Name: Flatdogs Camp
Address: Plot 8755, South Luangwa National Park, South Luangwa National Park, South Luangwa National Park, not available, Zambia
Rating: 10

Smoking areas

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Garden

No elevators

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Wheelchair Accessible

Wheelchair access to restaurant

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Pets allowed

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Extra decontamination measures

Temperature control for guests

Personal protection equipment for guests

Individually packaged food

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the hotel

Flatdogs Camp

South Luangwa National Park

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not-guaranteed

wired-internet-access

smoking

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safe

mini-bar

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pets-allowed

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What an incredible trip.  Spent 5 nights here as a solo traveler and the experience was amazing.  This is literally the place where everyone knows your name.  The staff makes you as comfortable as can be and they are always looking to ensure you're happy and well fed!  The safari rides were super fun with incredibly knowledgeable guides.  Woke up to hippos walking 3 feet away from my accommodation the first morning...  food was excellent, loved my half outdoor shower and Dave and Anna made the experience so enjoyable.  Highly recommend and I would return in a heartbeat!

5 star experience - loved every minute!  Perfect for solo travelers

Flatdogs is the ultimate authentic African safari experience. Jess and Adi run a warm, professional but personal camp where nothing is too much trouble. The camp itself is unique with fabulous tented camps set on the rive, with hippos and elephants making regular visits to camp! The food is excellent (one of the only a la carte menu camps) and they are always flexible with meal timings. The staff could not be more helpful and do everything to make your stay memorable. The game drives are sensational with an abundance of game and very knowledgeable rangers. A big bonus is the additional spotter at night. We saw multiple sightings of lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo, as well as lots of other game. Our party consisted of 18 family members celebrating a 70th birthday and the trip was a success from the youngest (9) to the eldest (78). Every effort was made to ensure a trip of a lifetime, including organising a concert from the local African church choir. The situation of the camp also allows easy access to visit the local school and textile shops in town. I could not recommend more highly!

A unique family experience

I just recently returned from a 4-night stay at Flatdogs with a family member, and after traveling all the way from Zambia back home to the USA, the first thing I did was hop online to write a review. 

Flatdogs exceeded every expectation I had. If you are thinking about going to South Luangwa, do it. And stay at Flatdogs. 

To start with, the staff is beyond friendly and hospitable. The ownership & management team will go out of their way to get to know you and make sure you are comfortable, and that level of hospitality trickles right down to all the other members of the staff on premises. The friendliness & professionalism of the staff was a major factor in my happiness with Flatdogs. While there, I talked with other guests, some of whom had been coming to Flatdogs for more than a decade, and they told me they continue to come back because they experience the same hospitality year after year. 

We were assigned one guide for our entire stay (Chris), and he was simply terrific. He is friendly and incredibly knowledgeable with well over 10+ years of guiding experience. Being with one guide the entire time really paid dividends for our stay as we started to be able to reference earlier drives, locations, and experiences as we got further into our trip. It created a comfortable shorthand with Chris where he could then start catering future drives with us based on our past experiences. While on our drives, we saw everything you can think of - multiple close lion & leopard encounters (some on the same drive!), several great elephant encounters, lots of sightings of thorncroft giraffe, more hippo sightings than you can count, exceptional sightings of various birds, the first porcupine sighting of the season, etc. We saw buffalo chase away a couple lions. We saw a male leopard chase a female up a tree. We sat and watched a large pride of lions strategize but ultimately fail to do an end around on a few impala after dusk. Chris did a terrific job finding these animals, getting us the best views possible, and educating us about them throughout. We were in the vehicle with him for about 4 hours per drive, 2 drives per day, and he was a major contributing factor to why we loved our stay so much. 

BTW, for anyone on the fence about going to South Luangwa, you should simply go. We were there at the very beginning of the dry season when many roads still aren't open due to the water levels, and we still had absolutely no problem seeing so many different animals on each drive. It's a terrific park. I am not the most seasoned safari-goer, but I have been to 5-10 African game parks, and South Luangwa is currently my favorite by far.

