Reviews of Kaingo Camp
(96%) From 147 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Kaingo Camp review
We had seven fun-filled days of great wildlife viewing at and around Kaingo and Mwamba. The name Kaingo (ie. leopard) was certainly programme for us, we were lucky enough to have five leopard sightings, including that elusive daytime leopard on our last day.
The same could be said of Lion Plain - having two large resident lion prides around always makes for exciting trips out into the bush.
The unique set of photograpic hides set up every season by Kaingo were fantastic, everything we were hoping for and more - a photographer's dreas. Also on activities, one clearly notices the guides' awareness and experience with photographers.
Being located further away from the gate and the many lodges in that area, staying at Kaingo provides a great safari experience in diverse, game-rich landscapes with few other vehicles around.
Leopards, hippos and more, oh my
Wonderful lodging right on the river. We woke to hipps and elephants walking around camp; proliferation of birds and wildlife and the hides (elephant and hippo) were an incredible experience.
The food was excellent and the staff was delightful.
Kaingo Camp review
After the deeper bush experience at Mwamba, Kaingo felt more traditional and with a few more luxuries. Taking lunch on your own deck while watching the Luangwa river slowly flow by was wonderfully relaxing. The Hippo hide is a fantastic place and repeatedly interesting, as was the Elephant crossing.
The game viewing was wonderful and we were fortunate to have three good leopard sightings over the three nights, plus very special sightings of Pels Fishing Owls and an Aardvark.
All-in-all the two Shenton camps complement one another wonderfully. The guiding was consistently good and able to flex to meet the knowledge / wishes of the different guests.
Great hides
Very short stay. Very mixed guest.
We had an excellent guide, young British guy, Ian (born in Malawi) who was doing what he loved, and he was very good at it. He could actually pass on his love of the environment birds-animals-trees etc to us. And we had a "peeping Tom" experience with a lion couple mating.
Food was of good quality but a bit international/british.
Breakfast before the morning drive/walk was very light, tea only. Not much to walk on. Brunch when we came back. The walk was "a transport" of one guest to the bush camp. We were told 6 km in 2,5 h. No time to stop - look - listen etc. We brought it up with the guide and asked him to slow, which he eventually did.
Hides were of course super.
Kaingo Camp review
Kaingo is fantastic.
It feels wild and remote , and we saw an amazing amount of wildlife, including some ferocious hippo fights. Being able to watch hippos from the hide was incredible - though be prepared to duck if they are spraying! The night drives were spectacular, with our guides spotting a camouflaged and motionless leopard , and somehow seeing even the smallest things like elephant shrews. The walking safari was great (and followed by a surprise which I won't spoil!).
Three activities each day means you are busier than in other camps, with a bit less siesta time, but having lunch privately on your own verandah makes up for it!
Kaingo Camp review
A bit of luxury in the midst of the South Luangua Park. The cabins were well appointed, and lunch was served on our patio that are built over the river bank. This camp had the largest number of cabins, but the service was personalized. We were treated to a private and romantic dinner one night on our patio served graciously by the staff.
The afternoon activity could be spent at one of the hides - either the hippo hide or the elephant hide. On one of the drives we stopped at a hide at a lagoon and was treated to a small herd of zebras passing by.
The guides were very knowledgeable about the animals and the flora in the park that made the jeep rides most interesting. The guides worked together to report animal sitings and we were fortunate to see a leopard with cubs on one of the night drives.
Kaingo Camp review
The location is great, overlooking the river with lots of hippos, crocs and elephants. Having lunch privately on the chalet deck at the river was great. It was our 25th anniversary and they prepared the most wonderful candle-lit dinner on the deck by the river as a surprise. It was terrific!
The chalets were nice but, once the mosquito nets were down, there was really nowhere to sit. The outside bathtub was fun to use. The meals were good to excellent. Game viewing was a bit disappointing as we really like to see cats and are used to Sabi Sand, where there seem to be more reliable and better cat sightings. But game viewing was still good. Hippo hide is highly recommended as is the elephant crossing viewing platform. We enjoyed walking from Kaingo to Mwamba.
They washed female undies without comment but we later discovered that we should probably not have put them in the laundry as all the other camps we visited would not wash female undies. Expert Africa's information sheets should have stated that female undies would not be washed in Zambia and this information does also not seem to be in the Brandt book that we were given. This is in contrast to a trip we did to Namibia where the tour provider was very clear that no undies would be washed. A small point, but my wife would have packed more undies had she been better informed.
Kaingo experience
We were met by Patrick at the airport and had our first game drive on the way to camp. This wasn't what we expected but got the sun cream on, the camera out and enjoyed!
On arrival at camp we were welcomed and shown to our room where lunch was served on our deck. With hippos and crocodiles in the river there was plenty to enjoy. The drums called us for afternoon tea and we then headed out on our evening game drive. Ian was our guide for most of our stay at Kaingo and Mwamba. We found all the guides to be knowledgeable, patient and very helpful. This first day set the pace for the rest of our stay.
Breakfasts and dinners were a communal affair as is usual in camps. Food throughout our stay was delicious, plentiful and beautifully served.
Rooms were comfortable and spotlessly clean. Staff were efficient but very friendly.
We loved being wakened and called to meals by the drums. A real African experience.
We chose Kaingo and Mwamba because of the opportunity to use the photographic hides. These were very well situated allowing a close-up view of hippos and birds and were an ideal mid-day activity.
The camp has a great location on the river bank where we liked to sit and watch the wildlife.
The overall experience was superb. Two nights weren't enough!
Kaingo - perefect safari camp
Kaingo turned out to be everything we had hoped for and more. The camp has, in our opinion, found the perfect balance between remoteness, comfort, setting and serious game viewing, without resorting to the excessive luxury that seems to be the recent vogue in many camps.
The chalets are simple and comfortable and the combination of your own private deck and the more extensive main deck offer stunning views over the river, with hippos, crocs, other game, wonderful birds and to our excitement a leopard on the opposite bank during one short afternoon 'siesta'. The guiding of Ian, Patrick and Kennedy was exceptional and the game viewing terrific. We also particularly liked the fact that the animals came first and were never put under pressure even though the guides very ably positioned the vehicle to catch the light.
The central area is very attractive, the food extremely good and the light lunch on your own deck a very nice touch. The atmosphere in the camp was very relaxed and great fun thanks to Derek, Issy, Lisa, the guides and all the staff, who work tirelessly to optimise your experience. Access to the hippo and elephant hides as part of a midday activity was such a bonus and offered wonderful views and photographic opportunities. In addition, the willingness to take us at any time of day to get the best view of an interesting sighting such as elephants crossing the Luangwa was very much appreciated and added to the air of excitement in the camp.
We would recommend Kaingo v highly and hope very much to return.
Kaingo Camp review
We appreciated to enjoy for KAINGO drives & walks the same very motivated guide as in Mwamba ( Kennedy )
In KAINGO the planning of activties is very accurate.
It gave a busier feeling after Mwamba, but nevertheless very pleasant lodge.
( Sounds quite logic : we were the only guests in Mwamba, and Kaingo was fully booked ! )
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.
