Travel reviews by Mr & Mrs C from Brentwood

These travellers booked their trip in April ‘08, and travelled in Sept/October. Their first three camps in Northern Kafue were part of a ‘set-departure’ trip, driven and guided by one guide. We were advised in July that the first camp (for 3 nights) would be changing from ‘Lufupa Tented Camp’ to ‘Lufupa Bush Camp’.

We would normally have advised these travellers, and checked that they were happy with the change. Because of an oversight, we didn’t do this. So it’s Expert Africa’s fault that their first camp in Kafue was not the one they’d expected, and we’ve apologised for this.

We put their other comments to Wilderness Safaris, who own these camps, and their Zambian Manager, Charles. He apologised that the rondavels where not up to these traveller’s standards, and was looking into purchasing more lamps for next year – although he wished that these travellers had requested additional lamps from the camp manager, as they could have been supplied.

We realise that burnt bush would not make this area look good – although neither Expert Africa nor the camps have any influence over this. The burning is never very predictable. It’s mostly done by ZAWA (Zambian Wildlife Authority), as part of their maintenance of the park, but there are also natural fires at this time of the year.

Wilderness is working so that all concerned can get a better understanding of the long-term effects of burning, but this kind of study and education is long-term by its very nature.

As for the lack of library books, Charles apologized; he was then going to try to establish where various other books had gone since the camp opened.

As for the game here, we know it well from past years. The game densities in this Kafwala area are generally lower than those around Lufupa and on the Busanga Plains. However, that is usually compensated for by great sightings of some relatively rare species, like Lichtenstein’s hartebeest and the beautiful sable antelope.

There are plans to extend the road network in the Kafwala area in 2009; we hope that this will improve the game-viewing further.

This camp was included as part of good value, set-departure trip – which takes a week to visit three camps around northern Kafue. This is usually driven and guided by one guide – and in 2008 we’ve generally had very good reports about the individual guides who are leading these trips.

The safari guide is usually accompanied by a ZAWA scout, who also acts as a de facto spotter. Looking into this particular departure, it seems that this scout did not return from his leave, and hence the trip had to proceed without him.

Travellers should note that some of the drives through the park on this trip are long, sometimes with relatively little big game to see. Future travellers would be wise not to book onto these trips if they are not prepared for this.

(That said, the Musanza to Lunga road does often have sable and roan antelope along it – which are both fairly uncommon and very beautiful antelope.)

Note that this review, and all of those below it, refer to Quilalea Island Lodge as it was before 2008.

Its ownership changed in late-2008, and it re-opened under different ownership and management in November 2011.

We have left these reviews here for completeness, even though they refer to a previous owndership and management - so that our travellers can still read our travellers' comments about the island itself.