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Holiday to Zambia
Aaron & Judi Byrne, 5th September 2025As with our past trips, we enjoyed the experience from the time we landed until the time we left. The lodges and camps all met our expectations and gave us different experiences at each place. The guides were all skilled and we enjoyed our time with them. The lodges and camps all provided at least a very good level of service, with some standing a little higher.
Accommodation Visited
InterContinental Johannesburg O.R. Tambo Airport
“Very convenient to the airport. Comfortable rooms. Excellent restaurant.”
Toka Leya Camp
“The location relative to the falls was perfect - not too close that we felt crowded, but close enough that the multiple drives over the the falls were not arduous. The setting on the river was lovely. The lodge staff were wonderful and attentive - we just had to appear in a common area and someone would be asking us what we needed or wanted. The food, especially at high tea, was among our favourite on the entire trip. While the truck game drives were limited (due to the size of the park), we enjoyed seeing the rhinos; the boat excursions were our favorite, with so much to see all around us. Finally, our tent was spacious, comfortable, and private.”
KuKaya Lodge
“KuKaya provided some of our best game-viewing. Both at the lodge and from the moment we got on the truck, we had a great deal of wildlife to see. The staff were attentive and available, particularly our private host and the chef (who gave us highly-tailored meals). Peter, our guide, proved to be the best of the bunch with his skill and personality.”
Chindeni Bushcamp
“We ended up liking the "vibe" of Chindeni above all other locations. The communal meals provided a great interaction with the other guest and guides. The animals were once again "right there" as at KuKaya. While the tent was the most rustic of our lodging, it was still comfortable and spacious and felt closest to nature. The food and staff at Chindeni truly stood out. The food - we had curry night and customised stir-fry for dinners; the most outrageous was the make-your-own-pizza in the bush overlooking the river. Who thought of that? It is a story we have told repeatedly since getting home. The staff - the camp had the fewest staff members, due to both the camp size and location, we suspect. However, that was never evident. There was always someone looking after us, and no one seemed to have "a job" - rather, they did whatever needed to be done.”
Royal Zambezi Lodge
“Royal was the most "civilised" of our lodging - with concrete walkways, plunge pools, and a large common area. However, we were surprised that, of all the locations, we noticed the bugs and creatures in the room more than anywhere else. We commented above about the young-children factor. Access to the river, like at Toka Leya, was wonderful. The truck game-drives were surprisingly quiet. Perhaps the time of year contributed, but we were surprised how much time we spent driving with nothing of note to see. However, in terms of game-viewing and birding from the room, Royal was far above the other locations - we could spend hours each day just taking photographs from our deck and watching the animals pass by, including at night. Lastly, the food was very good, but perhaps lacked the creativity of the other three places. Finally, the spa was fabulous and well-utilised by our group.”
Staff Review
“Donna provided the same wonderful hands-on service and guidance as with our previous travels with Mahlatini. At this point, she knows what we are looking for in our African travels, and she gave us options that met and exceeded those expectations.”
