98% success

Buffalo

86% success

Spotted Hyena

84% success

Wildebeest

27% success

Eland

9% success

Roan antelope

6% success

Aardvark

5% success

Sable antelope

5% success

Pangolin

0% success

Showing 101-110 of 238
Duration
Arrival date
Miss J
Bushey

"Beautiful Nkwali!"

3 nights Arrived 9 Jun 2016
"Nkwali is indeed beautiful, accommodation very high end and comfortable, food was something to look forward to every day, staff were lovely, special mention for Lynette who catered for your every need, no need to take more then two of everything as laundry service was excellent, my guide was Jacob who taught me so much, about the wildlife and tracking, his knowledge was amazing, even an expert on the star's, his ability to find animal's, putting you at angle's to get the right photographic shot held no bound's, his loveable humorous personality was a delight, felt privileged to have met the big man!" See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
SoCal Girl
USA

"Nkwali Review"

3 nights Arrived 16 May 2016
"Incredible experience. Staff and facilities are top notch.

Really paid attention to the details and need of guests." See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr&MrsJ
Rugby

"superb safari at Nkwali"

3 nights Arrived 25 Apr 2016
"Excellent camp well run food and game drives of the highest quality overall a superb start to our holiday" See all these reviews: 12n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs S
Warks

"Nkwali - great start to our safari"

3 nights Arrived 25 Apr 2016
"We spent the first 3 nights of our 10 day trip at Nkwali. The short transfer time from Mfuwe airport appealed to us and any reservations we may have had about Nkwali not being within the National Park were soon dispelled. On our first night we were woken by an elephant passing by our room and we had great game sightings on both sides of the river throughout our stay. Most memorably we found ourselves at the start of a morning walk in the middle of a wild dog hunt - fortunately it was not us they were chasing! We also saw a herd of 29 giraffe on one game drive - amazing.

We had reason to visit a local village and Project Luangwa and Robin Pope Safaris could not have been more helpful in facilitating this, for which we are extremely grateful. Many thanks to Karen Beattie, Fwilane and Fred.

The accommodation and catering were very good and the guiding excellent. A great start to our holiday." See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs C
Cornwall

"Returning to Nkwali"

9 nights Arrived 11 Apr 2016
"Room: The "honeymoon suite" no.6 was lovely (even if 40 years too late!).

Guiding: Excellent, Chris "the leopard whisperer" worked tirelessly to find excellent sightings.

Service & food: Always attentive and personal, food very good." See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
KK&J
UK

"Top Notch Safari"

3 nights Arrived 10 Apr 2016
"Every aspect of the hospitality was well thought out and impeccably delivered. The facilities were also very good.

In the room, the lack of cupboards and the proclivities of the monkeys could have been addressed by offering some raffia baskets for personal toiletries. Also, the presence of "doorstops" to keep the mosquito nets tight (see how they do it at Stanley Safari Lodge).

But these are my attempt at constructive suggestions and in no way impact on the overall impression of seamless efficiency and phenomenal luxury in the wilderness." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Jane
Colne

"Nkwali safari"

3 nights Arrived 6 Apr 2016
"Lovely rooms, well maintained great food attentive staff and I can't really fault it." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Good
Mr B
Hertfordshire

"What a retreat!"

6 nights Arrived 5 Dec 2015
"First visit but we will return!

Situated next to the river, albeit it was running at its lowest level, this is an excellent location with wild life, mostly elephant, baboon and monkey, wondering through the camp at close range. The accommodation was very good, we were in chalet 6 which, I believe, is the largest. Not a peak time to visit, there was only one other couple who were there 3 nights of our 6 night stay. The staff; Kiki, Shannon, Thomas (our guide) and the rest of the team looked after us very well and provided some unexpected treats.

The variety of animal and bird life was better than expected the high light being the daily encounter with a pack of 21 wild dogs as they prepared to hunt/chase Impala. Also had the pleasure of two elephants close to our room which chose to have a standing sleep for a couple of hours resting their trunks on a tree branch. A truly wonderful place." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 8n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Peter & Olga
France

"Nkwali review"

7 nights Arrived 11 Nov 2015
"This was our first visit to Nkwali as we have previously stayed at Tafika which we think is outstanding. So we were a bit apprehensive to find ourselves spending a week at Nkwali when Tafika became inaccessible due to heavy rains. However Nkwali turned out to be excellent in every way. Very nice rooms, excellent location and guiding and good food. Good sightings of leopards, lions and wild dogs. We were very well looked after - with surprise brunches and champagne sunsets - really a memorable week in all." See all these reviews: 12n in Zimbabwe; 8n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs T
Oxon

"Nkwali - 3 nights"

3 nights Arrived 18 Oct 2015
"It's hard to recall we only stayed 3 nights - here was a huge amount packed in there!

The guiding here was excellent - Chris is great for photographers and gets the vehicle in good positions for you (which is a definite skill not all drivers have). The camp is in a more frequented area of the park (but there was only one lion sighting at which there were a lot of vehicles) so there is some 'radio chatter'. The up-side is that you get to see wild dogs - the down-side is the other visitors *wry smile*.

The rooms very good, although do heed warnings about the baboons and keep your articles tidied away. (Slightly annoying to have to keep re-bagging toiletries when you have a fast start in the morning, but far from the worst place I've had with monkey / baboon issues).

Food, service, escort in the dark etc was all very good and efficiently arranged. Note that the mosquito nets aren't dropped for the siesta period - I collected a few tsetse bites on my exposed feet here so I suggest you apply preferred protection if needed.

The drive from the airport is fairly short (~ 40 min) through the local towns / villages. We were there at the end of the dry season and the river was low enough that we walked over on sandbags to vehicles waiting on the other side.

We were the only guests in camp for our final night and were offered a private dinner, which was a nice touch and much enjoyed." See all these reviews: 16n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Good
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Showing 101-110 of 238
96%
238 reviews of Nkwali by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
199
34
5
0
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.


Tafika

Tafika

One of the best camps in Zambia, Tafika is naturally built, combining excellent service and food with top guiding skills for a superb wildlife experience.


98% (318 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% (213 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% (191 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% (154 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% (152 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.


98% (119 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% (93 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)
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% (74 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.


96% (73 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.


99% (68 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% (65 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% (54 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% (38 reviews)
Robin Pope Safaris bush-camp

Robin Pope bush-camp

RPS bushcamping in South Luangwa National Park, Zambia


99% (29 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.


94% (25 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% (24 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% (21 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.


94% (18 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)
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)
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% (12 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% (5 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)
Chichele Presidential Lodge

Chichele Lodge

Currently undergoing renovations, Chichele Presidential Lodge stands high within the park, with superb views, and is due to reopen in late 2022.


100% (1 review)
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% (1 review)
Mapazi Camp

Mapazi Camp

Mapazi Camp is a basic safari camp in the far north of the South Luangwa, with walking safaris led by renowned guide Deb Tittle.


No reviews yet
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

Africa