Zikomo Safari Camp

This lodge is perfectly run, they went out of their way to accommodate us in every way. We wanted low carb meals, we got them. The chef's cooking was excellent. We ask them what to see, they fulfilled our wishes. The hotel manager always greeted us with a smile and reassurance if we needed anything else, she is extremely capable. Everyone is kind and helpful, they looked after us like children on our holiday. We were amazed by the surrounding nature and animals. The lodge is cleverly part of the surrounding landscape and nature. From the restaurant terrace we watched a hippo grazing, various species of antelope, a troop of monkeys, many species of birds. At night, lions roared in the distance. We can only recommend the lodge.

This is my second time back to Zikomo safari camp. I cannot fault this camp - food ( all fresh veggies from their own market garden!) wonderful, sightings incredible! And so welcoming! Recommended.!!

Delightful owners Victoria and David spoil you during your stay. Sergeant looks after you in the bar and the clear pool is ideal even in August. Very knowledgeable guides David and Lemak offer morning and night drives. Easy access via own crossing into park enables you to get to viewing area in no time. Nsefu sector has far less traffic so often seeing lion, leopard or wild dog with only another vehicle.

The trip I took to Zikomo Safari was worth every single minute, I don’t even know where to begin. My stay was a little over a week long in one of their chalets. Every morning we would wake up bright and early to the sound and very often the sight of wildlife, and a campfire breakfast. Every day was a new adventure. At breakfast there were always new groups of people that had just arrived from anywhere in the world and all walks of life. How wonderful it was that in that moment we found ourselves all there, together, in Zambia! All of the staff were extremely nice, It was so wonderful to get to know them, they were all amazing at everything they do. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, passionate, and personable. We would go on two drives a day each time about 4 hours long in between which we would find a nice spot and have tea time/coffee/surprise snack by the chef and the later outing a sunset drink with a snack. During the mid day break back at the camp we loved just hanging out in the outdoor lounge area and have what became our favorite drink. If you have never put fresh mint inside your ice cold fresh squeezed lemonade…you better start. The adventure was never short of wildlife (lions, leopards, elephants, baboons, hyenas, zebras, giraffes, impalas, and so so much more). I took about 4,000 photos by the end of my trip, that isn’t even an exaggeration, I am so glad I brought extra memory cards. All of the food was incredible at Zikomo safari, I highly enjoyed the night we had a traditional Zambian meal. Almost all the veggies in the dishes are grown right there in the camp, very fresh. I highly recommend also visiting the nearby city, beautiful artists, wonderful people, and great food. All the photos attached are at Zikomo Safari.

I stayed at Zikomo for a total of 23 nights as this was a long stay. I was alone. I always felt safe while staying at Zikomo. Victoria and David Wallace are very welcoming and made sure I was very confortable in my chalet. The Zambian employees made a real difference during my stay. They were courteous, always smiling and in good mood, trying to please and /or understand my requests. The cleaniness of my chalet was extraordinary. Selina and David make sure everyday, they cleaned, made the bed and or change the sheets and sweep the whole place. Being one with Nature, while sleeping is a real plus for Zikomo. Hearing an elephant or a hippo outside your chalet, or hearing the sounds of the bush at night, was something I absolutely wanted to hear. I certainly got my wish. The guides are very friendly on game drives and/or on a walking safari. They were patient, with many of my questions and always smiling, wanting to give you what you really want to see on each outing. I'm forever grateful to Josephine, Lameck, Julius and David. I especially loved the food being from an organic garden as this resonates with my own values. Victor, the gardener, works really hard to deliver fresh vegetables and yes, lemons.... The reservation manager, Tyson, went out of his way from planning my trip, answering my many questions, to following up during my stay; he made sure my stay at Zikomo was memorable. I'm grateful for my stay. Thank you !

We had booked to camp at Zikomo. They only offer 3 camping spots and we took up all 3. The camp is situated away from the lodge and is slightly elevated on the edge of the Luangwa river with breathtaking views. We could sit and watch the puku grazing on the plains and listen to the hippo grunting nearby as well as enjoy the magnificent sunsets. Each site had it's own reed open air ablution facility with a separate shower and toilet. It was very clean and beautifully set out with a donkey nearby which was lit in the morning and evening for hot showers. There was also a washing up facility but there is no power. We booked an afternoon/evening game drive into the park which was absolutely outstanding. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and went out of his way to make this one of the best game drives we have ever been on. We were extremely lucky to come across a pride of lion feasting on a recent buffalo kill. It was also nice to be able to access the national park directly from the lodge. I highly recommend this unique experience of camping wild with no fences. We will definitely go back and stay at the lodge. The facilities are subtly exquisite with a pool right in front of the view of the passing game.

