Reviews of Flatdogs Camp
(98%) From 42 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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One night stop
I just stayed one night and didn't do any game drives, but the staff were very friendly and had a good catch up on Luangwa gossip with Jess & Adie.
Read more about the whole safariFlatdogs a perfect introduction to S Luangwa
Beautifully run by Jess and Ade, not forgetting Paolo, Lydia and all the staff, we could not fault any of them at all.
It begins with their welcome on your arrival and thereafter each time at the end of game drives and ends when sadly you wave goodby. We really enjoyed our stay, the accommodation was lovely and the food delicious.
Our guide Robbie, for game drives was superb and so knowledgeable; he was a delight to listen to and gave many incites to the behaviour of the animals. The swimming pool was a bonus after a hot and dusty drive. All in all we loved it.
Flatdogs Camp review
We arrived at Flatdogs mid way through the evening after three tiring flights from the UK. However, we were expected and made to feel really welcome, and dinner was available. It was a bit disconcerting having to be escorted out to our tents in the pitch black and hearing the sounds of the hippopotumus so close by in the river which runs in front of the tents, but in the morning we were rewarded with stunning views of the river with the sun just coming up, giving a red/golden glow to everything, with monkeys playing on the patio area. T
he shower room at the back of Flatdogs may not be to everyone's liking, as it is pretty much open to the sky, but my husband and I liked the feeling of nature all around. Few encounters with spiders, millipedes, frogs and a small snake (not poisonous) but this all added to the adventure. Elephants wander around the camp at night and we all had to get out of the swimming pool one afternoon to let them pass through the camp. Wonderful viewing.
Adrian and Tess are great hosts and all the staff very efficient and friendly. Our especial thanks to Lydia, Harold and Kennedy, our excellent safari guide, who located a leopard lounging in a tree in the early morning sun for us, and a lion pride who had just very shortly before made a kill - poor impala! - but wonderful viewing for us. Also Paolo was a really nice guy and so helpful.
Flatdogs feedbackTh
My experience of Flatdogs was excellent.
The facilities, service, staff and safari and the guides were all superb and I was very impressed with the high level of operation in all these aspects. I cannot think of any constructive criticism to give.
Superb safari experience at Flatdogs Camp
Traveling solo, I felt very welcomed and looked after by the incredible staff of Flatdogs, and happily matched with a lovely UK family of 5 for 3 days of safari drives. Meals were delicious and varied. Given royal treatment the whole time there.
Jessie and Ade are wonderful hosts and the whole Flatdogs staff was courteous and outgoing, there to meet every need, answer every question. Lydia gets a special nod for her care and attention. And my guide Robbie Chazangwe, a most incredible person with encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world, the flora, fauna, and birds, Zambian history, the night sky...all of which he shared with beautiful descriptive detail.
I will recommend Flatdogs to friends and hope to return myself in the future.
Brilliant camp
Excellent location, right on the banks of the Luangwa river, with elephant, giraffe and hippo free just to wander through the camp as they please.
This was quite a large camp/lodge by the standards of others in the area, but you wouldn't know it as the friendliness of the staff, and the way they went out of their way to make us feel at home, gave the place quite an intimate feel.
There was a real restaurant, so we could eat what we liked, when we liked and with whom we liked. Guiding from Ed, our guide, was absolutely first class. This was probably the busiest part of the park, but we only saw 2 or 3 other vehicles on each 4 hour game drive.
Really good value for money too compared to some of the other lodges.
Loved it
We loved Flatdogs. We got a warm welcome when we arrived and this set the tone for the entire time we spent there.
Jess, Ade and Paulo and the rest of the team did a fantastic job in looking after us and their other guests. There were always people around before drives and to welcome us back, the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and the food was excellent. Our luxury tent was large and comfortable with a great view of the river and had the added bonus of a fan.
The drives and our guide were excellent. We had the same guide throughout - Yotam - who picked us up at the airport and took us to our next camp. Although the trucks could take 10 people, there were never more than 6, and often fewer, so plenty of room to spread out and get good views. Although it's bigger than some of the camps in Luangua, it doesn't seem large, partly because of the layout which gives a lot of privacy and partly because food is available all day, so guests are eating at different times.
We wished we had stayed longer than our 3 days. Recommended.
Great flexibility at Flatdogs
Flatdogs was a the perfect first half of the trip, with its proximity to 'real life' outside the park, therefore a greater sense of the area and some of the issues presented by conservation of the wildlife. It was excellently run and the flexibility it offers is perfect for families - my 12 year old loved the pool and the ability to choose from a menu and decide on meal times. The staff bent over backwards to accommodate us, organising a walking safari for me and my son on our middle day of the trip and listening carefully to any thoughts or requests.
We stayed in both a luxury tent and a chalet and far preferred the luxury tent, which was stunning and felt more private and in closer proximity to the river - it had more of a bushcamp feel about it. The standard of accommodation was very high in both and the food was simply excellent.
The standard of guiding was predictably high. We were lucky in the way the vehicles worked out and we had a guide to ourselves for the duration of our stay, but I imagine we'd have had an excellent experience anyway. The guides were incredibly knowledgeable and we really enjoyed the smaller details and smaller wildlife as well as the spectacular bigger game.
Flatdogs Camp review
Great friendly team and fantastic with kids and food allergies.
Read more about the whole safariGreat for a short stay with family
Flatdogs was very good for our family trip. I have been on many safaris but was taking 2 family members who had never been before. The family room was ideal, although the lack of bathroom facilities for the 3rd bedroom caused a bit of inconvenience. The accomodation was spotless and we never saw the cleaning staff as they managed to get the room done while we were on game drives so we were never disturbed. All the staff were friendly and helpful and our guide, Malamba, was very good.
We saw all the main game - leopards, lion, elephant, buffalo on the game drives and it was really exciting to see the elephants walk through the camp. Night drives were good, but I don't think we needed 4 of them as they got a little repetitive.
Food was good in that there was a great variety to suit all tastes and we liked the fact that meals could be taken any time of day, which gave us lots of freedom. However, service in the restaurant was quite slow and we had to wait quite a long time for breakfast.
The South Luangwa park is great for game with plenty to see but we found the overcrowding by vehicles a bit disturbing in that once a leopard was seen it would be quickly surrounded by as many as 6 vehicles. However, the guides were very good at giving way to each other so all clients got a view.
I would recommend Flatdogs for a family trip, but maybe not if you are a seasoned safari goer or couple and want a more secluded experience.
We have always believed that acting responsibly is the only way to approach tourism and we're one of
the few companies to hold AITO's original coveted 5-star status for responsible tourism. It's a lead
that others are now following.
