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Muchenje Safari Lodge
Muchenje Safari Lodge
Muchenje Safari Lodge
Muchenje Safari Lodge
Muchenje Safari Lodge
Muchenje Safari Lodge
Muchenje Safari Lodge

Reviews of Muchenje Safari Lodge

Wildlife sightings and reviews

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

Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in Jun-2018, 37 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Muchenje Safari Lodge.
Lion

89% success

Leopard

50% success

Cheetah

0% success

Wild dog

25% success

Elephant

100% success

Giraffe

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Buffalo

97% success

Hippo

94% success

Sable antelope

53% success

Spotted Hyena

47% success

Wildebeest

44% success

Roan antelope

35% success

Eland

23% success

Brown Hyena

15% success

Sitatunga

9% success

Aardvark

3% success

Pangolin

3% success

Showing 1-10 of 171
Duration
Arrival date
D&K
New York City

"Muchenje Safari Lodge review"

3 nights Arrived 30 Jun 2023
"The staff and management did everything they could to welcome us and make us feel comfortable.Our chalet was lovely with extraordinary views. The fact that there are no phones in the chalets and a strict rule that guests are not to walk around after dark to and from the lodge, can be a little limiting but didn't affect us.

The food was plentiful and creative, though it was surprising that there wasn't much fish served. Vegetarian options were very good and clearly marked.

There are 3 areas in activities where we would suggest some improvements:

1) it would have been helpful to know what ALL the activities options were (dawn safari, afternoon safari, night safari, all day water safari followed by land safari, village visit, mokoro ride). Instead the Lodge seemed to plan how we would do the various options based on what was easiest or best for them or their guides.

In our case, we did the full day (11 hours: dawn safari, breakfast, water safair and land safari through Chobe Nat Park) because we thought it was the only way it could be done.
Instead it became clear that there were other options (doing a second water safari with lunch).

2) We had the lodge arrange a late afternoon mokoro trip for us which was great and peaceful. No one told us about that option and had we not read about it ourselves, we would have missed this experience. No one suggested that we bring money to tip the mokoro guide who was not part of the Lodge. (We wound up leaving the tip in an envelope for him at the Lodge.)

3) The Lodge needs a better, more hygenic bathroom option before and after the water safari as there are no bathrooms on the boat and the bathroom at the marina is terrible. We're aware that Muchenje management has been trying to get the government department to make the marina bathroom better. Muchenje did switch to using the satisfactory bathroom at the Chobe National Park entrance, 15 minutes from the water safari boat started and ended (and that was fine)." See all these reviews: 3n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe; 2n in Namibia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Buffalo

10 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

1 sighting

Lion

2 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Family P
Cirencester

"Muchenje Safari Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 8 Jun 2023
"What a spectacular location!

Rooms aren't big but are tastefully furnished, well equipped and take full advantage of the view.

Good food and welcoming hosts.

Elephants were regularly eating plants in the garden, even during the day.

The "whole day out" game viewing is a different approach to the other camps we stayed in, but works well.

A large herd of elephants passed within 2 feet of the boat when we we stopped for lunch on the edge of the riverbank." See all these reviews: 13n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr and Mrs L
USA

"Muchenje Safari Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 31 May 2023
"The setting of Muchenje Safari Lodge is quite stunning perched high above the Chobe floodplain.

Our guide Rambo was excellent. We saw so many animals on our drives down by the river- took an incredible boat trip and got to see elephants up close swimming - playing and eating the grasses in the water while being docked right next to them having our lunch.

At day break Rambo tracked a male lion and lioness walking along a sandy path - a breathtaking sight in that light to be able to watch and trail them. There was an abundance of wildlife and Rambo loved sharing his knowledge about each species. An unforgettable time." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Buffalo

Multiple sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

Multiple sightings

Lion

3 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr & Mrs G
Cottenham

"Great lodge just over the Ngoma Bridge"

2 nights Arrived 9 Dec 2022
"This was a lovely lodge close to the Namibia boarder (Ngoma Bridge). We were welcomed by Kiddy on arrival who showed us around the main facilities and our room. A huge thunderstorm started shortly after arrival which was quite the scene over the Chobe River flood plains. The lodge is perched on the top edge of the ridge and as a result commands amazing views across the Chobe towards Namibia.

