Reviews of Nkwali
(96%) From 155 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Exceeded expectations!
I had been a bit apprehensive about Nkwali as it is outside the national park and fairly close to Mfuwe. However it was a delightful camp and the wildlife was excellent as were the guides and camp staff led by Kiki. We were very lucky to see a leopard kill on a night drive thanks to the tracking skills of Chris.
The river crossing by pontoon and boat added to the overall experience.
We stayed (randomly as not requested) in the honeymoon suite and this was spacious and delightful.
Finally Wild Dogs at Nkwali
Highlight-seeing a pack of wild dogs-thank you Kiki for your patience and making our trip so memorable!
Beautiful camp and setting. Highly recommend -it will not disappoint.
Nkwali - our third visit
It was great to return to Nkwali and we enjoyed our 4 night stay there. All the meals were delicious - thanks to the cooks and serving staff. The management and hosting staff also deserve our thanks. Our guide was Fred and our spotter was Wilson. They were able to show us lots of amazing animals and birds. The highlight was watching a sacred ibis swallow a large lung fish - a challenge for the bird that lasted over 15 minutes! We really enjoyed visiting the palm forest in the south of the park, our special brunch in the bush and the spectacular view that accompanied our final sundowner. Special thanks to Fred! Thanks also to Wilson for the one-eyed leopard!
We have two suggestions to improve our stay - if possible please could the camp provide a full set of reference books for guests to use - there were some - but none on insects. Also It would be nice to have a plant checklist. It would not have to be exhaustive but maybe list about 20 plants that would be of interest to the visitor eg. The green five, the key tree species, plants with medicinal properties etc.
Excellent is an under statement!
Our second visit to this wonderful place.
The chalets, solid walls with thatched roof, are spacious and well appointed with 'his and hers sinks and showers' and views overlooking the Luangwa river. Hot water available at all times and mains electrics. The staff ensure you will have an enjoyable time, good hospitality and a wide choice of food (no game served).
An open camp area so animals can roam freely and do so mainly at night with the occasional hippo wandering through and on one night, much to the night watchman's surprise and fright(!), 3 lions walked through.
Game drives mainly involve crossing the river in a 10 seated boat to reach the National Park area which contains a lot of game - even in the rainy season which produces some spectacular thunder storms as was the case on our visit. Nkwali has much to offer and we will be back again some day.
Nkwali review
Met at by our guide, Fred, for our 3 night stay in this very comfortable and welcoming camp. Greeted by Kiki who managed an excellent team. Our guiding was first class, Fred engaged with us as well as showing extensive knowledge of both flora and fauna. Very good game drives, and a productive bush walk, we were never disappointed, both with game large and small, and with the birdlife. Breakfast round the camp fire, and communal lunches and dinners were in a relaxed atmosphere and the food was excellent. We were in tent 4 which, like all the accommodation, was open fronted during the day, and as the family accommodation, was huge with its own lounge area as well as a double shower in the bathroom! Treated to a “walkaround” by a rather large visitor, our siesta was, on one day, interrupted by an elephant browsing around the tent, and on another occasion by a hippo making its way back to the river. A real treat was the entertainment provided over lunch one day by a bachelor herd of elephants at the waterhole.
Read more about the whole safarigreat start to an unforgettable experience
Nkwali is in a beautiful position on the bank of the river. Our accommodation was such a surprise-a huge beautifully made bed in the centre of a thatched "hut" situated well away from neighbouring "huts". The open front had views onto the river. At night the bedroom was prepared with mosquito nets to keep us insect free. The open, but completely private, bathroom/double wash basins and toilet were at the back. We were advised to keep colourful items such as toothpaste/pills out of sight of baboons-good advice as it happened. We had one invasion but no damage done.
Staff at the camp were without exception friendly and helpful.
Because animals can stray into the camp we were escorted from our accommodation to the dining and bar areas during the hours of darkness. Expect some unfamiliar noises at night! Hippos snort outside your window, lions roar and geese gabble.
Breakfast was served on the river bank (very early!) so that we could get out on game drives before 6.30. The other meals were served in the open where we sat at a long table. Pre lunch and dinner drinks were served at the bar.These arrangement made for a very sociable atmosphere which was well managed by the bar staff and manager.
Great introduction to the South Luangwa
Nkwali was a perfect introduction to the Zambian bush.
The camp is beautifully located on the banks of the river, with excellent viewing of wildlife from the main buildings and the rooms. The open fronted rooms gave us an intimate connection with the bush and the wildlife, but security at night was provided by the gates installed across the front each night. The rooms were very comfortable and stylish, as were the main guest areas.
The staff were very welcoming and the guiding exemplary.
Nkwali review
This was a really good start of the break for us
In hind sight we should have had three nights here and not two
Return to Nkwali
We had a wonderful welcome from Kiki and the team at Nkwali on this, our fifth visit. The camp has a superb location on the east bank of the Luangwa river.
The view across the river from the open-fronted chalets is splendid. Quick and easy access to the more remote parts of the National Park is assured by boat, pontoon, or simply driving across the river when the level is low enough, as it is at this time of year.
We enjoyed excellent game viewing, with five leopard sitings on one of the days.
Love Robin Pope
This was my second stay at a Robin Pope camp (I was at Tena Tena in 2014), and I loved the same things about Nkwali that impressed me at Tena Tena. Their guides are super keen, the starts are good and early in the morning and the whole experience is very safari focused. Their vehicles are great, seating a maximum of four and with no canopy. We had Kiki as our guide who I know is one of their most experienced, and he even suggested leaving a bit early on a couple of afternoons to give us the best possible chance of catching certain sightings. Through extreme patience we managed to catch wild dogs on the first morning drive, a sighting which has eluded me despite much time spent in the park. And then leopard cub(s) twice!!
The camp is lovely. The open fronted rooms are stunning, and I loved the amount of wildlife that could be seen around the camp. On our first afternoon there were lions and at one point a hyena on the riverbank opposite, then at various times during the day I had banded mongooses, bushbuck and baboons almost stepping inside my room.
Overall, Robin Pope continue to impress me massively and together with their "no single supplement" policy this makes them a firm favourite for repeat visits.
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.