Our stay in Zikomo Camp in the Nsefu sector of South Luangwa was the highlight of our Zambia and Malawi trip. As we can compare it to other camps in Zambia or Malawi, Zikomo is a professionally run camp with delicious food, comfortable bungalows and friendly, hospitable and always helpful staff. Not mentioning the main purpose of the trip - the abundance of stunning wildlife, often even possible to watch straight from bungalows! Zikomo management puts an emphasis on professional services, guests safety, excellent food and unforgettable safari trips. The food and its variety was absolutely amazing and we were always surprised how the chef can prepare 5 stars-like "haut-cuisine" in the middle of bushes! Incredible. From our experience, the Nsefu area is a less touristic area of the South Luangwa national park. We rarely saw any other cars during both morning and afternoon safari rides. It is even more surprising, given that our guide was always able to show us the breathtaking Zambian fauna including among others wild dogs, lions, leopards, giraffes, hyenas, buffalos, zebras and hundreds of hippos. In the evening we even once spotted a porcupine! This is our third time stay in Zikomo Safari and our family and friends that we travelled with were always very pleased with the experience. I can recommend Zikomo Safari to everyone who is looking for a natural paradise with top services and extremely helpful, professional and pleasant staff. We are definitely coming back again. Thank you Victoria, David and all Zikomo people !

“Coming from India - the 6th time to South Luangwa NP, I choose to stay at ZIKOMO ( for the fourth year in succession) for it’s location. Situated on the river in the NSEFU sector, it provides an aura of peace and tranquility, being away from the hubbub and the noise of a multitude of rushing cars, which one experiences in the main Park. One gets to see the same Wildlife as anywhere else, perhaps better, as the flora and fauna are not governed by the artificial boundaries, that humans create. The Camp is run with clockwork efficiency, with the personal care & touch of the Owners Victoria and David Wallace at all times. They go out of their way to make you feel at home. They are deeply into Conservation and also run a Non- Profit Organization for the welfare of the local community - activities that I greatly appreciate ! Their Guide & Driver Julias Banda is a Gem. Having 20 years of experience, he is very knowledgeable and soft spoken. He has immense knowledge of the Park and knows where the Lions hunt & Leopards snooze up on trees. I was lucky to have seen two Lion hunts, all within a space of 10 minutes during my last visit here in 2019. The Camp has a pool, which refreshes you after a long morning drive—and the well stocked Bar is close by - a cold beer before you go in for lunch at 11:30-12:30 ! The afternoon drive is at 16:00 with a sundowner, followed by an hour’s night drive. We were lucky to have seen Lions galore during the day as well as a pride of 7 lions + Hyenas + Leopards both during the day as well as at night, on this trip. ZIKOMO may not be a commercially defined 5* luxury Camp, but they look after you all of Five Stars ! I am closer to 87 and look forward to being here again in October/November 2023. I thank ZIKOMO and their team. ABL Gupta

We spent 4 nights at the Zikomo Camp in late August 2022. Transfer: Julius Banda met us at the Mfuwe airport and drove us to the Zikomo Camp in the Nsefu sector of the South Luangwa N.P. Upon arrival at the camp, the owners and staff gave us a warm welcome, short briefing and had us sign a release from liability (just in case we’d get eaten by a lion). Obviously, the ridiculous western liability and money back claims have arrived to these remote parts of the world. Our guide: It turned out that Julius Banda was to be our guide throughout our entire stay. Having had a perfect guide during a stay in the Busanga Plains the stakes were high. We soon found out that Julius could fully meet our expectations. He was as knowledgeable as one could be, obviously knew where to go and how to interpret animal behavior at its best. A professional filming crew was doing a documentary and more than once we were at the action scene long before they arrived. The fact that Julius was in charge of all our activities throughout our stay from arrival to dispatch helped establish a family-like atmosphere. The camp: The chalet was clean, well maintained and functional. No holes in the mosquito nets, warm water available whenever needed. The food, served as a set menu was very good but unlike at Busanga where all soft drinks were included, all drinks except safe tap water were extra. The owners David and Victory Wallace are very dedicated, attentive and helpful. There open, inviting and respectful attitude towards the guests and their employees adds warmth of the camp. We might be wrong but as far as we understand, the owners have no sound background in the hotel industry, gastronomy and tourism. This gives the camp an additional positive turn. Many of their decisions seem to be based on common sense rather than slick impersonal profit based considerations. However, some reconsideration might be worth looking at: E.g. for us the Africanism of decoration in the Chalet was a slight overkill. Space and furnishing in the chalet could be improved. We left our bags on the floor, as there was no obvious place to put them. No big deal but it did not add to the otherwise inviting atmosphere of the place. Since we came for a safari we did to use neither the pool nor the gym. The location: Zikomo is right on the park boundary. Whereas self-drivers need to take a detour back to the main gate, Zikomo game drives may take a shortcut across an established ford. Reading descriptions, we thought that the ford would get us to the west side of the Luangwa River during low water. We soon found out that this was a rather naive thought. Since the Camp lies outside the park, a moderate price can be maintained. The Nsefu sector is so rich in wildlife that it did not really matter driving to and from the camp several times on the same road. There was always something new to be seen or a nice repetition for even better photoshoots. A rewarding day drive took us to the hot springs in the far