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 open now

User menu
Ruckomechi Camp
Ruckomechi Camp
Ruckomechi Camp
Ruckomechi Camp
Ruckomechi Camp
Ruckomechi Camp

Reviews of Ruckomechi Camp

Wildlife sightings and reviews

15 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Ruckomechi Camp 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-2019, 4 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Ruckomechi Camp.
Lion

100% success

Leopard

0% success

Cheetah

0% success

Wild dog

0% success

Buffalo

100% success

Elephant

100% success

Hippo

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Spotted Hyena

75% success

Eland

50% success

Sable antelope

50% success

Roan antelope

25% success

Wildebeest

25% success

Aardvark

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Showing 1-10 of 15
Duration
Arrival date
Ms AW
SW London

"Ruckomechi Camp review"

3 nights Arrived 27 Aug 2023
"Although this is a large camp I thoroughly enjoyed it. Being on the Zambezi river is just beautiful and the view of the Zambian mountains makes for a perfect backdrop.

Loved our cruise and sundowners watching a hippo pod. The elephants wander around this camp. The staff were fabulous here.

We had an amazing experienced guide called Englibert who made our outings memorable. We thoroughly enjoyed the lunches here- a lovely variety of salads. Since I was travelling with my son, they put us in the family room which was a nice bonus.

I also like it as they did a lunch in the bush for everyone at camp. Also, a very nice touch is giving you a cloth to wash Hands when you arrive back after a game drive." See all these reviews: 8n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

1 sighting

Eland

3 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Lion

10 sightings

Zebra

2 sightings

Mrs B
Oxon

"Five Star Safari at Ruckomechi Camp"

3 nights Arrived 4 Jul 2019
"Terrific food and service

Excellent guiding and sightings

Beautifully appointed room" See all these reviews: 13n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

Multiple sightings

Eland

Multiple sightings

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Hippo

Multiple sightings

Lion

Multiple sightings

Roan antelope

Multiple sightings

Sable antelope

Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena

Multiple sightings

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Mr & Mrs J
Oxforshire

"Ruckomechi Camp review"

3 nights Arrived 4 Jul 2019
"Again great guides, Elephants wandering past all the buildings great to see them so close.

Enjoyed canoeing down the Zambezi.

Very well looked after by all the staff." See all these reviews: 13n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

1 sighting

Elephant

1 sighting

Hippo

1 sighting

Lion

1 sighting

Sable antelope

1 sighting

Spotted Hyena

1 sighting

Zebra

1 sighting

Mr & Mrs O
Somerset

"Ruckomechi - A Lodge With A View"

5 nights Arrived 27 Apr 2019
"We were delayed arriving at Harare and then found no one to meet us. After searching, we decided to find the Domestic terminal ourselves where we eventually met up with our Wilderness Air pilot. Apparently those tasked to meet us had seen our delay from Johannesburg and decided to leave. We finally arrived at Mana West, hot and bothered. It was only Freddie's inclusion of the words '..and they will direct you to the Domestic Terminal...' that saved us considerable grief.

Ruckomechi is a standard Wilderness Classic camp set stunningly on the banks of the mighty Zambezi. With the mountains of Zambia across the river as a backdrop, it is one of the most beautiful places we have ever been privileged to stay. The deputy manager Michelle was running the camp for our whole stay and was both charming and super efficient. Nothing was too much trouble and she rapidly gripped issues while always being on hand if needed. Indeed, after saying how hot our room was she suggested and arranged a move to a beautifully shaded room after our first night. The food was the only question mark with delicious breakfasts, brunches and teas but less inspiring dinners eaten in dim lighting and served already plated. However, they not only remembered us as frequent Wilderness clients but also catered for Hilary's special dietary needs.

At Michelle's suggestion we undertook a day trip to see Mana Pools National Park and it was this that caused us the only serious niggle of our stay. I have dealt with the detail in a separate email but suffice to say here that guests who decide to take the same outing should ensure that Wilderness are fully confident how much the park office will charge them. However, we also query the benefit of such a trip. The drive crosses the Ruckomechi and Vundu concessions and then right across the top of the National Park as the office is on the far side. This is a long drive, especially if there are sightings, leaving little time to see much of the park before setting off on the return journey. Nonetheless, apart from the fees saga, we had a wonderful day trip.

Due to low occupancy we had a vehicle and guide to ourselves for the whole stay. Mundoga was superb - bright, cheerful, skilled and fun to be with he worked his socks off to ensure we saw everything there was to see. While we saw a few lions, we saw no other major cats but made up in spades with huge numbers of elephant, hippo and buffalo. The main sightings were an utter profusion of birds, many of which we had never seen.

