Shawa Luangwa Camp

What a fabulous safari camp! Gorgeous location overlooking the river (which was filled with animals!), the tents are uniquely designed with a sunken bathtub built in to the decking and an outdoor shower which was really enjoyable. The beds are so comfortable and you can sleep with the outer sides of the tent open so you can see and hear your surroundings through the night (the tent is still enclosed so you are not completely out in the open!). All the vehicles are electric so you get SO CLOSE to the wildlife, it really was amazing. We saw lots of herds of elephants, mating lions, giraffe, buffalo, zebra and loads more! I highly recommend a walking safari, our guide Jacob was so knowledgeable and we felt completely safe the whole time. We saw a huge buffalo herd, hippo, elephants, baboons, giraffe and lots of the smaller species and plants that would normally be missed on a game drive. Jacob knew everything about everything! He was very impressive and a really lovely, funny guy. The whole team were superb, the food was delicious and the area is brimming with wildlife. If you are thinking of a safari in Zambia, Shawa Luangwa is a MUST!

The camp is located just outside the national park across the Luangwa River. Access was through park main entrance and boat cross to the camp. Nature has been minimally disturbed and vegetation engulfs the camp which is only viable when you get really close. The experience gets you as close to nature as you can safely get. The tents are almost not there with only netting keep them wild out giving excellent panoramic views of the river. The staff are wonderful from the manager to the chef, guide, spotters, chef servers and all admin staff. No request was brushed aside. The sighting were only enhanced by the expertise of the guide and spotter at Night with leopard spotting that appeared impossible to explain. Every meal was a pleasant surprise to the senses with exquisite presentation and taste. Outside showers, infloor bathtub and solar power used for everything including charging the electric landcruiser made this a surreal excursion

We loved staying at the amazing Shawa Luangwa camp! The scenery next to the river is beautiful. The safari tents are set up on the river bank so you have an amazing view. We even had elephants during the day next to our tent and enjoyed watching the monkeys in the trees (no discomfort or whatsoever from the monkeys). Loved the outdoor shower and the bath tub in the room. You feel completely part of nature. The staff is amazing and helpful. They made us feel welcome and we really enjoyed staying there. The food is also great! We had wonderful experiences on game drives and saw a lot of wildlife. The landscape is magnificent and diverse and our guide did his best to give us the best experience. We also love that Green Safaris invests in sustainability at their lodges. They have e-vehicles so you experience a silent game drive and even get to feel closer to nature without the sounds of the car. Definitely recommend this place!

We stayed for 4 nights at Shawa Camp over New Year and it was the most wonderful bush experience we could have ever asked for. Everything about the camp is designed to provide maximum comfort for guests. I can't speak highly enough about the staff who are friendly, attentive, and very efficient with their work under the guidance of their excellent manager Mr Killian. We had such a wonderful time that we were singing and dancing with everyone on NY Eve! The food was amazing, with the chef providing any personal touches we requested. We travelled with our 18 month old son (their youngest guest so far!) and the chef/staff made it a point to cater for any special needs for him including making separate meals and giving snacks for me to give him on game drives. The rooms are somewhat different to what you normally find but in a wonderful way that makes you appreciate your surroundings- outdoor showers, sleeping with the tent flaps open. But the most amazing part of this place are the game drives and discussions with Mr Jacob Shawa. We saw a variety of animals including lions, leopards, elephants and wild dogs. Mr Shawa is an expert in virtually everything about the Luangwa Valley, and always takes the time to explain the nuances of any animal, flower, bird, cloud, star or even speck of dust on the land! It is a unique experience to see Luangwa through Jacob's eyes and I can't recommend staying at his camp highly enough. As Zambian residents, we are proud to have such a national treasure giving a platform for Zambia on the global stage and hope many others stay here. Thanks for such a wonderful experience, it was so memorable that I think our young son will be dreaming about it for a long time to come.

