I have heard that the best place for walking safaris in Africa is North Luangwa National Park in Zambia? and people are talking about a place called Delia Camp, any news?

Don't know about Delia Camp. I was at Kutandala for 4 nights in July 2003 and will be back there for 5 nights in Aug 2008. It is my favorite camp in Africa.

Im planning a trip to Zambia in 2008 and considering a visit to North Luangwa, but Im not quite sure where to stay. I have heard about Delia Camp, they are a new Lodge very nice in walking safari, we want to make walks but also prefer game drives because of photographing, for instance, which camps also offer game drives?, Please any knows advantages and disadvantages of the camps?. Thx a lot. ;-)

Deepblue, here is short description of all camps in North Luangwa. They all offer good walks, some of them offer regular game drives, and some only game drives as part of a walking excursion.

Currently there are four bushcamps and one permanent camp in North Luangwa NP which offer a good variety of options.

Buffalo Camp (www.shiwasafaris.com), run by Mark Harvey (his brother runs Shiwa Ng'andu), is the most budget option. It's also very popular with self-drivers although I've heard that the self-catering option is no longer available this season. Imo the camp has the most nice location of all bushcamps in North Luangwa, located at a bend of the Mwaleshi River. However, you get not much privacy here, the chalets are very concentrated near the main area. The double storey chalets are quite nice, but I can't recommend the single storey chalets. I can't say much about the quality of the activities (walking, occasional game drives) because I only made a short day visit here.

John Coppinger's Mwaleshi Camp (www.mwaleshi.com) is a classic no-thrills bushcamp in best safari tradition. People who did Chikoko Trails in South Luangwa know what to expect. It's managed by Ernst Jacobs who is an excellent guide. I did Mwaleshi and Chikoko with Ernst, and some people might remember him from his early years at Lunga River Lodge. Mwaleshi Camp is very favourite among conservationists and scientists. When I stayed here a look in the guestbook told me that I just missed Anthony Hall-Martin and Derek Solomon for a few days, but at least I had some interesting talks with an oryx zoologist. Mwaleshi is a pure walking camp with either morning/afternoon walks near Mwaleshi River, or full-day activities to explore more remote areas of the park (a game drive to that area, then walk and bush lunch).

Kutandala Camp (www.kutandala.com) is the most luxurious bushcamp option in North Luangwa. The camp by the Mwaleshi River is run by Rod & Guz Tether who live here with their kids during the season, it's a very family-like atmosphere (although you won't see or hear much of the kids). The chalets of this small camp are beautifully decorated, you find a lot of small nice details here (I really liked that small reading table with literature in the bathroom). Rod is an excellent guide and one of the top birding guides in Zambia. His big library is open to guests, so siesta time can really get too short quickly. Kutandala is marketed as a pure walking camp with activities similar to Mwaleshi Camp, but game drives are also on offer (if all clients agree). I'm not a gourmet, so usually I don't talk much about food, but Guz's creations not only taste well but are also great to look at.

Remote Wildlife (www.infoafrica.net) are the new kids on the block in North Luangwa, with some interesting new options. Currently they run Delia Camp (a permanent camp) and Nkalamo Bushcamp, both by the Luangwa River. Two more, Chimana and Mulondoshi, are planned for 2008 and later.

Delia Camp consists of luxury platform-based chalets with great views of the Luangwa, all connected by wooden walkways (I mean "luxury" to North Luangwa standards). The main area with bar/lounge/dining area is also raised on a platform, along with a large viewing deck. It reminded me on the Wilderness Safaris' camps, and speaking in WS terms, I would classify it as a 4-paw classic camp. Activities include walks (mainly in the bordering GMA) and, this is a first for North Luangwa: game drives on a regular base. This makes the camp a very interesting destination for photographers. Not far away from the camp is Nyama Zamara Lagoon (Delia Owen's Lagoon), imo one of the most beautiful places in the Valley. Another nice feature: Delia Camp has a big telescope on its main deck, so you can go on a star-gazing safari after dinner (for all astronomers: it's a computer-controlled Meade EXT125). As with Buffalo Camp, I can't say much about the quality of the activities, because I only made a day visit, but after we left camp heading to Nyama Zamara we found a big lion pride at a kill, only 1-2 kms away, so it looks like there's good action around this camp.

I can't say much about Nkalamo Bushcamp - I only saw it from the plane during transfer, but I guess it's the same style as Mwaleshi Camp.

