Reviews of Mwamba Bushcamp
(99%) From 107 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Mwamba Bushcamp review
We walked to the bush camp. This walk was very welcome after sitting and eating for three days and four nights at the main camp.
Sly was an excellent guide and went out of his way to accommodate us and all our needs.
The bush camp was almost the same as we rembered from our last visit. My only adverse comment is that there should be more rush mats in the shower area as the mud floors are difficult to deal with.
The leopard sightings were wonderful at both camps. I can't think of any other place were one can see some many leopard as well as so many baby elephants, every herd had several babies some just born.
The Hide at this camp was very good for spending spare time in as it is on site and accessable any time of the day. Very close up viewing of game and many birds.
Small remote Bushcamp with superb hide
What a wonderful way to finish our holiday. Lovely small camp with back to nature simplicity. Fantastic hide overlooking waterhole and wonderful opportunities for close up photos.
Craig and Lyndie were welcoming and attentive managers. All the staff were excellent. It was good to have our excellent guide Noelle who came with us from Kaingo.
We had great game and bird viewings and the highlight was the wild dogs and their 4 month old pups and a wonderful sighting of a Pel’s Fishing owl which we had been looking for during numerous trips to Africa over the last 30 years
Mwamba Bushcamp review
Such a brilliant idea of David Shenton to build a bush camp which is taken down late October and rebuilt every year.
Small camp which works so well - bucket showers (hot and cold mixes) arrive to order and animals wander through the camp which is not fenced so lots of noises in the night! The hide is such an amazing attraction (you can just walk to it whenever you feel like it - divided into 3 sections and wonderful to just sit and watch the game come down and drink, roll in the mud, etc. Great bird life there too.
Noelle accompanied us and we had fantastic sightings of wild dogs and their pups in their den on two occasions - very special as only 3000 left in the world. Saw the pups chasing vultures, adults regurgitating food for pups after hunting and just enjoyed watching them play - so very privileged.
Loved our night drives and always saw genet and civet and of course leopards with kills in trees.
Mwamba Bush Camp Review
The camp itself is lovely. We overlooked what was then a dry river bed which led to "the last water hole,” so we could see lots of animals both leaving and arriving at the hole just by sitting outside our chalet. The camp is managed by a wonderful couple, Craig and Lindy, who were very knowledgeable, personable and attentive to all our needs.
As with Kaingo, the food was fantastic, all the more wonderful from having been prepared in a bush camp. Patrick continued to be our guide, and we thoroughly enjoyed our walks and game drives with him. Special mention needs to be made about “the last waterhole.” We had a wonderful time watching scores of buffalo, wildebeest, zebra, impala, and elephants coming down for a drink, sometimes one group right after another. And the birds were just as interesting.
And, now that we're home, we can see what's going on at the hide by viewing their webcam.
My best ever Safari experience
Kaingo was absolutely excellent , but Mwamba was I thought even better. It is set in a remote location with just 4 cabins , which are very comfortable and well constructed. Each cabin is given the name of a tree , and mine was Sausage tree , named after the tree which is next to it , giving some shade in the very hot weather. It is also the closest cabin to the Camp's nearby natural waterhole, which has an excellent hide with three levels, the very lowest right at water level , but a bit of a squeeze to get into.
The hide is a good place to spend a couple of hours at almost any time of day. The waterhole is frequented by much of the local wild life from Elephants and buffalo to Impala , kudu , bushbuck and other antelope. A great many birds , often in swarms visit it in the dry season. These include lovebirds, starling species, and several colourful finches.
I had an excellent guide in Andrew who was extremely knowledgable and an excellent spotter of everything from Leopards in trees to Chameleons in the dark. We became firm friends and he taught me a lot about the animals and people of the area. He took me on an extended morning walk which proved a good contrast to the drives.
I took my tally of Leopard sightings in the South Luangwa to 14 at Mwamba including a male and female together at night and a big old male who had stolen a kill from a younger male ( watching nearby ) Night drives were also productive with views of Civet, Genet, honey badger and owls of various kinds, as well as leopards.
On one evening we came across a Giraffe that had just given birth and the baby was still very wobbly on its legs . They were taking cover in a grove of trees until the baby Giraffe could walk properly. We had good sightings of large buffalo herds coming down to drink at the shrinking waterholes, and elephants coming down for their morning mud baths. One of the star viewings was at length ( albeit a little obscured in the bush ) of a pack of wild dogs with cubs shortly after a successful hunt in the early morning.