We loved our stay at Ruckomechi and would return in an instant." See all these reviews: 9n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

4 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Lion

6 sightings

Spotted Hyena

2 sightings

Zebra

4 sightings

Mr & Mrs M
Canterbury

"On the banks of the lower Zambezi ...."

4 nights Arrived 30 Oct 2015
"After a seamless transfer from the airstrip, we received a very warm welcome from camp manager, Karen. From then on the service and support in the camp was first class (as previously experienced from Wilderness Safaris); the activities varied; and the wildlife viewing superb - including the continual visits from the elephants, and lion tracks around the room!

Our guide, Nyenge, was very knowledgeable and friendly. He went out of his way to ensure all his guests were catered for.

The weather was extreme - a heat wave at the already hottest time of the year peaking at 48.3C! Ceiling fans could have helped but we suspect not a lot. The pool was a very welcome facility, as was the opportunity to undertake game viewing from the river in the afternoons (cooler than conventional game drives)." See all these reviews: 12n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs P
W Midlands

"Paradise on the Zambezi"

3 nights Arrived 7 Oct 2015
"We had very high hopes of Ruckomechi, one of the most expensive places we have ever stayed in, and we certainly weren't disappointed.

It's an exceptionally beautiful location and absolutely everything is done to a very high standard. Apparently the camp is due for a rebuild at the end of the season, but we thought it looked great.

Part of the charm of the place is that elephants and other large animals wander freely through the camp. We never felt unsafe, as the very competent staff had briefed us on what to do and there was always somebody within earshot. We had room 4, though they may all be as good. Quite private from each other, each has an outdoor shower with an open view and a spacious bathroom/dressing area within the tent, which was very comfortably furnished.

Lovely public areas, including a small 'plunge' pool.

We did all our activities with the exceptional and very experienced Temba, reinforcing our belief that Zimbabwean guides really are the best in Africa. We went canoeing and even spent a night up a tree on the 'sleeping platform'. Didn't get much sleep, but it was a unique experience.

We now need to find an excuse to go back to Ruckomechi one day!" See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia; 5n in Zimbabwe; 4n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs AL
France

"Brlliant Camp in an excellent location"

4 nights Arrived 29 Sep 2015
"The location of the Ruckomechi Concession offers the perfect safari experience with varied bush environments and the awesome Zambezi River. The Camp has an amazing riverside location and is extremely comfortable in all aspects.

Rooms, food and service were excellent although we did find the Wilderness Safari practice of clearing plates before everyone at the table had finished eating was annoying and spoiled a relaxed time (this is also considered to be the height of bad manners in the UK and some of us object to being treated like Americans!!}

The staff were very friendly but this somewhat larger camp seemed more corporate and lacked the family atmosphere of Little Makalolo. The guides are of the highest standard with encyclopaedic knowledge and great personalities and the game drives and river cruises were superb. We were somewhat disappointed that the walking activity was not readily available and it required some persistence on our part to arrange a superb morning walk which turned out to be one of the highlights of our holiday.

Sharing the camp with Elephants required caution but we did not feel in any danger, although lions resting outside our tent, after dinner one evening, did require extreme caution and brought to light the professionalism of the staff.

On a negative note, we must say that some of our game drives were disturbed by selfish photographers with their intrusive equipment - noisy cameras with overly large lenses and tripods. We discussed this problem with a sympathetic camp manager (Karen) who had raised this very issue with Wilderness Safaris. We feel that these people should be advised that they should charter or share a vehicle with like minded photographers.

We sincerely hope that the planned refurbishment of the excellent camp does not result in a large increase in rates!! We hope to return !!" See all these reviews: 11n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mrs B
Oxon

"Ruckomechi Review"

3 nights Arrived 8 Jun 2015
"First class service from Karen, Elizabeth and Amy and from guides - Chris and Nyengy.

So good, we went back again." See all these reviews: 13n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Birdwatcher
UK

"Wonderful location, excellent guiding"

3 nights Arrived 12 Jun 2014
"Very efficient comfortable camp great location and all tents comfortable. Staff v attentive and guides excellent..knowledgable and tailored it to our interests..walking birds and detailed observations. loved the tree house...would in retrospect liked to have stayed there long after sun up watching the waterhole..would have been happy to have been left there in the early am with a flask and a few biscuits and be picked up later.
The starlit bath was memorable and we saw wonderful wildlife moments..including elephants swimming across the river just in front of the camp
I would like to have had a star map perhaps,but this is a minor point.
also to say the transfers were good and the pilots personable and efficient which was reassuring!" See all these reviews: 9n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr T & Ms N
Toronto

