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
Old Mondoro Bushcamp
Old Mondoro Bushcamp
Old Mondoro Bushcamp
Old Mondoro Bushcamp
Old Mondoro Bushcamp
Old Mondoro Bushcamp

Reviews of Old Mondoro Bushcamp

Wildlife sightings and reviews

123 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Old Mondoro Bushcamp 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 Old Mondoro Bushcamp.
Lion

94% success

Leopard

100% success

Cheetah

0% success

Wild dog

53% success

Buffalo

100% success

Elephant

100% success

Hippo

100% success

Zebra

97% success

Spotted Hyena

68% success

Aardvark

33% success

Sable antelope

3% success

Eland

3% success

Pangolin

0% success

Showing 81-90 of 123
Duration
Arrival date
Ms K
Florida

"Ideal Bushcamp Experience"

2 nights Arrived 11 Jul 2013
"I loved the look and feel of Old Mondoro. It reminded me of some favorite bush camps visited during the past 20 years. The area is gorgeous, both the Zambezi itself and the forest of winterthorn and mahogany trees.

The management team, Jason and Michaela, are excellent--warm and welcoming and very capable, and their staff is exemplary. Lovely and plentiful food was prepared by two men that we never saw but greatly appreciated.

We arrived exhausted, so especially appreciated that our tent (#2) was comfortable and perfectly situated for wildlife sights and sounds. From the daybed on our porch, we watched hippos and elephants on the nearby islands and white-fronted bee eaters that frequented an uprooted tree on the riverbank. Despite our laziness, we enjoyed a game drive and a boat ride and saw quite a nice selection of wildlife. Just as we were about to leave for our next camp, two elephants walked right through camp as if they owned it and scoured the winterthorn trees for pods--the first of the season. I left wishing that we could linger for a few more days.

Helpful hint: take slippers or thick socks for the unbelievably, inexplicably cold floor in tent!" See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Good
Mr & Mrs A
Malaysia

"Old Mondoro - The Highlight of our trip."

4 nights Arrived 27 Jun 2013
"Of the 7 campswe stayed at across Botswana, Zambia and Malawi, this was undoubtedly the best for us and we were delighted with the 4 nights we stayed there. It was exactly what we wanted. We could have ended our African trip right there as we did and saw almost everything we expected to cover over our 26 days holiday. We would liked to have stayed longer.

Wonderfully scenic with a mixture of woodland and a grassland plateau, plenty of animals and birds, including lion cubs, leopards, huge herds of buffalo ,hipoos, elephants etc,it was just what we wanted. Furthermore from the photographers point of view the lighting is magnificent. The walking safari therefore was the most pleasant of the several we did in the various other camps.

Turning to the people at all levels there is only one word needed - fantastic,

If we go again to the Lower Zambezi it will only be to Old Mondoro" See all these reviews: 15n in Zambia; 4n in Malawi; 3n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr B & Ms M
UK

"Old Mondoro Bushcamp review"

4 nights Arrived 25 Jun 2013
"Again I believe we were poorly advised in our initial discussions with Expert Africa, in which we were discussing the split of time between S Luangwa / L Zambezi. I believe we should have been advised to stay longer at the L. Zambezi.

Old Mondoro was by far the best camp we stayed at in Zambia in all aspects. The Lagoon room was a perfect location especially with the close attention of the one tusked male elephant 'guarding' our tent. One day we were the only ones in camp at lunch time, so they served our excellent meal on the verandah overlooking the lagoon, where we treated to a show of several elephants crossing, a buffalo bathing/eating and our friend the one tusked drinking/eating and bathing only a few feet from us. The highlight of our holiday.

Mentioning diabetes again! Following discussions, they said leave it to us and we'll sort things out. I had some wonderful low sugar sweets (especially the fruit crumble)." See all these reviews: 14n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr S
West Yorkshire

"Old Mondoro was amazing"

3 nights Arrived 5 May 2013
"We had previously visited Chiawa and wondered if Old Mondoro could match it. We need not have worried!!" See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia; 7n in Namibia; 1n in South Africa
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Miss K & Mr G
London

"Old Mondoro Camp"

3 nights Arrived 29 Oct 2012
"We enjoyed our stay at Old Mondoro. The camp is in a lovely area and was visited by elephants multiple times each say. At no time were the elephants aggressive - they were there to eat the fruiting pods and to cross onto the islands in the middle of the river. However, at times we were driven to and from our tents just to be on the safe side.

For the first 24 hours the game drives were truly excellent. We spent plenty of time looking at some of the less traditionally spectacular animals like antelope, baboons and birds, which I feel makes for more interesting and varied game drives. We also had a few leopard sightings (including a short sighting of a mother with a very young cub). However, half way through our stay we were joined by different guests and they mentioned to our guide that they really wanted to see big cats. From this point onwards our guide for the daytime game drives got a case of what I call "big-cat-itis" where you charge around the bush looking for big cats to the exclusion of everything else. This is great if you see them, however, it's a bit rubbish if you don't (in this case - we didn't).

