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A rustic safari bush camp on the banks of the Kafue River with spectacular views and excellent wildlife sightings. Voted Most Authentic Bush Camp, Zambia in the LUXLife Global Excellence Awards. This private and eco-friendly camp contains 4 luxury en-suite tents under thatched roofs, with verandas, hammocks and open air bathrooms with hot showers and flushing toilets. Safari activities include game drives, walking safaris, boat trips, bird watching and fishing. Wildlife that can be seen includes 4 of the Big Five plus cheetah and wild dogs along with more than 450 bird species. We recommend a 3 night minimum stay.
We stayed one night at the camp. We brought our own car/rooftop tent and booked a dinner.
The camp spot was spacious, right at the river and we had a visit from the "house-elephant" Big Joe. What an experience! We were lucky that we were the only campers and so we had the place all to ourselves. The ablution block was nice and clean with flush toilette, hot shower and nearby.
As it was my husbands birthday we had booked a dinner. As requested we got a delicious vegetarian meal. The chef baked a huge cake with my husbands name decorated on top. In addition we were offered a bottle of white wine to our meal.
We also valued the lovely and interesting conversation with our host by the fireplace and he looked indeed very well after us (I apologise for forgetting his name).
As it was dark after dinner, he drove us back to our tent to make sure we were okay (there were also lions roaming the camp).
It was an amazing experience for us and we can only recommend this place.
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Date of stay: May 2024
Value
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Brown, Agency / Consultant at Mayukuyuku Bush Camp
Responded Jun 19, 2024
Thank you so much for review and what an experience indeed with Big Joe. It's always so special when he calmly visits the camp for a while.
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If you would like to go to a good bush camp, with very friendly staff, great food, a comfy bed and clean proper toilet and hot shower (under the stars), this is it. You also get the adrenaline rush from animals walking around outside your tent and the random hippo sitting near the path, hippo grunts from the river a stone's throw away and elephants trekking around. Great body wash (not the cheap kind) and clean towels. You also get a wake up call with a hot cuppa if you want one or you can just let them know you wanna sleep in.
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Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A fantastic location on the river and really easy access from both Lusaka and Livingstone - we chose to stay here as we were trying to cover as much of Kafue as possible during our time in Zambia. Wild dog were spotted near the entrance to the camp the morning we left. Really a great value option for those wanting to explore beautiful Kafue. Great for activities both on the water and land.
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Date of stay: May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pippa Turner, General Manager at Mayukuyuku Bush Camp
Responded Jun 16, 2022
Thank you for your feedback about Mayukuyuku Bush Camp and so glad you spotted the Wild Dogs on your journey to your next camp. We hope to see you back in the Kafue in the near future. We are very grateful that you mention how easily accessible we are - we are open all year!
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We've spent 5 nights at this unique and extraordinary lodge. For all inclusive 2 activities are included such as game drive, boat cruise or fishing. We've discovered even during the emerald season plenty of animals and the biodiversity of birds is amazing. The competent guides answered our questions with patience and passion. We followed tracks and signs and listened to different calls from the bush. The cuisine is excellent and varied and the hospitality courteous and friendly. The tent is cozy and the nightly 10 steps walk to the toilet opens you a gate to the universe. We felt more at home than in a lodge. We enjoyed our stay, widened our knowledge of nature and keep a treasure full of experiences and encounters.
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Date of stay: February 2022
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed at the beginning of Feb and it was absolutely amazing! We were the only guest due to COVID. Recommend the all inclusive package, which includes all meals and two activities a day. Activities were very enjoyable and professional - and tailored to our wishes as only guests. In between activities we relaxed in the beautiful camp, read a book with a view of the river or did some fishing (bring your own rod). Very relaxing! Food was delicious. Staff are extremely friendly and helpful. Our luxury "tent" with the outside hot shower was amazing. In the mornings you could hear a hippo grazing around our tent and we could observe without being noticed by the animal. All in all, absolutely amazing - we loved it!
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Date of stay: February 2022
Rooms
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Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pippa Turner, General Manager at Mayukuyuku Bush Camp
Responded Feb 15, 2022
Thank you so much for the excellent review which will be shared with all the staff and your guide. We hope we will see you again in the future. Let us hope we come out of the Covid situation soon! The wildlife is waiting have an audience again!
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This is our second visit to Mayukuyuku (hope spelt that right) campsite, most definitely becoming a favorite, with the view of the beautiful Kafue river a million stars at night with all the wildlife sounds at night far beats humans. This trip we were lucky to spot two leopards and a huge herd of elephants. The campsite is clean and bathrooms all have lovely open showers with hot water. The staff are all friendly and willing to help put up tents and light fires (if they can get there before the kids) another magical stay am sure we will be sooner than later! Thanks!!
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Date of stay: January 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pippa Turner, General Manager at Mayukuyuku Bush Camp
Responded Jan 9, 2022
Dear Rachel, we were delighted you came for a second visit and hope there will be many more in the future. Your comments will be passed to the staff with our thanks. We are happy the game viewing did not disappoint! Leopard sightings are excellent in our area but you were certainly lucky to see around a hundred elephants in one herd - with lots of young. Thank you for your continued support.