The staff were all welcoming and friendly. Breakfasts and lunches were informal with group seating allowing to meet and interact with other guests. At dinner, the starter and dessert was brought out to you at the tables, with the main being self service. The food was tasty, with a variety of options to choose from at each mealtime.

We arranged to be out on game drives first thing in the mornings and in the afternoons, and also opted for the after breakfast boat trip on the waters near Sedudu Island (an hour away at Kasane). This included lunch on the boat. The afternoon game drive started from there, slowly wending our way back to the lodge by sunset. For all activities we were with a group of other guests (5 of us in the vehicle). Philly was our guide, who was very knowledgeable and good company. He and other members of staff invited us to watch the England vs France world cup match with them, which was god fun.

We enjoyed our stay." See all these reviews: 12n in Namibia; 4n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Buffalo

7 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

6 sightings

Lion

1 sighting

Spotted Hyena

1 sighting

Zebra

8 sightings

Mr and Mrs W
GLOS

"Muchenje Safari Lodge review"

2 nights Arrived 23 Oct 2022
"Completely different type of game viewing from previous 2 camps. Game seen more in herds and large numbers.
More game vehicles here than in Okavango Delta but we were expecting that and it wasn't a problem.
Beautiful view from Safari lodge.
Particularly nice swimming pool.
Lovely staff.
Communal dining and good food.
The owners were very present at the lodge and talked to the guests at mealtimes.
Again excellent guiding.
We watched lionesses stalking 2 warthogs though they didn't make a kill.
The vast herds of buffalo were particularly spectacular and elephants playing in the mud was also a memorable sight.
We went on a boat trip along the Chobe river which made for excellent wildlife viewing and was very relaxing.
Lodge owners arranged for Covid tests for children which were seamlessly added to the days programme and only took approx 20 mins and they took us back later in the day again without any major deviation so we could physically pick up the results.
The driver who took us to the crossing into Zimbabwe was very helpful and made sure we got in the correct queues etc." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Buffalo

4 sightings

Elephant

3 sightings

Giraffe

5 sightings

Hippo

2 sightings

Lion

2 sightings

Spotted Hyena

1 sighting

Wildebeest

3 sightings

Zebra

5 sightings

Dr and Ms R
Bristol

"A beautiful lodge with excellent guiding"

3 nights Arrived 3 Oct 2022
"Pictures of Muchenje Lodge can't do justice to the fantastic views over the Chobe river to Namibia. From the wooden terrace of our very comfortable room we could see zebras and hippos below, and several times elephants came into the camp at night.

There were only a few people staying when we were there, so we had a safari vehicle to ourselves for the morning and evening game drives. Our guide Rambo was brilliant; we saw lions, a leopard and a huge number of other animals and birds. A highlight of the trip was the boat ride from Kasane followed by a game drive; we were out from 10 am until 19.30 and ate our lunch on the boat with hundreds of elephants on the bank nearby. The walk from the lodge was also very enjoyable.

We were made very welcome by all the staff who could not have been more helpful and friendly. Vegetarian food was readily available and delicious. A private candle lit dinner was organised for us as it was a special wedding anniversary celebration. Overall, an excellent place to stay." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia; 3n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Buffalo

10 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

1 sighting

Lion

1 sighting

Roan antelope

5 sightings

Spotted Hyena

1 sighting

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr & Mrs J.
Chester

"Muchenje Safari Lodge review"

3 nights Arrived 25 Sep 2022
"The lodge is in a lovely position overlooking the Chobe River. Fabulous views. The lodge was very comfortable and the staff very welcoming and helpful.
Great guide.

Be prepared for the fact that a visit here is fairly full on if you want to do all of the activities, mainly because it is about 1hours drive to the place where you can go on the boat trips.