Also new to North Luangwa (and this one I find really exciting), beginning with this season Remote Wildlife offer a combined mobile/camp-to-camp walking safari along the Luangwa. They use Nkalamo, Delia Camp and a mobile fly camp for this itinerary. This might be an interesting alternative to what Bushcamp Company, Robin Pope, Norman Carr and Coppinger (Remote Africa) are offering in South Luangwa. There's more info about this walking safari in the "walking safari" thread (http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34958628), along with some interesting price info by luangwablondes. (But I guess you already found that.)

I tried to describe the unique features of all these camps. Hope this helps.

Nyama - thanks for the comparisons of the North Luangwa lodges. Very helpful.

Let me add a few things about Buffalo Camp as I stayed there last October.

You observations about Buffalo Camp are on the money. The location on the river is ideal. Buffalo grazed along the river bank and we were fortunate to see hear lions and hyenas in camp at night and in the morning spotted a big male sauntering along the river bank - 50 yards from camp.

You are absolutely right about the chalets. Three double story chalets were quite nice, with a great river view but a bit close to each other. The area is so wild and remote, however, that you did not feel "crowded" despite the chalets being close to each other. I was the single in our party and got the ground level chalet. Was quite disappointed at first that I ended up with this as it did not have a good view and was very dark inside. Turned out to be o.k. as I spent my afternoons on the observatory platform above the main meeting area and had a great view from up there. The wildlife and area made me forget about the negatives of the ground level chalet I had, but I would definitely request the the double deck ones if anyone planned on staying there.

We walked almost exclusively, but did one time take a drive to the a area near the Rhino boma. This is the only area in the park where hartebeast were located. I also found out that we did this drive because the neighboring camp wanted to walk in the Buffalo Camp area and the camps communicate with each other so that their walking parties do not walk in the same area.

Nyama - interesting that Buffalo will not have self-catering in upcoming season. Do you know if this means they will not allow campers or does it mean they can camp but must take full catering option? I was there with a Kafunta trip and we had the camp to ourselves, but our guide told me earlier in the season the camp can have a lot of campers and feel very crowded.

As I understand it, Buffalo Camp is moving a little more into the upmarket crowd then in the past. They still take self drive, self catering, but only with a maximum of 2 weeks in an advance reservations. For overseas and most overlanders, that can be problematic. So if you are in Mfuwe or Kapishya Hot Springs and a day or 2 before going to the park, it is about the only way to make a reservation and keep it. And if I understand correctly , if there are not any full board guests. Must have been some issues in the past. They mixed both groups in the past.

Also, I have heard from a couple agents and operators that Buffalo is getting increasing difficult to book these self drive trips. The tour you went on with Kafunta is now really difficult to organise because of the changes.

But, Remote Wildlife has indicated that Nkalamo Camp can be made available for selfdrive, self catering and I think they would like to get involved in the overland tours like what Kafunta does too.

As far as numbers in Buffalo Camp, supposedly the park rules are maximum 8 guests at any one time in the Mwaleshi river camps. Whether that is being enforced or not is the question.

GreenDrake, do you mean self-drivers? As far as I know Buffalo Camp doesn't have a campsite. In the past you could book chalets on a self-catering basis and prepare your own meals in the kitchen. This has been restricted, now the website says "There is the possibility of sometimes being able to use Buffalo Camp on a self-catering basis if there are no other clients in camp. It is only possible to book this option 2 weeks in advance"

luangwablondes, I didn't see your post when writing my reply. You already said all important things.

Thx a lot friends

very nice information.

nyama:
very useful comparison.

pleasure

Before you ask, one addition:
To my knowledge none of the operators offer game drives into the rhino sanctuary. Thus North Luangwa is NOT a destination to see rhinos.

I believe I read someplace that the idea is to attempt to habituate the rhinos to this area of NLNP. Once they have reached a capacity of about 30 rhinos, the plan is if memory serves to drop the fences and release them into the rest of the park.

NLNP is a true wilderness park. Many parts are restricted and do not allow any tourists or their vehicles. The good news is that the major water sources are where the camps are, so maybe we can start seeing rhino on bush walks as soon as next year.

Hello. Im the Delia Camp owner and Manager of Remote Wildlife.

The Santuary is a exclusive conservation zone, restricted to management staff and researchers, no visitor use, except for tourists on transfers to the Lodges and Camps. There are a electric fence line and perimeter road around the zone.
With time we will drop the fences and Rhinos will be free in all the park, maybe next year.

We are sure the Rhinos will move to the permanent water sources areas, Luangwa river and Mwaleshi.

If some of you want a description of the zoning inside the park, please let me know and I will do it.

Thank you very much.

Monbush, thank you for the update.

The rhino sanctuary is deep inside the park which offers some good additional protection. If ZAWA drop the fences, how do they plan to protect the rhinos agains poaching if the animals are moving near to the GMAs (or even inside the GMAs)?