One of the highlights of our stay were the night drives. We saw porcupines, leopards, genets, civets and even an aardvark. The guides were certainly good at finding things in the dark, although I suppose the tall trees and open areas really help. They use a red filter on the spotting light for finding animals. However, I did find the ban on flash photography frustrating. I can understand the reasons behind it, however, the jeeps still used their headlights (which didn't have a red filter) and if they came across antelopes that didn't get out of the way quickly enough they would flash their headlights at them. So I did find the ban on flashes slightly contradictory. We took red plastic to put over over camera flashes which helped the cameras to focus in the dim light as the cameras could use the auto assist beams of the flashes. We bought a small role of red plastic lighting gel off ebay for less than £5. The "no flash" rule didn't seem to make the animals any less skitish, or less stunned looking as they would often get dazzled by the jeep headlights anyway. We saw no difference in behaviour from other camps that didn't have this rule.

We also did a river boat trip which was great. We told our boatman that we were really interested in photographing birds and we were the only two on the boat so he did his best and we got some nice shots. We had multiple groups of elephants cross the river in front of us, which was lovely. Seeing elephants in the water is great.

We also did the canoe trip. We found this disappointing. There were three guests on the trip, split over two canoes. However, for almost the whole journey the other canoe went first. This meant that any birds or animals we were trying to photograph would run or fly away when the first canoe drew level with them and the only photos we could get from the second canoe were retreating back or blurred wings. This was made even more annoying by the fact that the man in the first canoe wasn't interested in birds at all and we were. It is just a shame that they hadn't told us before we started that we would be on the second boat the whole times, since if we had known in advance we would have chosen a different activity and gone canoeing on a day when it would just have been the two of us.

The tents were nicely appointed (although I would have liked some shade over the outside bath - you couldn't lie in it for long in the middle of the day without getting sunburnt). The staff were generally helpful and friendly and the food was good." See all these reviews: 21n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Good
Mr O
France

"Nothing to improve!"

4 nights Arrived 13 Oct 2012
"Old Mondoro is one of those rare places where nothing could be improved. Its location by the Zambezi is stunning, and the rooms are perfectly designed to enjoy the amazing view (watching an elephant from your outdoor bathtub is a rare treat). The food was wonderful and the service, headed by the ever-present Chris, was always spot on.

There is a variety of activities on both land (drives, night drives, walks) and water (cruising, fishing, canoeing), 2 friendly and helpful hosts, Kayla and Jason, and a great team of guides.

Special mention to the canoeing trip and the tiger fishing - the highlights of our stay!

Excellent camp." 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 G
Michigan

"Old Mondoro Bushcamp review"

2 nights Arrived 17 Sep 2012
"Our stay at Old Mondoro was only two nights, but we wish we could have stayed longer. The hosts Kayla and Jason make this tiny 4-chalet camp feel like home. We always felt safe, even with elephants and buffalo wandering through the camp all day, because they kept a careful eye out and even drove us the short distance to our chalets when there were animal visitors about. Elephants wandering by your chalet or the dining area create great photo ops!

Kayla did a wonderful job of planning the menus (she does the planning for Chiawa Camp also), and the food was varied and delicious. The guides and hosts join us for all the meals, which leads to great conversation. The rooms are well appointed, and we were happy to have a charging station in our room for the camera batteries. And hot water on demand is always appreciated. Sitting on the deck outside our room was a great way to relax, with the ever-changing river so close at hand.

We enjoyed the variety of activities offered, even though we only did game drives with Morat and the pontoon cruises. We saw no lions while we were there, but Morat found a great leopard sighting for us on our last morning drive." 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 M
Brussels

"Old Mondoro: sunrise over the Zambezi"

3 nights Arrived 10 Sep 2012
"A high speed boat transfer down the mighty Zambezi from Chiawa to Old Mondoro with Dave Cummings, the founder of these 2 camps and a great conservationist in the Lower Zambezi. He talked about his hopes and aspirations for this part of Africa. His son carries on his work.

A small camp of 5 comfortable rustic wood and bamboo tents set in beautiful green woodland on the Zambezi - in our case we looked on to a canal where elephants came to drink and wash. Like all the camps we visited in Zambia, the main sitting/dining area was a magnificent long-house of wood and thatch. Breakfast was round the campfire watching the sun rise over the river - pure magic. Elephant were impressive frequent visitors.

On drives through the open woodland we saw large herds of bushbuck, kudu, elephant with babies. Another canoe trip down a long canal - breathtaking beauty and peaceful but not without adrenalin, coming into close proximity with elephants, crocodiles and hippo. A birdwatchers paradise: egret, Goliath herons, Fish Eagles, Lilac breasted roller to mention a few.

