Reviews of Flatdogs Camp
(98%) From 60 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Laid-back, friendly place
We received a warm welcome from Wendy, who spent the next half hour showing us around and briefing us on safety, activities and schedule. This was very helpful because there was quite a lot to take in and the context she provided allowed us to feel comfortable at Flatdogs right from the beginning.
We appreciated the effort the managers and owners make to meet guests each time they return from a game drive and they also move around tables in the restaurant and bar and at tea time to ensure we have everything we need. It was great fun staying in the luxury tent on the bank of the river and hearing elephants and hippos crash by at night!
I want to especially mention Malama, who was our guide during our four days there. He is exceptionally knowledgeable, and has a wonderful sense of humour balanced with care for our safety and enjoyment. I thought the Christmas activities (special lunch on the 25th and carol sing with refreshments on the 24th) were very well done.
Flatdogs does a great job of being friendly and laid back but also attentive.
Jackelberry Treehouse at Flatdogs
It was great to return to Flatdogs, this time to the Jackalberry Treehouse. The accommodation is wonderful, overlooking a private waterhole and open to everything. Lydia made sure we were comfortable and very well looked after during our stay.
Meals can be taken either in the main restaurant or delivered to the treehouse. We tried both and having brunch at the treehouse watching the wildlife wandering past was a real treat.
When we (hopefully) return to Flatdogs we would love to stay at the treehouse once again - it was fabulous!
Brilliant stay at Flatdogs
The welcome, service, food and accommodation at Flatdogs were all excellent. Really enjoyed it.
For the most part the guiding was too, and clearly the guides we had were well trained, knowledgeable and friendly, but on a couple of occasions we felt we got a bit too close than was necessary to some of the animals we were viewing, causing them undue stress. Keen to say this was the exception to the norm of what we experienced but wanted to still let you know.
This place came highly recommended
And, it lived up to its promise. This is number one for this area for a reason -- value.
For one thing, you can order just about any food you like. This is important to me because I am diabetic. Watch out for the Baboons -- they are destructive and will get into your tent, if they can. Hippos and elephants also wander about. The name flat dogs is a south African euphemism for a crocodile.
The original location for the camp (it has moved a bit) was originally a crocodile farm.
Fabulous time at Flatdogs
We had wanted to visit Flatdogs for many years and it really lived up to our very high expectations. We enjoyed the friendly, relaxed nature of the camp and loved being able to eat at any time of day, with numerous options on the menu and daily specials board.
We received a really warm but not overbearing welcome from all of the staff and always felt very comfortable. Adie and Jess are great hosts and Geoffrey, our guide, was really knowledgeable and it was a pleasure to spend time with him. We loved our three nights in the tent, hearing the whistles of the puku and the munching of the hippos right outside.
Thoroughly enjoyed all of our game drives - although the full day drive we did was very tiring in 40° heat and an open vehicle! Geoffrey was very responsive to everyone's needs and took care to position the vehicle where everyone could see and take photos of the birds and wildlife.
Hope to return in the not too distant future.
First night in Zambia
We were the lucky people who on our first morning drive with Kennedy saw a lion kill. And on the very same evening we experienced a leopard kill an impala followed by a frightening 2 minutes where we were in the middle of three lions, 2 male and 1 female as they consumed the poor puku the female had just brought down. Kennedy is a great guide, full of interesting facts and great fun.
We would very much recommend Flatdogs particularly as a first step between our fully wired lives and the isolated bush camps with which we followed it. The hippos do ensure you get no sleep but that is all part of the experience.
Flatdogs Camp was great in October
This was our first camp on the trip and the diversity and density of wildlife were extra-ordinary. Over two days we almost all the species we had hoped for. Seeing three different leopards in one evening was particularly exciting. Kwalia was our guide and he was really knowledgeable and friendly, making for some excellent drives.
Its so convenient that this camp is very close to the National Park gate, meaning the wildlife is all around - elephants and hippos behind the tent were a real treat to see.
We really liked the way the restaurant was flexible and 'a la carte' so you could eat whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted and with whoever you wanted - which can be more relaxing than fixed social dinners at some of the other camps.
We stayed in one of the smallest standard tents - but it was just fine - no need to upgrade at all - it had plenty of space, and a waterhole behind providing plenty of interest.
Staff were great and, being one of the only places with a little shop, its an ideal opportunity to stock up on curios to take home..although not sure the postcards we posted from here ever got home!
We have rated the activities excellent because the game drives were excellent, and there was a hide and swimming pool to use in the middle of the day; but this camp does have fewer options than some of the others as there are no walking options or water-based options.
Fantastic!
Our experience at Flatdogs Camp was nothing short of fantastic. Not only did the accommodation, meals and surroundings of the camp exceed our expectations but the animal sightings both in the camp and within the National Park were wonderful. There are so many elephants to enjoy watching and so much game to look at, not only in the Park but also around the camp. One day we saw 21 lions in a single morning's drive!
The management, staff and guides should be justifiably proud of the incredibly high level of service and personal attention to detail they provide for their guests. We have never felt so welcome at any accommodation we have stayed at in the past and genuinely believe that nothing you could ask for would be too much trouble for them.
The relaxed style of dining at Flatdogs with a huge menu, including a daily specials board, is a real bonus. It is lovely to be able to eat what you like, whenever you like, served in such a wonderful atmosphere and surroundings. The food offered at Flatdogs is so good your waistline will suffer!
Finally ... Bwaliya, our guide. He was amazing and through his knowledge we have learnt so much about the animals within the Park. He provided a truly unforgettable experience for us.
A huge thank you to Jess, Ade, Wendy, Jamie, Paulo and Lidia and everyone else at Flatdogs for giving us such happy memories.
Flatdogs Camp review
We had heard that Flatdogs was located outside the park, and that is was a former backpackers hangout. Well...it's located just outside the park entrance (with many lodges located outside the park even farther away from the entrance), and the game viewing is simply terrific. It's right on the river, and the animals come right through camp.
The tents are very nice, and the Croc Nest competes with the finest safari tents in Africa. This is a luxury lodge, just not over the top, the way some safari lodges make it. Great vibe with roughly 40 at maximum capacity. Jess, Aidan, Jamie, Wendy, and Pablo do a great job managing the experience. It's top notch with top guides, and a great place to stay.
Puku was a terrific experience, but we would choose Flatdogs again in the future because it's so convenient, and there is a little more activity when not on safari. Food was terrific.
Great experience at Flatdogs Camp
We knew of Flatdogs from a friend, who had stayed there a couple of years ago. Our experience at Flatdogs lived up to her enthusiastic endorsement in every aspect.
Our guide was Yotam, who we found to be knowledgeable, thorough, and engaging. Flatdogs is located just outside the park gate. This is considered to be a more congested area of the park (we visited other camps after Flatdogs and it is true that there were less vehicles the further one is from the Mfuwe gate) but Yotam did a good job avoiding vehicles and finding animals. Highlights were seeing lions mating and a lion springing up on the back of a buffalo trying to bring it down.
The camp never seemed crowded (despite its larger number of guests) and the attention from staff and guides was genuine and personal. We stayed in a safari tent and found the amenities, location and view of the river to be wonderful. The food was delicious.
We were particularly impressed by the attention Flatdogs paid to the comments sent on ahead by our booking agent. In our case it was a note saying neither of us drink alcohol and one enjoys hot chocolate instead of coffee or tea. The first morning we arrived for breakfast to find a pot of hot chocolate and hot chocolate was also sent on each morning game drive. We were told that the requests were noted on a board in the kitchen and it certainly seemed that every person working at Flatdogs had read the board. Small details like that make a huge impression - thank you!
