Reviews of Mwamba Bushcamp
(99%) From 100 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Unique and brilliant
I spent three nights at Mwamba, following on from three at Kaingo. It was the perfect combination for a week's holiday, as the camps are very different from one another: Mwamba, with just three rooms, sits away from the wide Luangwa river, nestling, literally, in the middle of the bush for the ultimate feeling of remoteness.
The rooms, which are rebuilt each year under the trees, have wonderful skylights which make it feel like you are sleeping under the stars (but still safely indoors when elephants wander by!) and large outside bathrooms with bucket showers (which are not as rustic as they sound). An outside seating area is the the perfect spot for lunch watching any animals wandering by the river bed. The general areas are equally open, attractive and comfortable. Food was generally very good, simpler than that at Kaingo but still extraordinary given the camp's location. As at Kaingo, the service was superb, with a special mention for John, who made me smile every time we spoke.
For drives, Brent and Kennedy were my wonderful guides, while Gideon was an excellent scout. Brent's almost-philosophical approach was thought-provoking as well as hugely informative - I learnt a huge amount from him - while Kennedy conjured up one of the highlights of my trip, a leopard stretched out on a fallen tree that we observed, by ourselves, for over half an hour. As I mentioned in my review of Kaingo, the game viewing is superb: lions were basking in the shade metres from the camp and it was here that I saw large herds of buffalo, eland and Cookson wildebeest, as well as some wonderfully curious young hyenas. Do bring a good pair of binoculars: it will vastly enhance your experience. As with Kaingo, the camp's location far away from the main park gates, means you're unlikely to pass more than one or two other cars on any drive.
So, all in all, a superb experience that I cannot wait to repeat. South Luangwa is the ultimate safari experience, and I can't imagine anyone bettering what I had with Shenton Safaris.
Leopards galore at Mwambe
Although only a short distance from Kaingo a completley different expereince. A bush camp in every sence of the word, we felt completly relaxed and part of the enviroment we found ourselves in, animals galore from Elephants stripping leaves from trees outside our tent to Lions lying in the riverbrd less than 50 yards away entertaining us through the night with there constant roauring.
From struggling to see sightings of Leopard in recent years we were almost tripping over them, the standard of guiding and positioning of the vehecle for our benefit was truly outstanding. The staff we found very hard working, obliging and extremeley friendly. Food was first class and most enjoyable.
Amazing wildlife around Mwamba Camp
This was the first camp of 3 on our trip and on reflection this was the simplest yet in many ways our favorite.
The guiding by Meyam was excellent and in his quiet way he demonstrated his extensive knowledge of wildlife and their habitats.
We were amazed at how close we got to the animals and they in turn seemed relaxed at having people nearby.
We were lucky enough to see the Mwamba pride of lions (20 in all) take down a large buffalo - a sight never to be forgotten !
The chalets were very comfortable and their design works well in the hot weather.
Service was very attentive and we were pleasantly surprised at how such good food can be created from a simple kitchen.
We will look back with fond memories of this beautiful location !
Out in the wilds at Mwambo Bushcamp
A splendid morning walk between the camps, learning bushcraft, encountering hyena, hippo and elephant on the way. At Mwambo, wildlife rules the roost. With only 3 huts, this is a really intimate wildlife experience, especially when the elephants trap you in your hut whilst browsing on the tree outside, and hopefully not on your hut roof.
Our guide was an excellent tracker, and was sensitive to our wishes and preferences, especially as a photographer himself. He gave us lots of time for observing animal behaviour. The night drives were an important feature of the experience, with sightings of civet, genet, porcupine and ghostly hippo. We watched a leopard on his kill, completely unmoved by our presence.
The hides add an extra dimension to the safari, and we were glad we chose Shenton for this. Amazingly, our camp would be completely dimantled the following week for the rainy season, and one realises the sheer logistical difficulties of creating such a camp.
A real bush experience
Walked here from Kaingo for a 3 night stay, very small camp with excellent food and fun outdoor bathroom, small seating area in front of the chalet overlooking dry river bed. Excellent hide to observe animals/birds visiting for much needed water just a few steps away from camp.