The food at Mwamba was if it is possible , even better , which is truly remarkable considering the remote location and limited kitchen facilities.
The managers are a young couple Craig and LIndy, who were highly professional, experienced ( particularly Craig ) and very friendly. The group evening meals were especially entertaining and informative, set out completely in the open. I was privileged to witness the end of the capture of Peter the 12 foot python who had been living near the hide , and although completely harmless it was thought best to relocate to a an area away from the camp.
In short Mwamba would be a tough act to follow for any camp.
Mwamba - A true bushcamp with great hosts
Mwamba made us feel very at home. The thatched chalets and washing area including bucket showers very traditional but spacious with a bit of luxury - just what we enjoy. The setting of the chalets and other areas is beautiful and felt very remote. The camp included 3 hides at different levels above the waterhole and while we were there, a family of elephants were regular visitors together with impala zebra and baboons, plus stunning birds, such as Lilian's Lovebirds and Blue Waxbills. Two bushbucks roamed the camp eating the sausage tree flowers and drinking at the bird bath.
Craig and Lindy felt like old friends by the time we left as Craig had been to many of the places we had been and they planned to go to others. Lindy was was exceptionally kind and proactive when she managed to get me some appropriate antibiotics when I had a recurrence of an old illness. The guiding was good and it was interesting learning about the Mwamba-Kaigo, Mwamba-Kapanda and Hollywood prides (made famous on recent TV Programme.)
Mwamba and Kaingo are run by the same family and it is great to know that the fantastic food includes vegetables from their own plot in Mfuwe run by local people
Great camp in South Luangwa
We had stayed at Kaingo last trip but Mwamba was even better. Craig and Lindy were very welcoming hosts and it is a lovely small bush camp with comfortable rooms and an efficient bucket shower system.
Andrew and Alex were definitely the A team as far as tracking and finding game and we were lucky in seeing the wild dogs with puppies plus several leopards and a lot of different prides of lions. We were very impressed with Andrew who not only was very knowledgeable and informative but was also clearly dedicated to his work and the business of conservation and also passionate about his country and its people which made for some interesting discussions - he also had a great sense of humour.
The hides by the water hole were a pleasant way to spend a few hours in the middle of the day and to get some great close up photo's.
There was so much to see I wish we had had another night or two!
Mwamba Bushcamp review
Mwamba is a bit more remote than its sister camp Kaingo but I loved the sense of being right in the middle of the mix. From the breakfast table you can watch Elephants, Giraffes, and even a lion one morning going about their business. Craig and Lindi are excellent managers and have a wealth of knowledge regarding the park and surrounding area. Just as with Kaingo, the service and food are excellent. The staff is top notch at Mwamba.
The reed and thatch chalets are very comfortable and come with beautiful outdoor bathrooms. The beds would be turned down at night with the netting set in place. We did not have any issues with mosquitos. A pail of hot water would be raised each morning for a shower or you could order the hot water at any other time of the day. The nearby hide was a great place to go and observe the resident hippo and bee eater birds on down time.
The game drives and walking safaris are different from those of Kaingo so it's not more of the same. The family and I got up close and personal with the Mwamba Kaingo pride of lions, this was definitely a highlight of the Mwamba leg of our safari. Of course, we were still with our guide Patrick from Kaingo and he brought along the same tremendous enthusiasm that he had at Kaingo. I highly recommend Mwamba for a more off the beaten path kind of safari.
Mwamba Bushcamp review
A complete contrast to Waterberry. Very much in the bush with two wonderful hosts and very good food.
The rooms were fairly basic and the absence of matting in the washing area meant it was necessary to put on shoes when going to the toilet at night.
That said, we came to love it and the game drives were superb with excellent guides. Catering was outstanding and we wouldn't hesitate to return there.
An experience of a lifetime
Everything about Mwamba Bushcamp was wonderful. Craig and Lindy were the most charming hosts that one could wish for. We had fantastic guides, with Andrew being particularly outstanding and incredibly well-informed. The quality of the food was amazing and the rooms are beautifully made out of reeds and thatch, with a wonderful bathroom area. We would not hesitate to recommend Mwamba to anybody who may be considering wanting to experience a true insight to remote Zambia, but with very welcome luxury as well. Fabulous, no complaints whatsoever.
Read more about the whole safari
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