Mukambi Safari Lodge — Hotel in Central Province

The pros:||||The lodge is very beautiful and the location is stellar. We loved hearing hippos grunting while drinking our morning coffee. The guides were so kind and knowledgeable, and they were able to adapt the activities to our particular interests and requests. We saw some amazing animals. I'll never forget hanging out with a pride of lions at sunset, just 15 feet from our jeep. We appreciated the pool, with the separate kids area, even if our rowdy kids likely acted as birth control for the honeymooning couples who were also enjoying the pool area.||||The cons:||The villas were small, with limited space to relax and hang out. There was a small verandah with chairs so we could sit outside, but our septic tank was actively overflowing just a few feet way and the smell was incredible. It would have been nice to sit out there with a cup of coffee in the mornings, but there's no room service (or even a phone in the rooms to request service). The rooms themselves were SWELTERING. We slept terribly while we were there and woke up drenched in sweat every day. It made the 5am wake up calls and late nights (because of slow dinner service) even harder. We almost left a day early because of this -- we were almost too exhausted to enjoy the activities.||||The most frustrating part of the stay was the meals. While the food quality was fine (not spectacular, but perfectly fine), the service was SLOW and there were only 1-2 choices per meal. After waking up at 5am, doing two long activities outside each day (which requires kids to sit quietly and not talk so we don't scare the animals), all we wanted was a quick and easy meal so we could get to bed. It would take 45 minutes or longer to even get the first course for dinner, which was an absolute disaster for our large party. It was also weird that we had to choose one kids meal for the entire party (of 6 kids) and it would then take an hour for the kids meal to arrive -- a bowl of plain pasta, no side, no fruit, no vegetable, nothing. By then, the kids were in full meltdown mode and had already filled up on bread rolls that we threw at them in desperation. The vegetarians in our group were repeatedly served meat dishes even after we requested/reminded of dietary needs. The staff often seemed annoyed or confused by requests for vegetarian meals or our desperate pleas to get meals to go (often requested at lunch time for the dinner service, in an attempt to give the staff plenty of...

Mukambi Lodge was a memorable experience. Located just on the opposite bank of the Kafue National Park. The Kafue River is always in view. The staff friendly and courteous. The food was delicious and part of the package. The cabins are spacious, clean and welcoming. While all cabins are very close to the river. I would recommend the president cabin (think it is called) for a family of 4 or 5, but mostly because it is located just on the bank of the river and you can see the most amazing sunsets and sunrises. Wild life is all round the Lodge so I would advise everyone to pay attention to the rules. The place can get every chilly during the cold season which is betwwen June - August. Do not underestimate how cold it can be. The rooms get very cold.at nights as well, since they have no heating source. Just be sure to call ahead and inquire about the weather. If you are taking the game drive during the cold season please bundle up. You will be grateful you did when the sunsets or before it rises. There is a 5 minute boat ride to get to the national park for the game drive. There are also separate Park fees. You may want to inqiure about additional fees ahead of time and be sure to take enough Kwacha ( Zambian dollars) with you. Beautiful place, Wonderful experience, reasonably priced. We plan on visiting many more times while...

Setting out by boat to cross the Kafue river for safari activities adds a magical dimension here. ||We picked Mukambi as it is accessible by road from Lusaka in a reasonable time. The road is quiet once the city if left behind, and most of the drive is through a wild game management area.||The lodge itself is attractive, with the central feature a stream that flows right through it to the river, so there's a relaxing sound of water flow.||There are multiple decks which offer places to sit quietly and enjoy the view, but not ideal if guests have mobility difficulties.||I like places where the owners are resident, and here it was a pleasure to meet Robyn and hear her stories. The rest of the staff including Rita and Maggie were also good company.||We were guided by Malcolm, with both drives and a walk. He was very knowledgeable, and shared stories about traditional plant uses, especially the many sausage trees and jackalberries. The miombo woodlands are good for walks, with enough shade at this hot time of year.||We also enjoyed the night drive, seeing scrub hares, nightjar, hyenas and grazing hippos.||As we had a short stay we did not have time to visit the sister lodges at Fig Tree and Busanga Plains, but heard good reports from...