Perfect for those looking for a relaxed bush experience, fantastic game viewing - best saved to the last evening when had a superb leopard sighting followed by lion and two small cubs, so good we missed sundowners that night.
Debbie perfect hostess, staff behind the scenes did an excellent job in soaring temperatures and the legend that is Meyham was not only incredibly knowledgeable but had the best sense of humour ever!
We celebrated our 30th Wedding Anniversary in Mwamba and they gave us a private dinner outside our chalet which was lovely and much appreciated.
Magical Mwamba
Mwamba is a true bushcamp, where we felt that much closer to the wildlife than anywhere else we stayed. We were totally immersed in the sounds and sights of the bush from dawn to dusk and beyond. Being escorted to our chalet after dark proved essential on two evenings when we were visited by hyena and elephant.
We were so lucky to have Meyam as our guide for the duration of our stay at Mwamba - his expert knowledge on everything from the smallest insect to the biggest animals made a great experience even deeper. Every drive and walk brought new sightings and variety. On our first evening here we followed a hunting leopard for over an hour. Unfortunately for the leopard its hunt was interrupted by the appearance of a group of lions.
We ended up sitting in the midst of that lion hunt in the dark, with impala rushing past the vehicle hotly pursued by the lions! On our last morning we were on our own with Meyam who responded to our request with a specific 'birding' drive when we saw many brds not previously encountered.
Debbie runs the camp in a friendly and efficient manner; all the staff took delight in their roles and looked after us extremely well. We really didn't want to leave!
Mwamba Bushcamp review
Probably one of our favourite camps in Zambia. Intimate, with a real "in the bush" feel to it. Lovely bar and dining area, and a great hide overlooking a productive pumped waterhole. Sitting in the hide after returning from a morning drive and just watching what happens is a relaxing, and sometimes thrilling experience. Derek - I'm sure you could bill this as an "in-camp sauna" - an extra facility for guests! This was our second trip to Mwamba, and it felt like we'd never left.
Debbie and the team did a great job in looking after us, and Meyam, in his quiet way, is one of those rare guides who can truly convey the beauty of the bush and was a real pleasure to be with. Thank you Meyam. We were lucky enough to be there with an hysterically fun group of Australian artists (thank you Peta, Lyn and Judy). Leopard in a tree, hyenas whooping at night, lions in camp, you name it, we had it.
If you're staying at both Kaingo and Mwamba, do make sure you walk from one to the other - we saw leopard, elephants, a very friendly group of giraffe, zebra, wilderbeast, puku, impala, and no end of birds. Highly reccomended.
Mwamba Bushcamp review
We especially loved this camp maybe because we spent 4 nights here and because it is small taking only 6 guests. Because of this we got to know our guide Kennedy and Debbie the manager more than at the other camps. Mwamba has a real bush camp feel to it with an open bathroom. Animals wandered by and an elephant came to dinner one night.
We walked from Kaingo camp to Mwamba and saw a number of animals including hyenas. Our morning walks with Kennedy were always interesting. The drives here were great too with many lions and a lovely leopard . We would like to return to both Kaingo and Mwamba camps.
Mwamba Bushcamp review
Mwamba has been a very enjoyable, intimate bushcamp experience for us and shouldn't be missed when staying at Kaingo.
The wonderfully remote location in the middle of game-rich areas, combined with great personal service/guiding and a waterhole hide right in the camp made for days filled with plenty of excitement. The fun doesn't stop when arriving back in camp - there is plenty of rustling, grumbling, growling and hooting in and around camp to keep things interesting day and night.
Don't come here if you are after luxury with aircon and modcons - but if you are after an immersive bushcamp experience of a largely bygone era, you might just fall in love with it.
Our own, private bushcamp
We were the only guest in Mwamba so we had the entire staff and camp to ourselves. The staff was wonderful, the food great and giving us sundowners and sunsets never before seen.
We had Elliot the leopard walking right next to us as he stalked a croc with his dinner.
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.
