South Luangwa

I've just read that you can't camp at Flatdogs here between june and september.....a pity as I was planning to stay there !

Is there another place where budget travellers can stay (with own tent...which organises walks and game drives).

Arriving by public transport from Chipata.

Thanks Luc

Wildlife Camp, Track & Trail and Croc Camp all offer camping I believe.

The reason they do not offer camping at this time is due to the rains and the Luangwa River flooding. The extent of the flooding varies but when it is really bad then all accommodation will be off-limits.
Track and Trail camp offers camping sites further away from the river than Mushroom and Croc Camp and one of the spots is actually on a raised platform with its own power and lighting.

Flatdogs should be fine as it is away from the river though they do have a lake which may flood.

Just email the above two places and make sure things are running smoothly

I vote for croc camp its newest and right next to the river It is may favourite

i forgot to add that I stay at Track and Trail every time I am in S.Luangwa and I cannot fault it, all the ones along the river are very good, flatdogs would actually be my last choice as it is that much further away and loses the river setting

Thanks for the suggestions.....

Do you think I will have problems getting there from Chipata?

I've heard there is at least 1 minibus a day...I'll be arriving in Chipata from Lilongwe so not sure on timings.

The minibus is one a day usually though sometimes there are more, it leaves Mfuwe at 1am 'officially' but its more like 3-4am. The trip takes about 5-6 hours so if you are at the bus station in Chipata at 9am you should be able to jump on it and go the other way. If you try and take a cab you will be quoted quite high prices, the best I have ever got one for is $80. There really is just one road from Chipata to Mfuwe, if you can get to the road it should be very easy to hitch, I managed it going the other way as most of the campsites run to Chipata once a week for supplies and such.

You should be able to get a taxi from the border at Machinji to the bus station in Chipata for a few dollars, when you get there look for the blue minibuses and ask for Mfuwe, if there are not any there then you will easily be able to get a cab but remember to negotiate!

The road is very tough though so be prepared for a harsh ride, oh and don't wear anything white!

Oh, one more thing, if you get a minibus it should be able to drop you off at your campsite if you ask (a cab will also do this). If you get dropped off in the town of Mfuwe you can easily hitch to one of the camps in any of the 4x4's on the road, most will be going to one of the camps by the river. It is dangerous to walk it

I stripped the thread on the ball joint on my landrover steering clean off on that road. the corrugations are brutal

Thanks for the info Ric.....I read your blog by the way,lots of interesting and amusing stuff and some great photos ;-)

Hi Luc,

I don't know if you're still looking for a place in SL but if so you should really check out Marula Lodge. It's the only place in the valley with a proper backpackers dorm and self catering kitchen (and camping coming soon - maybe it is even already done) and it is really great! I spent a while in the valley at the beginning of this year and I have to say, I was most impressed with Marula by a long shot.

The others are nice but Marula is definitely best value for money and truly amazing and welcoming hosts. It feels more like being part of a family than being a guest. They were recently taken over by new management and it seems to have made a world of difference from when I was last there a few years ago. Oh and also, their spot on the river is absolutely PRIME - hippos and elephants around all the time...it's great. I think their website is www.marulalodgezambia.com - for anyone who is going to this area (which is an AMAZING area anyway), I really recommend this place.

Anyway, hope this helps. I'd be interested to hear what you pick!

I totally agree with the post from above. I stayed at Marula lodge when I was traveling through East Africa last November/ December. My friends and I actually did a bar crawl through all the various lodges and I was reinforced in my pick. They have a variety of accommodation (both back packers and rooms for really cheap). The woman who owns the place is super super friendly and really goes out of her way to make sure the guests have a nice time. Also there is the food, I have never had such delicious meals in my life. But if you are tight on cash you can prepare your own which is also great.

While I was there people were actually leaving other places they were disappointed with to come stay here instead and I think that says loads for it.

As for getting there, I met other travellers who took the bus but it was certainly a challenge for them. If you can find other people going splitting a taxi is not too pricey.

Hope it helps!

A word of warning about the mini-bus from Chipata to the park. It can be very unreliable. The journey took me 9 hours one time as the mini-bus broke down so many times and the luggage kept falling off the roof! If you do decide to go for it then I think it cost around 60,000 ZMK when I last took it

Another option for the transfer from Chipata is to use this guy: http://www.budgetsafaritours.com does transfers for around $25 in a nice modern mini-bus. If I remember correctly it takes about 3 hours.

I also agree with the other posters about Marula Lodge. I have stayed at a few different places at the Park and it is definitely my favourite! Here is their website: http://marulalodgezambia.com/

Thanks Luca, I didnt know anyone read the thing! Just trying to update it now with a month of Indian nonsense! I would kill to be back in Africa!

One remark about this guy Mophy from http://www.budgetsafaritours.com:

I had made the arrangement with him about three weeks in advance that he would transport us (two people) from Mfuwe to the Malawi border at Chipata. We had agreed on the price of US$ 30 per person, i.e. $60 for both. Two days before the transport I contacted him to make sure he wouldn't forget and he said everything was ok.

He then called me the next day, on the night before the agreed date (!) that the price had just gone up to $100!!! The reason he told me was that he was supposed to take 4 people total and that the other two had just cancelled. He had not told me anything about this before, i.e. that the price he'd given me was based on 4 people and that he would charge more in case of cancellation. On top of this, he said he would use a slow vehicle instead of the above mentioned mini-bus to save gas.

So from my experience, I would use his service with great care (or actually better not at all).

We were very lucky because two other guests at our lodge who had a vehicle happened to go to Chipata on the same day. They had some extra space and were nice enough to take us.

Hi! I just went ahead and made arrangements for this guy Mophy to get us in Chipata for a safari tour in May. I hope, given your experience, it is not a mistake. He gave us a deal of $375 USD for 4D/3Nts, with pick-up, so it seems awesome. I asked him to promise me the price would not go up. Dis you happen to hear anything else about his services along the way? Did you discover any alternatives or would you suggest any budget SLNP safari places? thanks!
Jen

Hello! you mention Mophy's Budget Safari Tours. how did you find the business? I booked a great cost deal for my husband and I to tour SLNP in May. I find very little info on his business and I'm wondering if you know much? Thank you! Jen