Reviews of Mchenja Bushcamp
(98%) From 53 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Wonderful Ebony grove and chalets
Fantastic setting and great chalet, Una made use of the bath! Richard and Susi were very good hosts making us very welcome even doing a candle lit dinner for two when we were the only people in camp.
They also arranged an impromptu barbecue for us all on the river bank - great success. Levy the guide was as all guides excellent. We saw a pride of 5 male lions on a hippo kill surrounded by 30 odd vultures and 15 hyenas!
Mchenja Bushcamp review
Mchenja was just perfect - everything that we had been told about it was so accurate. The location, size, staff, tents, food and above all the chance to go walking with people who cared about the ecosystem. It was just brilliant.
We could easily have stayed here for longer if it were not for the tedious necessity of having to to go back to UK and earn some money to be able to do it again some time really soon.
Mchenja Bushcamp review
Mchenja was a real highlight of the trip...despite seeing significantly less game than from a safari vehicle, the feeling of viewing game on foot in such a remote location is very special.
The general wilderness, privacy and peacefulness of the location is unsurpassable. The relaxed intimate nature of the camp, friendly staff and exceptionally knowledgeable guides made our 4 nights stay a wonderful experience.
Mchenja Bushcamp review
Again, a second visit to Mchenja which is indeed a lovely spot. Being on the river is brilliant of itself and for the viewing and access to the bush. To top it all we drifted downstream one morning watching a mother leopard and cub strolling along the river bank just a few hundred meters south of Mchenja. Levi led us on some excellent, informative and entertaining walkabouts in the bush which was great fun. Ditto the boat 'safaris' in and around the creeks. Levi is a fine guy and a fine guide.
Richard and Sue were lovely and attentive hosts for which thanks to you both. The camp itself is just great and so are the chefs who produce wonderful food especially considering where the camp is. Next trip we shall walkabout between camps.
Exciting time at Mchenja
Of the dozen or so places we visited on our holiday, this was one of our favorites and we'd return again.
Our outstanding guide Sam was knowledgeable about the immediate area, Zambia as a whole and other African countries as well. We liked the walking safaris, especially as we had spent the better part of the previous 3 weeks sitting in vehicles. On one walk we saw a large colony of storks; on another we found a hyena in its den and observed numerous elephants at close range. The boat trips were a pleasant change, too, especially the one wandering through a channel under ebony trees.
The food was creative and delicious. I may have eaten some meat that had been at room temperature, so to speak, for a couple of hours on a safari as I was a little ill the morning after leaving Mchenja. C'est la vie.
How about moving the employees' footpath to the boat landing farther from the back of the tent?
The plunge pool was too dark to be inviting.
Sam can be found at Luwi Bushcamp during the dry season and we think it would be enjoyable to stay with him there.
A beautiful bushcamp for the adventurous
We thought the camp staff tried really hard to ensure that we had a good experience.
The guides were very client aware and expert.
There was a good team spirit in the camp, which became evident when circumstances called for everyone to pull together.
The Joys of Walking in the Bush
Our walk to Mchenja and subsequent walks and drives while staying there provided much more to interest us. We particularly enjoyed the walks – following fresh giraffe tracks and droppings and eventually sighting the giraffe and observing elephants at close quarters in the bush, particularly a mother suckling its three year old infant, were memorable experiences.
Mchenja is delightfully situated in a grove of large ebony trees next to the Luangwa River. The chalets were very attractive and luxurious and the hospitality was great, almost too much so as we were almost joined for brunch in the bar area by an elephant keen to share our meal!
Mchenja Bushcamp review
Please see first page
Read more about the whole safariExpert Africa comments
This client commented: "We absolutely loved Mchenja and met some great people on our trip. Lucinda was a wonderful hostess (I hope she returns) and Lawrence was the most fascinating of guides and got to show us 4 leopards in one night drive! Needless to say we would love to return."
Review of Mchenja Bushcamp
Excellent sse previous comments
Read more about the whole safariExpert Africa comments
This traveller commented on his whole trip, on the 'previous page:
"It was a splendid tour you had arranged for us in South Luangwa.
In all five lodges Kapani, Kakuli, Nsolo, Mchenja and Luwi. Anne Marie, Lora, Natasha, Warren, the guides Abraham, Lawrence, Shaddy, Sam, Jimmy and John plus the rest of the teams gave us a wonderful time. They were all incredibly hospitable and immediately made us feel wellcome.
The game experiences were unforgettable.The guides who were all excellent did their best to show the nature and the game in varied actions. Especially John, who was called out to take us from Nsolo to Mcenja, half way walk, two days at Mchenja and the walk from Nsolo to Luwi. He was a brilliant guide, who seemed to be fond of walking like we are, while some of the guides had a preference for driving."
Mchenja -comfortable, elegant and great game
Mchenja is a beautiful camp in a superb location and had it been the only place we had stayed in Luangwa we could not have faulted it. However after staying at Kaingo it did feel more like we were paying guests, and less like staying with family.
The staff were great, always friendly and helpfull. The food was lovely & always well presented, again the vegetarian option was great. The guides were obviously very knowledgable and great at spotting game, we saw three leopard hunting whilst staying here, one in daylight, & the guides managed to get us really close. We saw 2 of the leopards make kills withing a few metres of our vehicle.
Our sole reservation concerns the fact that it appears that there is some friction between Mchenja & Kaingo. There are obviously 2 sides to every story, but we felt that it was inappropriate for the staff to discuss this issue with guests at dinner. In fairness, the issue was originally raised by other guests, not staff, but we felt that a tactful "no comment" would have been the better way of handling the situation.
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.
