Reviews of Flatdogs Camp
(98%) From 55 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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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!
Great Safari at Flatdogs
The camp was beautiful and the safari tent was lovely!
Read more about the whole safariFlatdogs is the best
We loved this place. Hippos and elephants in camp, great staff and brilliant guides. Jonathan and Bwayla both were excellent. Guides as well as personable people. Paolo Jess Ade and Iain were all great hosts and we met many fantastic guests.
The walking safari lived up to what I wanted and is now a must on every itinerary. We saw loads of leopards and got our first wild dogs as well.
The wife had tears in here eyes as we checked out so it must be great right?
overnight stay without activities
ideal stopover, will stay longer next time
Read more about the whole safariFlatdogs Camp
We were very glad to spend a night here after about 30 hours' travelling but we enjoyed it so much that we would have loved to have stayed longer.
Next morning, our pass to the South Luangwa NP for the following 8 nights was arranged at the gate then we thoroughly enjoyed an early morning game drive to 'kickstart' the safari. We returned for a very good breakfast then were driven to our next camp in time for lunch. This was all handled very efficiently and with great friendliness.
Very good camp with great facilities
I was uncertain about Flatdogs based on reviews on some sites suggesting it is a basic camp. It has progressed considerably from its original back packer camp.
Bwalya was an excellent guide who took us for all our drives over 3 days and worked hard to ensure we saw just about all animals and had a varied experience. He also drove us up to Tafika on the last day. The other staff were friendly and efficient and added to the stay.
The food is excellent with a varied menu available at all times of day - definitely the best meals we have ever had on safaris. - and it was great to have a cooked breakfast when we returned from the morning drives!
The tent was very comfortable - once you got to it around the regular elephant visitors most days.
