Reviews of Takwela Camp

"Alex was my guide here for all 3 nights. He was as experienced and knowledgeable as the previous guides, and I was very happy to be with him. His sense of humour was infectious, and we shared many moments and laughs during our time together.

Walks were a little more genteel here than the previous camps. Not a criticism, just an observation. And by now, I was actually needing a bit of a break with the heat wave. Again, rehydrating salts were on offer at breaks, and most welcome.

We did drives for the evening activity as a rule, and the middle night, had us visiting Mwaleshi camp to see lions that had moved in. That camp was being disassembled, and it was quite interesting to see it readied for the wet season - something I'm sure most guests don't get to witness.

One tiny criticism here.......tse tse flies. They were in abundance. I found, that on walks, movement deterred them. But of course, on afternoon game drives, we were feasted upon. And on afternoon siesta, they didn't allow for a restful time at all. I noted, that at other camps, there were tsetse traps. My one small suggestion, is that Takwela put some traps near camp. I know it sounds like a small deal, but it may have big impact.

Units were spacious, and large, and more luxurious than the previous walking camps. Hot and cold water on demand. Permanent structure. Waterproof thatch roofing.

Fabulous sightings of lions. Nighttime sightings of hyenas. No wild dogs, but one sighting of a leopard. Fabulous mix of experiences, and I will for sure be back." See all these reviews: 14n in Zambia

"As a longtime fan of walking in North Luangwa and Mwaleshi Camp, I was ambivalent about Takwela (and broader efforts to develop the park, understandable though this may be).

However, it is a lovely, small camp, on a beautiful site with a carmine colony on its river bank, and I enjoyed seeing bits of the park that I would not have been able to from Mwaleshi on foot.

At neither camp were we aware of the other, which is a big plus.

Though animals may be more shy than in the south, between us and the other guests there were elephant, lion, wild dog and leopard sightings." See all these reviews: 11n in Zambia

"Really enjoyed this small camp with just 3 lodges. great location by the river and thought the landscape was really interesting and a much wilder area than the south.

Exciting chase from an angry elephant!" See all these reviews: 14n in Zambia; 5n in Malawi

"The guiding by Moffat was excellent and we both learnt loads.

Crossing the river in the jeep was great fun especially with the hippos around. The hippos were particularly noisy during the night whilst enjoying any grass they could find in camp.

We visited the kitchen and were impressed how the meals were produced with just a fire. All the staff were friendly and helpful.

There is less game in this area but we enjoyed the remoteness.

The reed chalets like Tafika are open at the top but fantastic views of the river." See all these reviews: 13n in Zambia

"Takwela has an amazing setting looking over the confluence of the Mwaleshi and Luangwa rivers.

Hippo and crocodile in abundance in the rivers and animals, particularly elephant, around camp." See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia

"This was my first visit to Remote Africa's newest camp and I loved it.

The design of the chalets is very well thought out- the "side on" arrangement maximises the view from the bedroom and the shower. My shower had the perfect view of the Luangwa/Mwaleshi confluence.

The seating area at the front of each room is very comfortable, well shaded and with a built in table for a cold drink, and the perfect place to relax with your binos between activities. Alex is an excellent guide and host, and I particularly enjoyed the walking, with highlights being watching lions from across the river and sneaking up on a pair of Pels fishing owls that were calling to each other.

The area is very beautiful, the acacia woodland around the river is quite different to the main parts of South Luangwa." See all these reviews: 15n in Zambia

"A lovely camp with fine views over the river, good game viewing and very knowledgeable guides" See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia; 4n in Botswana; 1n in South Africa

"An excellent small camp in a great location on the river.

It was very relaxed and all the staff were very good. Our guide, Moffat and tracker, Issac, were excellent and very informative.

We had a choice of walking or going on game drives which suited us.

We felt very safe with them whenever out walking and learnt new information about the little things." See all these reviews: 5n in Zambia; 3n in Zimbabwe

"Takwela was a bit more substantial than we had perhaps been expecting - a camp more along the lines of Tafika than Mwaleshi or Chikoko - but still very attractively and unflashily done, with a beautiful sitenji and camp fire area making the most of the magnificent location at the confluence of the Luangwa and Mwaleshi rivers.

It was lovely to meet the manager, the delightful Alex, although much of his time while we were there was monopolised by a large family group. This actually worked to our advantage as it meant that we in turn had our excellent guide Moffat to ourselves, but underlines I think that as Takwela takes off, more than one permanent guide may be necessary there.

We were able to do both walking and game driving at Takwela and although the game was a little on the shy side - a legacy, I think, of hunting in the area - we loved the camp's sense of remoteness and exclusivity which made for a really special experience." See all these reviews: 13n in Zambia

"Our stay at Takwela was excellent.

Its riverside setting is beautiful at all times of day. We enjoyed a mix of walking safaris and game drives on the vehicle, which offered us a perfect combination of wildlife experiences. As at Mwaleshi, we were in the hands of an excellent knowledgeable guide. Alex imparted fascinating information about everything around us, including the animal tracking.

All of the staff were friendly and helpful. The cabins are very comfortable, with lovely beds and completely effective mosquito nets as at Mwaleshi (not that there were any mosquitos during our visit). The food was fantastic - I am so impressed with what the guys rustle up in the camp kitchens." See all these reviews: 9n in Zambia