South Luangwa is not like other more well-known parks where you might see dozens of vehicles all on CB radio racing to see the same thing which ultimately results in a massive traffic jam around a couple animals. There are far fewer operators in South Luangwa, the pace is slower, and you have to work to find some of the animals. However, we had multiple terrific encounters every single drive. It makes the experience that much rewarding, and many times we were the only vehicle in the area having these exceptional viewing experiences. It was incredible.

Back to Flatdogs - one of the features of the camp is that since it is just across the river from South Luangwa, and because South Luangwa is not fenced in, animals can and will be in the camp. The camp provides night watchmen to walk you around the grounds after the sun sets, and that is a needed service. Upon arrival to Flatdogs after dark, we were greeted by 2 hippos (a mother and calf) on the path between the central area of the camp and our tent, so we took a longer route to our tent. On another night during our chaperoned walk back to the tent, we watched two hippos fight not too far away from us, and then they ran off into the darkness. This is part of the appeal of Flatdogs, but you need to be open to knowing that you might have these types of encounters. You can and will hear hippos calling around you through the day and night, and we were told repeatedly that later in the season when food becomes more scarce, other animals will walk through the grounds, too. It wasn't surprising to hear that; we routinely saw families of elephants and towers of giraffes on the access road to Flatdogs just a couple minutes' drive from our tent. That added to the allure for us. If that doesn't sound appealing to you, maybe consider a chalet room at Flatdogs instead of a tent.

We stayed in the luxury tent in Flatdogs, and it had everything we could hope for. It was serviced multiple times per day. Mosquito nets were put down before it got dark and then put up while we were out on our morning drives. Everything in and around the tent was clean and furnished plainly but wonderfully. The bathroom facilities were terrific compared to other similar-type tents I've stayed at in other parks. Just remember that you are in a remote area of Zambia in the middle of the wilderness near a game park. You will get a fan in your tent, but the tents do not have AC. There will be bugs out back in the bathroom/shower area. You will not get wifi in your tent...it will be available in the central part of the camp most of time. Sometimes it comes in and out. This is part of the experience. You have to be willing to embrace it.

The food is very good and the menu includes both western & local options. I thought everything was reasonably priced, including the drinks. I opted for an all-inclusive package rate that included lodging, food, laundry, pick up/drop off at the airport, and our game drives - basically everything was included but drinks. Compared to other places I have been & other places even while comparison shopping around South Luangwa, I found it to be very reasonably priced.

I could continue to go on further about Flatdogs, but I think I will stop here. If there was a rating beyond 5 stars, that's what I would give it. We only checked out 48 hours ago, but we are already dreaming about a return.

Incredible stay for a memorable visit at South Luangwa

Unlike most guests that were there, we did not go for the game viewing, we just needed a quiet getaway in nature...and boy did they deliver! The game viewing was clearly amazing however, other guests were raving about their amazing sightings when we chatted around the pool! We stayed in a chalet, which was spacious, comfortable and stylishly kitted out with all the basics you need, including a braai which we will definitely use next time! Loved that it has the facility of self catering, restaurant delivery or eating at the restaurant...great to have such choice. Food at the restaurant was fresh, tasty and locally souced. We spent most of our time at the pools, a choice of one in the sun and one shaded...genius! The attentive service and genuine hospitality  of this team is what made 
this so special, from the groundsman asking me my name and how my stay has been as I walked past, all the way up to the hands on management. A huge thank you to the whole team for an amazing few days...as my husband and I were driving out we were already talking about when we could arrange our next stay! Hope to see you soon Flat Dogs family.

An amazing getaway!

Our hosts and all of the staff members were amazing and we were treated like Royalty. Our safari guide Chris was just fantastic, extremely knowledgeable and informative. We were lucky enough to see a leopard on our first drive!!! 
Our accommodation in the Treehouse was the perfect introduction to safari life. 
All of our meals were delicious, service impeccable and the overall property very well maintained despite recent rains. A never to be forgotten experience !!!!

