Reviews of Vundu Camp
(96%) From 36 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Real Bush Safari at Vundu Camp
First Class guiding and sightings
Authentic bush camp atmosphere
Food was too copious in quantity and needs a little more refinement and imagination.
Vundu Camp review
Again staff all very welcoming rooms a little more basic than previous camp. Food was very good just too much on your plate at dinner.
Would have preferred the buffet service that all the other camps used you could always go back for more food therefore less waste.
Overall we had an amazing holiday, very well looked after by all concerned.
Vundu Camp review
Good points: guiding from Jim Mackie was excellent ... knowledgeable, helpful, caring. Situation by the river was lovely, giving some beautiful moments both early morning and at sundowner time. Both of us were suffering from heavy colds when we arrived and we were very sympathetically looked after. Cabin/tent was spacious and comfortable. Elephant encounters were, at times, magical. Specifically, to spend time (approx 45 mins) on foot in the close company of "Spike" and, equally, to see "Boswell" do his "standing on his back legs" trick.
Not so good points: one of the major reasons for choosing to visit Mana Pools was to see the wild dogs ... alas we didn't. We also didn't see any of the large cats or hyenas. We do appreciate that the wildlife cannot be "planned" - but it was nevertheless disappointing. Regarding the room: water is heated by an open fire under a boiler. This is efficient in producing hot water, but at times we were aware of smoke smells in the room and on returning home we noticed that all our clothes smelt of wood smoke ... even our bags had to washed. We have been in camps elsewhere with similar systems without problems. Perhaps Vundu should invest in solar panels?
Dogs... but much,much more
We were the first visitors of the season and had the camp to ourselves for a couple of nights. Owner Nick Murray and his wife were away at a trade fair and we were well looked after by manager Natalie and very experienced freelance guide Jim Mackie, who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of wildlife (no doubt helped by being a former park warden).
The scenery here is spectacular, from the views over the Zambezi as you fly in to the different landscapes as you explore the area.
Most people come here hoping to see painted dogs and we did so on three occasions (once on our own). Again it had been a poor wet season so waterholes were all but dry with animals relying on the river. Elephants were swimming or walking across the shallower parts.
Jim's night drives were very productive with sightings of genets, civets, hyena and white tailed mongoose. And he was brilliant at spotting and identifying birds. It's worth taking the afternoon canoe trip - avoiding the hippos and crocs! - to gain a different perspective.
We enjoyed several excellent bush walks including tracking three lionesses who had left their prints in camp overnight.
Breakfasts were a bit spartan so you were ready for the excellent lunches. The tents are extremely spacious and right on the edge of the Zambezi, giving this place a special atmosphere.
It's worth noting that in Mana Pools as a whole there are now no tsetse precautions being taken, though at one time they were eradicated.
Vundu - one of our favourite African Lodges
For us it provided the perfect balance between "wild" and "comfortable". 24 hour electricity and fans in the room are great in October but it was also good to have an outside bathroom. It is the first lodge we have encountered with a gym (too hot to use in October). The accommodation is unbelievably spacious and the vehicles used for game viewing were excellent with plenty of space and a useful storage box between the seats. Our guide, Simeon was first class and all the staff at the camp were helpful and attentive. We put it in our top 3 of African Lodges (along with Musekese and Tafika in Zambia). The canoeing was excellent. The food was good but the steak we had for dinner the last night was the best we have had in Africa, so we are unsure whether to grade the food as good or excellent. Nick's nephew, Ethan, was an asset to the camp as he has a good sense of humour and excellent "people skills".
Read more about the whole safariUndue camp review
We loved the fact that here you got out of the car and got up close and personal on foot with elephants and wild dogs. Terrific. Quite different to any other lodge we have visited in Africa. Great views of a honey badger foraging in the daylight. Good birding.
Simeon was a very knowledgable and experienced guide. He got us great views and wildlife experiences.
The camp was slightly more basic, but with all the essentials. The food was plentiful, but the choice was a bit limited especially between deliveries.
Fabulous stay at great camp
From the time we were met at the strip by Melanie to the morning we left we felt at home - very friendly, extremely keen to ensure we had great experiences and close encounters with the game (especially lion, painted dogs and elephant) whilst always respecting the animals and their environment.
Daryl is a fabulous guide and committed to protecting the wildlife. Melanie is a great host and included all the staff ensured they got credit for their involvement in our stay. Daryl and Melanie seemed as excited as us to see the animals, especially the dog pups.
We will always remember our canoeing along the Zambezi and the unique views of hippos. The accommodation and food were excellent. It was also fascinating to hear about Nick and Daryl’s efforts with their Conservancy protecting the wildlife in the park.
Thoroughly recommended for any trip to Zimbabwe.
Vundu Camp review
Excellent.
Only reservation was that the area was a bit busy with traffic.
Bush camp on the Zambezi river
Nice location on the banks of the Zambezi river. Camp is a bit worn, bed linen was very worn. My bed sheets were badly stained and I had to ask for it to be replaced (which it was ).
Breakfast was minimal. No protein just carbohydrates. Toast and granola etc. There seemed to be a shortage of guides while we were in camp. Steve was hired by one camper as his private guide leaving Henry to deal with six of us. Two of these people did not want to walk due to health issues so we were quite limited for the first day despite our wish for lots of bush walks.
The next day, the couple who did not want to walk requested Henry to themselves and so we were in a bit of a pickle. Daryl (the manager) had to go to the airport to pickup more campers. Fortunately Steve was freed up for the day as the fellow who had hired him as a private guide decided to stay in the camp , so our day was rescued and we had a wonderful morning walk in the bush. Definitely will be back to Mana Pools. Uncertain if we will be back to Vundu Camp.
Dinners were excellent kudos to the chef loved eating en famille. Daryl and Melanie were wonderful hosts and there was lots of lovely dinner conversations.
Vundu Camp review
We were the first visitors to the entire park (early May), so game was quite disbursed since water was available everywhere.
This meant we have far fewer sightings than we expected, but the camp still was a pleasure to visit. It's in a beautiful spot on the Zambezi River, the people are very warm and friendly, and the guide Henry was excellent.
We did three approaches on foot to lions, and since we stayed fairly far away it was actually pretty tame!
