Mfuwe Lodge, The Bushcamp Company — Hotel in Muchinga Province

Wow…not sure a review can capture how I feel about Mfuwe Lodge. It was the highlight of our Smithsonian Journeys trip (and the last stop). I have been home for two weeks and there’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about our time at Mfuwe Lodge.||First—the lodge itself is unforgettable. We stayed in our own chalet where we could watch the baboons plays and observe the animals from our balcony. And when I say animals, I mean elephants, zebras, impala, bushbuck, warthogs, hippos…it was amazing to wake to a cacophony of sounds—and hear the lions roar during the night. It was like living in a dream.||The spa sits on the edge of the hippo pool. I never thought I would get a massage while listening to the grunts of hippos! But there’s a first time for everything and the experience was so relaxing.||The food!! In addition to eating many items grown right on the property, all meals were A+, including the breakfast in the bush, making our own pizzas, and stir fry night. They always had plenty of gluten free options. Tea at 3:00 kicked off our afternoon game drive and the sundowners were always one of my favorite times of the day. I loved the fact that our guides ate with us at dinner (after the game drive) so that we could continue the discussion about our day. ||Speaking of the guides, I am sure all the guides are great, but our guide, Alec, was simply outstanding! I kept thinking that we cannot possibly see anything better than we did on the last game drive, but I was wrong each time. Alec kept showing us new things, teaching us about the bush and the animals, and sharing his experiences. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Alec!||To the rest of the amazing staff (who knew our names!), thank you as well. Front desk staff led by Eva, other guides/scouts, the servers, the chefs, the night watchmen, the interns, the management—it’s easy to see the community and friendship you’ve created at Mfuwe.||If you’re looking for the best game drives, look no further than South Luangwa National Park. If you’re looking for the best place to stay in the park, look no further than...

A spaciously set out lodge with a comfortable lounge / bar area as well as an extensive decking area with lots of shade under ebony and mahogany trees. ||Fabulous views over a dry lagoon (Mfuwe Lagoon) on one side and my chalet faced a smaller water-filled lagoon complete with hippos, crocs and habited by a family of fish eagles, hammerkops, jacanas, Egyptian geese & goslings, plus a plethora of other birdlife as well as baboons, vervet monkeys, bushbuck. It was wonderful waking up to hear the fish eagles calling in the morning, as well as listening to lions roar during the night. ||Elephants appeared whilst we were still in the middle of our welcome briefing… and at various other times during my stay at the camp… I didn’t get to see them walking through reception, but one bull did visit the mango tree about 20 minutes after I had gone to bed!||The lodge was the largest I stayed at and is in a good location to reach various areas of the park with different habitats. Our guide Gwen was one of the only two female guides and she was extremely knowledgeable and provided us with the opportunity for some excellent sightings. It was also nice that she sat with us for meals, so we could continue our discussions from the game drives. She is also a superb driver navigating the trails in some very challenging driving conditions. Chadwick was our spotter and provided fantastic sundowners and nibbles each evening. Lots of wild dog and elephant sightings, as well as the leopard Lucy and her two young cubs. ||Lovely friendly service from the restaurant staff and bar with meals announced by the beating of a drum. There is a swimming pool which looks well maintained although I didn’t use it, but many others used it for a refreshing dip in the heat of the day. WiFi available in the restaurant area, reception and library. Laundry was included in the cost and my boots were nicely dried after one soaking in a rainstorm; downside was having to pay for drinks from the bar (this was the only lodge where this happened, but the other lodges I visited were owned by a...

We visited Mfuwe Lodge in late March 2025, just before their busy season picks up. We were very impressed with our chalet (Zebra), which had a view overlooking a low lying area through which animals wandered. ||The Lodge itself is very open, inviting and extremely well decorated. Meals were served on the patio or within the lodge. ||The food itself was very well prepared and made from whole, fresh ingredients, much of which comes from the Bushcamp Companies’ nearby farm. The farm includes thousands of mango trees, which they dry and serve year round. Very impressive. Our compliments to the chef, again, for very memorable and outstanding meals. Now, if only I could buy the orange marmalade by mail order!||Every staff member, who I will avoid trying to name as I will inevitably leave someone out, was extremely helpful and friendly. The service and attention to detail was top notch, from the custodial team to the front desk, security, bar staff, kitchen, wait staff and of course the interactive and impressive management team.||Our safari guide, Mable, was very knowledgeable and engaging. Her ability to drive the Land Rover through some challenging road conditions, coupled with her knowledge of the intricate labyrinth of roads, allowed us to cover a large territory. We saw all of the animals we expected, as well as many birds and smaller animals that we did not. A few highlights of the safari was watching 3 elephants play in the river, watching a lion pride, and then a leopard with her two cubs as our four day stay came to a close. ||We hope to return again in the...