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I recently stayed at Mayukuyuku bush camp at the end of a university trip for two nights. It was a truly wonderful experience. The camp was gorgeous, right by the water's edge, food was delicious and the staff were so friendly and welcoming. We went on two game drives and a boat ride down the river to see the hippos. The guides were very knowledgeable and provided lots of information on the park and all the species that we saw. It was the perfect way to end my trip to Zambia and I certainly hope to return again soon.
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Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Brown, Agency / Consultant at Mayukuyuku Bush Camp
Responded Apr 29, 2024
We appreciate you taking the time to write a review and are pleased to hear you had a wonderful time in the Kafue. The team do strive to ensure guests have a great stay and experience the best of the area. See you again soon.
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Mayukuyuku was a lovely bush camp. The camp facilities and staff were delightful, and consistently very helpful and solicitous. All of our expectations for a Boot Camp were met, and we had plenty of opportunity to see animals in carefully national park and the game management area across the road. We spent three nights and four days at the site, we drove or went out on a boat every day sometimes twice a day. The game drives were lovely we went in the morning and in the evening, saw a large variety of animals including elephants and K Buffalo, as well as a lot of Zambian bird life. The boat trips were delightful, we went at dawn and sunset, were in waters with many hippos and also saw crocodiles and a variety of birds. It was a peaceful and tranquil site overall, and there was nothing lacking. The food was outstanding, the campsite accommodations were lovely, the water was hot and boundless, and everything was neat and clean and tidy. Our guide, Dominic, was delightful and extremely knowledgeable about the area. The cook was great, and his desserts were sensational. The staff were helpful in every possible way and a real pleasure. The price was perfect for our budget. Good value for money overall. We highly recommend the site, this is our second trip to the site and we were not disappointed.
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pippa Turner, General Manager at Mayukuyuku Bush Camp
Responded Apr 19, 2022
Thank you so much for the comprehenive and wonderful review which covered everything we try hard to always get right. I will make sure it is seen by all the staff and fellow Directors. We do hope we will see you again in the very near future. Please tell colleagues and friends about us with our grateful thanks!
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We booked four tents in the camp in November 2023. When we arrived they only had two tents available for us. We had to find an alternative place to stay, and now they are refusing to refund us! Finding the service unprofessional and the behaviour unethical. Would not recommend supporting them.
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Date of stay: November 2023
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from David Brown, Agency / Consultant at Mayukuyuku Bush Camp
Responded Dec 6, 2023
It is disappointing to receive a review which misrepresents the facts as this one does. Your booking was very last minute but we pride ourselves on dealing with last minute bookings so drove 220 km for fresh fruit and vegetables for your four guests. It was agreed with your female colleague that the two ladies would share and then one tent each for the gentlemen as we had other clients in the 4th tent. Then your booking reduced to three guests and you agreed to two tents – two ladies sharing one tent, one man in a second but then four people turned up. At no point did we say we had four tents. You arrived and stayed by the car or in reception and asked for the wifi password then stayed on the phone constantly but made a judgement on the camp from the car park with just a first quick glimpse. We are in the national park and, as such, abide by strict eco-guidelines and also our own. We do not cut the grass unless for safety of the guests to allow re-seeding and natural re-growth, bird nesting, etc. We have shaggy thatch to stop the soil erosion of traditional thatching as recommended. Your lady colleague came and was more than happy to stay having seen the high standard of the internal accommodation, but you remained in or near reception on the phone and, as the senior team member, made the decision to not stay without even coming in. You then left having made the decision to not take up the offer of even a coffee to discuss. You were offered Unifi Credit and that credit can still be put in place but a cash refund contravenes our terms and conditions. If proper fault had been found in our camp and service then obviously a refund might be appropriate, but none was found – just a choice of wanting brick buildings, lawns, fences! If so, why come to a bush camp? We stand by adhering to our terms and conditions and not providing a refund as one is not warranted. A credit can be available for your local staff who love the place if doing their marketing for example.
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What an absolutely beautiful place. Stunning location, wonderful people. Lineker and Gilbert were our guides, so helpful. My 2 boys aged 15 and 10 had a fabulous time on the river, spotting game and learning how to fish. (Catch and release!) Night time safari was an experience of a lifetime, food was wholesome, well cooked and beautifully presented. Not the cheapest but you get what you pay for.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Martin,
From the north – presumably through the park, there are no places to get diesel – you would need to buy in Mumbwa (2 fuel stations) and not come through the park.
The camp can get diesel for you if you advise how much you need. Fuel is around a $1 a litre and you can pay in camp. There would be a service fee but it would be nominal as you have notified well in advance.
There are more places to choose from in the Kafue National Park area.
PRICE RANGE
$810 - $811 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
ZambiaKafue National Park
NUMBER OF ROOMS
4
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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