Reviews of Kapamba Bushcamp
(94%) From 17 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Kapamba Bushcamp review
Kapamba bushcamp was special to us as we had a sighting of 17 hyenas on a morning walk about 5 minutes from camp. We were also lucky to have one of the 2 rooms with a private tree house. The tree house has a large bed and cushions to slouch on and was a great way to relax for the afternoon while keeping an eye on the warthogs, elephant etc. We also had an elephant in camp.
Kapamba also do a lovely surprise brunch in the bush which is lovely after a walk.
The animals seen from all three bushcamps that we stayed in are not as habituated to jeeps as in the areas closer to the gate like Mfuwe Lodge which we liked but you do end up with lots of photos of rear ends!
As with the other camps we had no complaints and thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
An Intimate but Luxury Bush Experience
We spent 4 nights at Kapamba near the beginning of the rainy season and had the luxury of enjoying the camp with few other guests. The food was excellent, the open chalets face the river and allow Africa into your dreams (while a metal gate keeps out the local wildlife) and the game drives were superb.
In addition to the usual "Sundowners" at a beautiful spot with a view, the staff surprised us several times with meals in the bush - once including a "build-your-pizza" lunch with a wood-fired pizza oven, white table cloth-covered tables, and our choice of wines. This was an absolutely first-class experience and we plan to return during a different time of the year to see.
The birds and wildlife were fantastic, our guide was top-notch, and the entire staff did a superb job.
fabulous magical camp
I was astonished at how lovely this Bushcamp is--magical at night with the solar lighting. Loved the rooms.
Loved how meals were eaten at different locations and the quality of the food. My favourite was having sundowners IN the river complete with a brazier which produced delicious kabobs to go with our sundowners. (And, the piece de resistance, a herd of elephants who walked across the river in the distance appearing as black silhouettes against the orange and purple and red sunset.)
Our guide, Steve , was excellent--we did lots of walking each day. Had several good leopard sightings and saw my first porcupine!
great camp
Another well run camp with a innovative manager
Gamewas short on drives but made up with finding two lions and their kill
Wonderful brunch one day in the bush under trees making our individual pizza that was cooked for us on a mobile oven
Sundowner,s in the shallows of the river magical
Kapamba Bushcamp
Although we have stayed at nearly all the Bushcamp Company camps on previous safaris, we had not been to Kapamba before. It was a shame that the main river road was still too wet to drive, as the alternative route from Mfuwe Lodge was more or less game free. When we eventually arrived we were welcomed by Julius, who we had met before at Zungulila, and he showed us to our chalet, which was superb. We were very lucky to have a lovely raised day bed area overlooking the river.
We enjoyed great walks and game drives, including sightings of two very bloated male lions. All credit to Fanuel, Elijah and Bottle for finding the lions and the remains of their buffalo carcass in the thick, tall grass.
Julius and his team looked after us really well at Kapamba and without wishing to go into too much detail (spoiler alert!!) they sprang a couple of lovely surprises on us. Very enjoyable 3 nights.
Kapamba Bushcamp review
Good Lodge, but we missed the water in front of the camp
Read more about the whole safariGood Bushcamp
This was my second bushcamp and the transfer from Bili took only 20 minutes. This camp located along the Kapamba river with lovely views from both the deck and the chalets. The chalets are more substantial with stone construction. The bathrooms are big and the bathtub is more like a small plunge pool!
It was hosted by Claire, a Zimbabwean, lady who managed the camp well in her understated way. The guide is Fanuel Banda, a young enthusiastic guide. Fortunately I had good company with a couple from California who were keen birders like me. We ended up spending better part of a morning near a lagoon watching storks, ibises, hammerkops and even fish eagles going about their business. Last evening I was the only one in camp and hence spent the evening and the next morning with 2 male lions followed by some serious birding.
All in all a good camp, but it utilises the same area as Bili. In retrospect, I would have preferred to spend one more night at Bili and one night more at my next camp (Kuyenda) giving Kapamba a miss...
Kapamba Bushcamp review
Big spacious rooms overlooking a shallow river bed. The rooms are open with no curtains and watching the sunrise from the bed was magic.
A whole family of elephants in camp one afternoon. One young bull came trumpeting and charging towards our cabin. The whole family came and ate right beside our deck. We didn't see as many animals in this area as we did ifrom some of the other camps but I think that's just a matter of luck as we did hear lions and hyenas at night.
The food was good but more basic than the other camps without as large a selection of salads and fruit.
standard fare
The 3 1/2 hour drive from Mfuwe Lodge was tedious in an open vehicule. The camp is one of many Bushcamp Company have set up along the south end of the Luangwa river.
The facilities are very solid and safe but over the top for a bushcamp in our view. Plenty of running water and electricity of course, but everything tiled and elaborate. The tucked in mosquito nets were annoying as they prevented any movement. The food was standard fare with limited choice and lacked fresh fruit. The service was attentive and the manager Amy was always very helpful.
Dealing with 8 guests with only 1 guide means all have to agree what to do. This is tedious. But Fanuell is an excellent guide who made the very best of it on the walking trips. His detailed explanations of tracks was fascinating and entirely the right thing to do with so many in the line.
Animals seemed scarcer than elsewhere. The roof over the 4wd limits the view, day and night, and also traps the tsetse flies. The 2 night drives were hopeless with a poor spotter and nothing found.
An amazing experience
Our first experience of a bush camp, and what an experience! Zilla, the acting manager was hospitality itself, and all of the staff were most helpful.
Our room was perfect and we loved the great bath! Our guide Fanuel was fantastic, so knowledgeable and passionate about his subject - we learned such a lot from him. We were the only guests for two of our three days and we really felt we were on a very private safari. Food was fantastic - how do they do it with the logistical problems. Returning one evening to a darkened camp, we were dined on our own terrace under the moonlight - wonderful.
Game a little sparse at this time of the year, but made up for by the wide range of other things we learnt about tracking, plants and poo!