"Ian and Michelle - Ruckomechi Camp Review"

2 nights Arrived 6 Oct 2012
"After having the time of our lives in Zambia, our very first impression of Ruckemechi was a touch concerning. By comparison it seemed corporate and a little over-the-top, with a very large staff and great big permanent tent accommodations with concrete floors giving the impression of a small hotel room rather than a bush camp tent. Really very impressive, but different than than the first camp we had just come from. But I really can't say enough about the view we had - facing the Zambezi River, with Waterbucks grazing in the foreground and elephants wandering on a small island in the background. Truly awesome! It took very little time for us to recognize all the amazing attributes of Ruckomechi, and we enjoyed it very much.

We did not use some of the alternative activities offered such boating/fishing/canoeing/walking because we had just come from 4 days of walking and were about to go on a 3 night canoe trip - so we focused just on the game drives. Due to the time of year, well into the dry season there was not a lot of activity in the upper regions of the trails but there were a lot of animals bunched closer to the river.

We were lucky enough to see wild (painted) dogs, and a lion kill, as well as many other animals and birds. We had just one guide, Kevin, who was extremely knowledgeable and had a great sense of humour - so we forgave him for failing to find the elusive Cheetah. We will have to come back sometime to fill-in that one small gap." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia; 6n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Showing 1-10 of 15
93%
15 reviews of Ruckomechi Camp by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
12
2
0
1
0
Filter by month

Holiday styles & special interests in Zimbabwe

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


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 Mana Pools National Park

Alternative places to stay in this same area.


Vundu Camp

Vundu Camp

Overlooking the Zambezi River in Mana Pools National Park, Vundu Camp is a small, comfortable bushcamp offering top-notch guiding.


95% (46 reviews)
Kanga Bush Camp

Kanga Bush Camp

Unspoiled and peaceful, Kanga Bush Camp is located in a remote and exclusive part of Mana Pools National Park, overlooking the Kanga Pan.


91% (16 reviews)
Stretch Ferreira Safaris Camp

Stretch Ferreira Safaris

Stretch Ferreira Safaris Camp is a small, owner-run camp on the banks of the Zambezi River in Mana Pools National Park, with the emphasis on great guiding.


95% (15 reviews)
Zambezi Expeditions

Zambezi Expeditions

Zambezi Expeditions is a simple, semi-permanent camp along the Zambezi River that offers excellent guiding and standards of service.


97% (12 reviews)
Nyamatusi Camp

Nyamatusi Camp

Overlooking the Zambezi River, the luxury Nyamatusi Camp occupies a pristine wilderness environment.


91% (7 reviews)
Mana Pools Canoe Trail

Mana Canoe Trail

The Canoe Trail is a multi-day trip, along the Zambezi with some of the best guides in Africa. Each night you'll camp on the banks of the river.


100% (4 reviews)
Little Vundu

Little Vundu

Closely associated with Vundu Camp, Little Vundu has the same great location and quality of guides, and is occasionally used for private group bookings.


95% (4 reviews)
Kavinga Safari Camp

Kavinga Safari Camp

Kavinga is a comfortable tented camp tucked away in a less-visited area of Mana Pools National Park with surprisingly good wildlife and an excellent hide.


93% (3 reviews)
John's Camp

John's Camp

John's Camp is a semi-mobile tented camp offering walking safaris, game drives, and fishing in Zimbabwe's Mana Pools National Park.


90% (2 reviews)
Nyamatusi Mahogany

Nyamatusi Mahogany

Nyamatusi Mahogany is a family-friendly, yet remote and luxurious safari camp in Mana Pools National Park.


100% (2 reviews)
Chikwenya Camp

Chikwenya Camp

One of the original properties in Mana Pools area we are excited to be featuring Chikwenya Camp again.


90% (2 reviews)
Little Ruckomechi

Little Ruckomechi

In a shady spot beside the Zambezi, Little Ruckomechi is a small but luxurious camp offering a reange of activities including walking and canoe trips.


100% (1 review)
Ingwe Pan Camp

Ingwe Pan Camp

Ingwe Pan Camp is due to open in May and will be located in a remote area in the north of the Mana Pools National Park


No reviews yet
Tembo Plains Camp

Tembo Plains Camp

Building commenced on Tembo Plains Camp in February 2021. Details are sparce at this stage but we'll update this page once we know more.


No reviews yet
Mana River Camp

Mana River Camp

Mana River Camp sits on the banks of the Zambezi River, a site formerly occupied by Mwinilunga Camp.


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