Tafika Camp

One of the last ‘owner-run’ camps in the Luangwa Valley

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Review

Sat just north of the Nsefu region in the South Luangwa National Park, is Remote Africa’s Tafika Camp. This intimate camp, which can accommodate up to 14 guests, offers authentic accommodation in the heart of the bush, with a delicate balance of comfort and rustic. Combining with Remote Africa’s bush camps (Chikoko trails), starting or ending your itinerary here works really well.

Location

Tafika is located north of the Nsefu Sector, just outside the national park. It sits on the game management area but a 15-minute drive from camp will get you into the national park and as there is no fence, the game comes into the Tafika area often. The game in this area is exceptional – there are three resident lion prides nearby, plenty of leopard, and the wild dogs are often seen during a stay at Tafika as two wild dog packs are closeby.

Layout

The camp is open during the dry season in Zambia (May to early-November) and during this time, it can accommodation up to 14 guests in its six chalets. The chalets are made every year from natural grasses and makuti to embrace the African bush! The main area is where guests come for drinks, lunch and breakfast. Dinner is eaten just outside of the main area, under the stars.

Rooms

The chalets at Tafika are very individual and like no other camps in the South Luangwa National Park. The chalets are made from natural grasses and makuti and have very open-plan bathrooms. The makuti acts as a fence around the bathroom area, and a small thatch-roofed hut is where the flushing toilet can be found. In the evening, a mosquito net is draped down around your bed but the noise of wildlife and insects are still very much alive!

Activities

Tafika Camp has a range of game viewing activities on offer to make your stay diverse and exciting. The main activity is game drives (day and night) and walking safaris – often a combination of the two. Tafika Camp also have a couple of custom-built hides around the camp – perfect for wildlife spotting and photographers, professional or amateur. Village tours and for those looking for something more adventurous, mountain-bike safaris are also on offer.

Feedback

I really enjoyed this camp. It really does have the feel of a family home which is not really surprising as the Coppinger family live here. John and Carol are in the process of handing over the the running of the camp to their daughter Jen and her husband Nick. The “chalets” are very spacious with super hot water all day. and are situated just 20 metres or so from the bank of the river.The banks are actually eroding quite fast and they have lost about 40 metres of river frontage since the camp was first established. They do have wi-fi although it’s a bit patchy.

One thing to bear in mind is that the drive from Mfuwe airport takes about 2 hours. That’s fine during the day as you can look at it as another game drive but my journey was mainly in the dark so it was pretty tiring. Remote Africa do have their own 4 seater plane and can fly you from Mfuwe to camp which takes about 10 minutes. They also fly direct to Lower Zambezi but not sure which airstrip. I have no idea what the costs are but worth considering to avoid long car journeys! - Gurth, August 2022 Rating:

Facilities

Tafika Camp Facilities:

ROOMS- 6 safari tents
SAFARI ACTIVITIES- Walking safaris, day game drives, night game drives, custom-built hides, mountain-bike safaris
POOL- no
PRIVATE DINING- no
AIRCON- no

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