This camp seems to have all the fine details that Jacob Shawa picked up and learned from his previous jobs! A most amazing facility where everything worked like perfect clockwork---such a friendly and welcoming staff so full of joy and enthusiasm. The tents/treehouse motif was superb, and the family unit just perfect for us! We were 6 and everything flowed so seamlessly from beginning to end! How we hated to leave! And the GREEN in Green Sarfaris is so very appropriate, from the electric safari vehicles to the power in camp! Hoping someday we may return!!

This was our first real safari and I was a little apprehensive about the tent but the whole experience was amazing and I am really hoping we will return to this camp soon. The location of the camp was great. We had quick easy access to the park just across the river. The guiding was exceptional. We are keen photographers and our guide Jacob understood exactly where to take us, how to get us the best view and also how to avoid other vehicles, often leaving us feeling as though we were the only people in the park. We saw so much amazing wildlife ranging from carmine bee eater colonies to giraffe, buffalo, lions (including cubs), hippos, large herds of elephant, wild dogs, hyenas and a leopard. We did a walking safari on one day which was really interesting. The camp was quiet when we were there so we had private guiding - the electric vehicles are great too. So much quieter and no diesel fumes. The food was good - you certainly don’t go hungry there! The bed was comfy and the indoor bath was good to have at night (or in the day to cool off!). It was pleasantly cool at night but pretty hot in the day. There was a fan however to cool you and the tent opened up to let a breeze through but not insects because of the screening, We had elephants in camp most days and nights as well as hippos. It took a couple of days to adjust to the night time sounds! But it didn’t feel unsafe in the tents on platforms. All of the staff went out of their way to make us feel at home. We did have a couple of issues whilst we were there, but they were handled promptly and really well. We stayed six nights and we could’ve easily stayed longer. We were seriously sad to leave. The camp was relatively easy to get to as it was on a regular charter from Lusaka followed by an hour transfer by Safari vehicle. Sundowner drives were a particular highlight. Sitting with a cold drink on the riverbank, watching hippos and elephants cross the river as the sun set is a memory I will have forever.

when you get to the camp you are just amazed, it is set by the river, with hippos, baboons and elephants! the tents have a bath tub, and your bath is outside so you can see and hear the animals. the food is outstanding, and the people so nice and profesional, and of course there are the safaris!! we would love to comeback soon.

LONG overdue review as my wife and I stayed at Shawa Luangwa Camp during our holiday in Zambia in September 2022. We had to cancel in 2021 due to the pandemic, so the anticipation was through the roof. We were not disappointed. Yes, the lodge is beautiful and it's obvious that there was careful thought to the design, layout, etc. Yes, the surrounding landscapes, wildlife, and views are out of this world. Yes, it does make a HUGE difference when you're in an e-Land Cruiser for your game drives as it's nearly silent while driving around. And yes, South Luangwa lives up to the hype. But what sets Shawa Camp apart are the people. From the initial greeting to the warm goodbye, every single person was a delight. They treated us so well, words cannot describe it. This set the lodge apart and made it a stay we'll never forget. We were lucky enough to have Jacob as our guide for the duration of our stay. We learned so much during our time with him. The best leopard encounter of our life was here, and Jacob made it happen by being patient and returning a short while after a group of vehicles was present. This allowed us to have a more personal, and up close, experience. The best lion sighting of our life was also here, watching a cub nurse with her mother on the banks of the Luangwa River at sunset. We also had an amazing sighting of wild dogs with their young pups. That said, what we'll remember the most about our game drives is Jacob's sincere love for the park and his dedication to what he does. The man notices everything, from the plants to the birds to the way the sun is setting against the landscape. This enabled us to notice and appreciate things we otherwise would not have. There's a reason he's one of the top-rated guides in the world. Oh, and the man is a borderline professional photographer, so some of our best shots are courtesy of Jacob either telling us which shot to take and how or him taking photos on our behalf! I want to mention we'll never forget the morning and evening boat crossings (ingenious design) between the lodge and the national park. Tremendous hippo sightings during these short jaunts. We'll also not soon forget having elephants walk through the camp and right next to our deck, even if it did delay our route on occasion. A heartfelt thank you to everyone at Shawa Camp. Green Safaris is doing some amazing things. Do yourself a favor and book a stay here. You won't regret it! Steve and Sheila