Flatdogs excels in providing the safari experience of a lifetime

We arrived after dark and were taken to our tent by Ade who gave us a comprehensive introduction before we sat down to dinner. The meals were excellent and generous with plenty of choice. After our 1st morning game drive we were able to appreciate the great location of our tent with uninterrupted view of the river and watch the elephants crossing and bathing. During our stay we were to have several closer encounters with them when they moved through the camp but always felt safe with the staff around to ensure the animals were respected and a safe distance maintained. 
We had some great game drives with our guide Bwalya and staff always met us on our return asking if we had enjoyed our day. 
A great place to stay.

Perfect Zambia

We arrived late in the evening only to be greeted by Adie, one of the owners, after a quick safety overview we were invited to enjoy a late dinner before starting our adventure. The next few days were full of excitement as we enjoyed a morning and evening safari in the South Luangua Preserve. Yotam, our guide, was nothing short of amazing. Spotting everything from leopards and lions to chameleons - AT NIGHT!  From Adie and Jess to the staff and our guides, the staff was professional, knowledgeable, friendly and warm. The accommodations were comfortable and fitting for a safari camp. Elephants, giraffes and other wild animals roamed freely through the camp.   It was an exhilarating experience to say the least. We can’t say enough about how wonderful Flatdogs was. If you go to South Luangwa National Park, you absolutely MUST stay at Flatdogs. 

Simply Amazing!

A group of 16 decades-long friends wanted to do a bucketlist African safari...I selected Flatdogs.  We were all exceptionally satisfied.  The meals were incredible! The lodgings beyond our expectations.  The game viewing mind-blowing....  But without question, we were all most impacted by the warmth and friendliness of the staff.  At the conclusion of our very long return trip home, we all asked "when can we go back?"  

Life changing bucket-list safari at Flatdogs

Just back from my second visit to Flatdogs. Interesting that most people there were on their second, third or fifth visit. The main staff were still the same as my last trip too. Happy staff, happy guests. For the uninitiated, Flatdogs is a perfect balance between feeling like you are camping in the bush and being very comfortable indeed. Food is incredibly good. Safari drives and guides excellent as always. Plenty of animal sightings. What can I say. Flatdogs rocks!

Flatdogs Rocks

I was bringing a group of 6 people to Flatdogs for 5 nights and honestly I didnot expect too much. I was in several camps before in South Luangwa and wanted to give it a try as it is really good value but I was a bit afraid that it is too big and busy for my taste. Now I know that I found the camp I will stay again. It was that good. This started with our fabulous guide Yotam who is guiding for Flatdogs since 17 years. And this experience is so important. What really surprised me is that he never used the radio to get tipps from other guides as he does not like the cluster of cars around a sighting. He never approached the animals in an obstructing manner like so many of his colleagues do. He worked really hard from 6 am to 7 pm to give us the best experiences and succeeded every single time, not giving up when we all already starting to loose hope. The Luxury tents are wonderful and the location is great. You are visited day and nights by elephants, hippo, puku and monkeys. The sounds at night are just incredible. There is electricity 24 hours and you can drink any water from the tub - a BIG plus. Wifi has to be paid which is fair considering the good value of their offer. Now what really sets the camp apart: normally you have fixed meal times where everyone gets a set menu. Here it is the opposite: you have a restaurant style menu which offers so much to choose from you could stay two weeks before finishing it. You can order anything at any time - and this is a game changer as it allows people to have a big breakfast after game drive and skip lunch or have both or nothing but the excellent small breakfast at 5.30 and the tea time cake at 3.30 pm ... anyone is free to follow his or her specific diet and the choices for vegetarians are great - which is also an exception. But the best thing is: all meals are excellent, not once anyone was disappointed in 5 days, be it steaks, pasta, salads or Indian or African spiced dishes. The staff is wonderful, as everywhere in Zambia, and we missed the camp the moment we left it. Yes it is not small but due to the flexible retaurant concept you never feel it gets crowded. The spacing of the tents actually is bigger that in many other camps. The camp is very very  well organized, and I know what I am talking about.  Did I mention thats its the closest camp to the gate meaning you are the first one in ? And that there is an important elephant crossing point just opposite ? Highly recommeded, will go again. 

Flatdogs Camp

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