Reviews of Luangwa River Camp
(95%) From 54 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Whisk me back please..
Hospitality with a capital H. Why did I feel so much at home? I loved it. I forsook a morning game drive and an evening one just to sit and 'be' - to savour the stillnes of the river, the light, the various noises and whatever wildlife happened to hove into view.. It was like an illustration in a book David Livingstone might have written.
What to say about the host, Ignacio? However many plates he must have spinning in his head at any given time, his focus is on his guests, of whatever ilk, whether just engaging in conversation or anticipating every wish/need. Each person treated as though they are the only one who matters. It's a rare skill. I know I was supposed to be there for the wildlife but as much pleasure as anything came from the wonderful mix of personalities at the lunch/dinner tablesand the consequent very entertaining conversations, handled very adeptly by Ignacio. I would run a mile from house parties in the conventional sense but revelled in this variety.
Can't get away from hot water bottles. I asked for one on my second night and duly found not only the bottle in my bed but an extra balnket on the bed as well. Very thoughtful and extra toasty.
Tremendous guiding and with the added dimension of crossing the river every time. Very soft, sandy,steep descent and ascent but I was never without the strong hand of Chris to keep me upright.. I now understand how extensive is the training for guides but even so, the knowledge is phenomenal, especially about birds. I loved all the careering through bush and scrub and then emerging onto a plain dotted with zebra, various entelope, giraffe etc. Was this real? As with the river, I could have happily sat stil just drinking it in. For me, the time of year seemed to be perfect. Still lots of water around and green areas but the rest just as I imagined it. I told Amanda I wanted to see hippos. I understand now why she was so confident in her assurances..
Breakfast sentiments the same as I wrote for Nsefu but on my activity- free morning it was bliss. 9am - chair and table on the terrace carefully placed by Ignacio. Order for cereal and toast taken and if possible a chopped apple to put on the cereal. No problem. I'd taken the newspaper I'd had since England to read but couldn't take my eyes off the view. As if on cue, a mother, father and baby elephant sandwiched between them slowly ambled in front of me and into the river..
Food was very good and imaginative. I didn't refuse a thing except the hot pickle second time round. (Another incomprehensible feat - organising the supply chain.) Immaculate service every time both foodwise and drinkwise.
As for the property itself, I suspect plans will be in hand to keep up the constant renewal process - conditions must be hard on wood maintenance etc. Not sure where this is on the list of priorities or if there is any practical solution but the soft sand makes for quite difficult walking between rooms and the main area - especially when running at 5.30am to squeeze in breakfast and then back again to be out by 6am!
Frustration of a trip like this is that it's hard to convey to anyone who has no experience of it exactly how it all works. That would have been me until last year. For someone who - needs must - look after herself, I felt as if I'd just succumbed to a 'care package'. 7th heaven.. Thank you to absolutely everyone involved.
First visit to River Camp
Daudi and the team looked after us very well. The chalet comfortable within a lovely setting, including resident elephant.
Perry was an excellent guide and it was good to see a different part of the park.
Luangwa River Camp review
Camp facilities are looking a little tired and vehicles a bit old.
The new guide was very knowledgeable about all wildlife but had not yet developed the art of tracking and locating them.
Food was excellent.
Amazing stay at the River Camp!
We had the most incredible experience at the Luangwa River Camp during the beautiful Emerald Season in Zambia. Our host, Daudi, could not have given us a warmer welcome and our guide, Jonah provided us with expert guiding. Yumba was our nighttime spotter and he was also fantastic. We were the only guests staying at the lodge, which was a real treat, and we enjoyed the most amazing adventure. We loved having to take a boat to and from each game drive, often in the rain, and braving the puddles of flooded safari roads with Jonah.
As I said, the guiding was phenomenal, and we were treated to multiple lion and leopard sightings along with a bounty of information about the land and wildlife. Once, a pride of lions decided to nap in the shade of our open safari vehicle, and we were able to enjoy the thrill of their closeness. We also had a spectacular sighting of a leopard and her one year old, as well as seeing a leopard in a tree at night (thanks, Yumba!).
While at the lodge, we enjoyed the luxury of beautifully appointed, comfortable chalets with mosquito netting and big, beautiful bathrooms with standalone tubs and lovely showers. The pool was a welcome respite from the heat of the day. The lodge area was a comfortable place to relax and admire the beauty of the Luangwa River at its fullest. The food was top notch, and they accommodated my vegetarian needs beautifully. The variety of delicious lunchtime salads were my favorite!
The best part though, was the company of our host and guide, with whom we enjoyed numerous laughs and wonderful conversation over meals. We truly couldn't have had a better time, and when we were flooded out of our last night's stay and had to move to N'Kwali, we were truly sad to say goodbye to this beautiful lodge and its people.
Great hosts and team and beautiful camp
Positive:
- Daudi (host) and Breston (guide) were a fantastic team, professional and personal
- Wonderful surprise on our last day
- Main camp was very attractive and well taken care of
- Night watch, basically all staff were very friendly and personal
- Chalet was very clean and spacious
Negative:
- a lot of traffic compared to Nsefu
Luangwa River Camp review
Excellent food, best chef of the lodges Chindeni, Nsefu, Mfuwe.
Top, very experienced guide.
Spacious chalets, but the veranda does not invite to sit down their.
Location mainhouse, top.
Hostess was in our "north german" opinion a shade "too loud"
Luangwa River Camp review
The camp is in the other side of the reserve but you can still cross with the jeep the mighty Luangwa this time of the year. Still no signs of clouds and rains to come, but pretty hot.
Finally, I manage to convince the other guest to have a morning walk. It was lovely, actually I felt being welcomed by the animals, approaching some zebras much closer than in previous safaris. But it got hot by 8am. As the camp is near the park gate it gets busy with other cars - nothing like Ngorongoro - but still you get bothered after Nsefu and Tena-Tena.
Very happy with the service, thx Catherine, and in particular my guide Chris - so knowledgeable about bird life. Comfortable tent, a bit too much for my taste. I enjoyed the pool but I paid off my taking the siesta next to it with numerous bites..
Luangwa River Camp review
Staff very helpful given that I use a walking frame.
Food good and bedroom fine.
Game guide, Johah, excellent.
Time to relax a bit
On the drive to River Camp we encountered a snared lion. Luckily it had been reported and the help was on the way. We learned later that it had been darted and the snare removed and on its way to recovery. River Camp is very relaxed and a dip in the pool was welcome. Again, here the food and service in unreproachable. The setting is very nice and you have ellies regularly in the camp or near to it. The wildlife in the area is abundant, although you are nearer to the main gate section where there are more cars. The guide was Jona and Daudi, who is also the manager of the camp. Especially Jona is a very good guide. We saw the usual animals and many birds. Each guide tries his best to show you a maximum of animals and they always position the jeeps so that you can get good photos. Very professional people.
Read more about the whole safariLuangwa River Camp review
We had an excellent time at Luangwa River Camp.
The camp had a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, which was down to the excellent work of Joe, the Host. The rooms were fine, but could probably do with being updated, as they were beginning to look a bit tired. The position of the camp was excellent, with easy access into the park.
Our guide Jonah was superb! We are keen bird watchers and his excellent knowledge, enabled us to see many different species. It was lovely to have the vehicle to ourselves and we felt that Jonah understood the kind of safari experience we wanted.
We had excellent sightings of leopard, lion, hippo, plus numerous species of antelope.