The managers, Michaela and Jason, and all the staff made us very welcome: there was a good atmosphere." See all these reviews: 12n in Zambia; 9n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr R & Ms Z
NL

"Old Mondoro Bushcamp review"

3 nights Arrived 24 Aug 2012
"We liked and made use of all wildlife viewing opportunities: boat trip, canoe trip and drives. There are many elephants, particularly during the day when they visited us in our tent and encircled the lounge area. The canoe trip was extraordinary:
the peace and quiet with only the sounds of the many various birds. The boat trip on the Zambezi river with the hippos, crocs, elephants and the vegetation was also very much enjoyed. The evening drives with a low powered red light were a disaster for photography and to a lesser degree also for a guest as it limited the views. Semantha and Levi and their team did a fantastic job in organising and catering including taking care of diabetic food requirements." See all these reviews: 11n in Zambia; 6n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs H
Worthing

"Great safari at Old Mondoro"

5 nights Arrived 16 Aug 2012
"Friendly informative managers, Kayla and Justin and.knowledgeable caring guides Levi and Morat really made theis part of our holiday especially memorable. We saw leopard on our first night drive and then again on our 4th night. The game were plentiful and we got really close. The buffalo and elephants were special.

We felt special too as thee service and commitment from all thee staff team was amazing, exemplified in thee way theey all responded when thee tree crashed onto thee kitchen during lunch one day! Everyone worked togetheer to get thee power up and running and food and drinks flowing. There was hardly a hiccup, Kayla apologised at tea time theat thee biscuits were from a packet! After theat thee routine of lovely fresh food and home baked cakes resumed.

The range of activities is a really plus withe boat trips on thee river and canoes up thee Discovery Channel where you felt very close to nature - thee hippos/ crocodiles and especially thee wonderful birds. The drives were excellent withe lots of animals, apart from thee leopards which were magnificent, we loved thee Aardvark and Porcupines at night thee Kudo, Buffalo and Elephant during thee daytime.

The walking was exceptional withe Levi providing a real insight into life in thee bush and thee history of thee region where he was brought up. We saw lots of game and learnt masses about approaching animals and how to be safe. We always walked in a different area of thee park so enjoyed different terrain and animals each time. Truly we have lovely memories of Lower Zambezi

The elephant wandering round thee camp was a real bonus. They got close up and personal so great photos.
At all times we felt very safe and looked after and I really recommend thee camp, its small and friendly and just great." See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia; 5n in Malawi
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Excellent
Showing 81-90 of 123
99%
123 reviews of Old Mondoro Bushcamp by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
118
4
1
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 Lower Zambezi National Park

Alternative places to stay in this same area.


Chongwe River Camp

Chongwe River Camp

A blend of the stylish and traditional in a most picturesque site in the Zambezi Valley, Chongwe River Camp offers an excellent safari experience and real value for money.


96% (120 reviews)
Chiawa Camp

Chiawa Camp

One of Zambia's top safari camps, Chiawa is family owned and run, offering superb service and a flexible approach from a location well inside the Lower Zambezi National Park.


98% (89 reviews)
Sausage Tree Camp

Sausage Tree Camp

Sausage Tree is a high-quality safari camp offering a luxurious stay and excellent personal service deep inside Zambia's Lower Zambezi National Park.


98% (42 reviews)
Potato Bush Camp

Potato Bush Camp

Potato Bush is located right in the heart of the Lower Zambezi National Park, with privately guided activities taking you on game drives, walks, boat trips and canoeing.


100% (17 reviews)
Anabezi Luxury Tented Camp

Anabezi Luxury Camp

Anabezi Luxury Tented Camp offers a high degree of understated luxury in a very lovely, quiet part of the Lower Zambezi with outstanding wildlife.


99% (14 reviews)
Amanzi

Amanzi

Opened in 2015, Amanzi is an intimate and rustic yet luxury camp in a very quiet area of the Lower Zambezi, with plenty of wildlife and good birding.


96% (10 reviews)
Kutali Camp

Kutali Camp

Kutali Fly-Camp offers the opportunity to experience the wilderness of Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park, in this simple fly-camp located on Kulefu Island.


95% (8 reviews)
Chongwe River House

Chongwe River House

Chongwe River House is a stylish four-bedroom house designed for the exclusive use of families and small groups, affording the ultimate in flexibility on safari.


100% (8 reviews)
Kasaka River Lodge

Kasaka River Lodge

Kasaka River Lodge is a relatively simple, family-friendly camp. It's outside the Lower Zambezi National Park and, with a recent change of ownership for the better, it offers a great-value safari destination.


93% (6 reviews)
Chula Island Camp

Chula Island Camp

Chula Island Camp offers the opportunity to experience the wilderness of Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park, in this simple fly-camp located in a natal mahogany grove on a small island on the Zambezi River.


95% (4 reviews)
Tafara Springs Bushcamp

Tafara Springs

Tarafa Springs offers the opportunity to experience the wilderness of the Lower Zambezi National Park, in this rustic bushcamp located next to the main Zambezi escarpment.


100% (1 review)
Lolebezi

Lolebezi

A chic safari spot, luxurious Lolelbezi is the Lower Zambezi’s newest camp and offers a mix of walking, canoeing and game drives led by excellent guides.


100% (1 review)

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