This in no way impacted on our enjoyment of the visit, but some might find it a lot to fit in." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Buffalo

3 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

6 sightings

Hippo

4 sightings

Leopard

2 sightings

Lion

4 sightings

Roan antelope

2 sightings

Sitatunga

2 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr & Mrs S
Teddington

"Muchenje Safari Lodge review"

3 nights Arrived 20 Sep 2022
"Very welcoming and friendly on arrival. Muchenje is in a fabulous situation on a bluff above the Chobe river and one morning we watched a large herd (+400) of buffalo from our room walk down to the river. The highlight at Muchenje was the day spent on the Chobe river watching the game and birdlife from the water. Although, note that with the low water level at the time of our visit we firstly had to drive to Kasane to pick up the launch; however, this meant we also had a game drive through the more eastern part of the park on the return journey - during which we saw a lioness on a fresh young buffalo kill.

Experienced some excellent game viewing (lions attempting a kill; jackals scavenging on a recent lion kill; elephant, hippo and buffalo in abundance), although our guides were not as knowledgeable as at other camps visited. Food was good and buffet style so one could self-manage portions. Rooms were very comfortable and the showers were brilliant - an absolute delight on return from dusty game drives!

However, we felt the management focused too much on the 'hospitality' and not on the overall management at the lodge. Little effort seemed to be made to sort out the absence of wi-fi at the lodge until it returned on our last morning (thankfully to make our onward fight confirmations).

Also, the night drive was poorly organised; delayed until after dinner meaning it was curtailed, and unfair to expert the guide to drive, use the radio and operate the light at the same time - there should be a separate 'spotter' in the vehicle operating the spotlight." See all these reviews: 13n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

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

Buffalo

10 sightings

Eland

5 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Lion

10 sightings

Roan antelope

1 sighting

Spotted Hyena

2 sightings

Wildebeest

5 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mrs E.
Chichester

"Muchenje Safari Lodge review"

3 nights Arrived 4 Sep 2022
"The main lodge was delightful. Plenty of space to relax and mingle with the other guests and staff.

You have your own individual little lodge with lovely views and seating area to enjoy. Inside was spacious with a well appointed bathroom. Bed very comfortable with a mosquito net. Tea & coffee available. There was both a ceiling fan & air conditioning depending on what you prefer. A safe to keep your valuables. The staff were absolutely friendly and professional and always on hand to help. The swimming pool area was very inviting although quite cold.

The food was amazing, the evening meal was announced by the chef each night. Some of the lodge staff and guides joined us at each meal, it was a group event which meant you got to meet and enjoy the rest of the guests. The guide tours were well organised & our guide Philly was great, we had a lot of fun with him & he had a wealth of knowledge.

During dark you are unable to walk to your own lodge as potentially unsafe as wild animals are around the area. There were security guards who escorted you. They would also collect you in the morning at 05.30 for the morning safari tour. The only downside side we found was, if you were in your own lodge and decided you wanted to go back to the main lodge, you couldn't as there was no way of getting in touch with the main lodge or the security guards.

The water safari was excellent, watching the elephants swimming across the river was magical as we eat our lunch. The whole experience of the safari was excellent and we saw many animals and birds in their natural surrounding at close quarters. The one outstanding moment of our trip was seeing a leopard on two consecutive days which was rare, according to one of the guides who has been there for 16 years had never seen one before. We would definitely recommend." See all these reviews: 4n in South Africa; 3n in Botswana; 2n 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

Giraffe

Multiple sightings

Hippo

Multiple sightings

Leopard

Multiple sightings

Lion

Multiple sightings

Sable antelope

Multiple sightings

Sitatunga

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

J & J
York

"Muchenje Safari Lodge review"

3 nights Arrived 3 Sep 2022
"Good service and food. Great animal sightings. Guide Rambo was excellent" See all these reviews: 16n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Buffalo

Multiple sightings

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Giraffe

Multiple sightings

Hippo

Multiple sightings

Leopard

Multiple sightings

Lion

Multiple sightings

Sable antelope

Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Showing 1-10 of 171
96%
171 reviews of Muchenje Safari Lodge by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
139
27
5
0
0
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