Reviews of Nkwali
Wildlife sightings and reviews
258 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Nkwali and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

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"Can't wait to return!"
Every aspect was outstanding - location, accommodation, food, game drives and walks. All the staff without exception were friendly, helpful and efficient. We very impressed by the attention to detail and quality of management." See all these reviews: 11n in Zambia
"A lovely lodge in a beautiful position."
The guides are one of the most important things when on a safari. Daudi had an unshakeable knowledge of everything. - plants, insects, birds and animals. He was highly ethical in his approach to the viewing and also great company.
The game drives were brilliant and we also did an all day bush picnic which was magical." See all these reviews: 4n in Zambia
"Nkwali review"
"Emerald Gem"
Nkwali is a very well run and comfortable camp. We have nothing but praise for everyone there who helped make our stay extremely pleasant and comfortable, especially the excellent and charming hostess, Christabelle. We were also very impressed with the quality of the guiding of Jacob in particular - and he was also a whole barrel of fun to be with.
February is, of course, 'off season' (and very few camps are open, as a result). But it is a truly fabulous time to visit South Luangwa, lush, green and with bags of bird and mammal activity. For fans of the latter, we had two good leopard sightings and both lions and painted dogs were seen by others while we were there; elephants and buffalo were around in abundance.
Together with its sister camp, Nkwali, strongly recommended." See all these reviews: 13n in Zambia
"Great walking from Nkwali"
To see leopards and lions almost daily was quite a privilege for us' especially the lion up in the tree! The bird watching for us 2 enthusiastic amateurs was stupendous. The accommodation (Room6) was sumptuous and the food incredible, they even provided a candle lit private dinner for us on our last night - magical." See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia
"Nkwali review"
The pool was a nice bonus." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia
"Nkwali review"
The guiding here is very good and our special thanks to Emmanuel and Jacob for giving us great sightings and photo opportunities. We were lucky enough to see several leopards as well as lions on each day of our stay. They were both very knowledgeable on birdlife which was a bonus to us.. However the highlight of our stay was a visit to a small lagoon where we saw lions, giraffe drinking, saddle-billed and marabou storks catching fish as well as three pelicans patrolling the decreasing water.
The only downside of the camp unfortunately was the frequent lack of water in our chalet. This culminated in one night when my wife was poorly and there was no water in the toilet cistern or anywhere else. The staff tried to rectify the situation but at midday the following day we had to use someone else's chalet to have a shower - unfortunately no one was on duty to help us.
A plus point was that there were never more than four guests to a vehicle which meant we were never over crowded. This is a good camp where we would have allocated higher marks if the water problem had not existed." See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia; 3n in Malawi
"Top marks for management at Nkwali"
The accommodation was comfortable and traditional safari camp style, as cool as could be hoped for at the hottest time of year, and mosquito free (nets, insect repellent and knockdown sprays were provided). The location, close to the river bank, did ensure game viewing from the room, as well as a fairly noisy first night with a herd of elephant feeding off the trees by our room, and hippos having a disagreement outside!
The food was delicious and well presented, the bar well-stocked too, and we liked the system of drinks being included in the upfront price.
The camp is just outside the park, which meant taking a flat bottomed river boat from camp to leave/rejoin the vehicles in the middle of the day between game drives. Probably due to low water levels, being late in the dry season, our boat regularly stuck on the sand/mud, much to the amusement of the hippos and hungry looks of the crocodiles! Some dredging of the channel, or sticking to vehicle crossings, may be appropriate.
The vehicles were well-maintained open-top Toyota Land Cruisers - comfortable for passengers, and sturdy enough for all situations.
The game viewing was excellent - an abundance of elephant , buffalo and hippos, good leopard and lion observation, plenty of the smaller mammals and birds. Our guide, Emanuel, knew where to aim for, and spoke knowledgably about what we saw, plus retained a lively sense of humour.
A small irritant - the green branded Robin Pope Safaris water bottles which we were presented with were absolute rubbish - the neck valves leaked, causing soaking cameras and clothing, much to the amusement of those sporting water bottles from rivals, such as Lion Camp. Pull up your socks, RPS!" See all these reviews: 7n in Zambia; 7n in Malawi
"Robin Pope Safaris : Nkwali Camp"
Very good for walking safaris." See all these reviews: 21n in Zambia
"Too short a stay to tell very much"
What I did experience was very good - excellent dinner, well run, friendly, efficient staff, and a very comfortable room." See all these reviews: 10n in Zambia
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