We arrived in the dark as the road from Chirundu was even worst than we had anticipated(!), although par for the course if you are off tarmac in Zambia.
We had booked a riverside pitch in the campsite, but when we arrived it was already taken as the previous guests had overstayed their booking... the team made us welcome though and gave us a different pitch for one night, and they helped with our fire so we were able to get a meal cooked despite being late and in the dark.
Washing facilities are really good/private to each pitch with a decent hot shower. Although the area is wooded and therefore shady (needed in the day), when we were there we were not bothered by Mozzies despite being right next to the river.
Next day we moved to our booked pitch right by the river (but far enough off it not to be concerned by crocs) which was simply delightful, with a table and seating area on a raised path next to the river itself. We liked it so much we also ended up staying longer than planned, using it as a base for drives into the national Park itself. On that point, the drive into the park is tricky as you have to cross a river, which depending on the time of year, might be deeper than your vehicle is capable of fording. We had to drive upstream to a further ford which was dry when we were there, but again the road was in a bit of a state. A good 4x4 is essential.
The BIG plus is the lodge itself which has rooms and a really nice verandah overlooking the river, which doubles up as a bar and dining area (for Mvuu guests only) if you are tired of self catering. Very friendly owners, food was excellent, we could have stayed longer than we did.
Finally, this lodge is in an area which is gradually being opened up and Mvuu's sister lodges are the type of super high end establishments that charge thousands of dollars a night. None of them are close enough for you to know they exist, unless you go on a river trip when the scale and quality of the other local lodges become apparent. If you are on a sensible budget, you get nearly everything that the others offer location wise, but for a fraction of the cost.
As others have said, Mvuu is a real gem, highly recommended, we loved it.
Oh, and we shared the camp site with some elephants who decided to walk in one day...
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Date of stay: November 2022
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Room Tip:Â Best camp site pitch in our opinion is the one furthest from the lodge, right on the banks of the...
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 are a couple that were travelling across Zambia, and stayed at Mvuu for three nights. The location was great, 15km or so from the national park border (which is pretty remote). We were not driving ourselves, which meant that we had to find alternative ways of getting there. At first we were too optimistic regarding travel time from Lusaka (google maps does not take into account the poor condition of the gravel roads between Chirundu and the NP), but it all turned out very nicely in the end. We departed Lusaka with a bus bound for Harare (Trip Trans had decent coahes) in the morning, and left the bus in Chirundu, before the border station. Make sure that you have some margin in your travel schedule. The bus that was supposed to leave Lusaka at 09:00 finally left at 11:20 when it was sufficiently full, which meant that we had to reschedule the boat transfer. From there we had a 20 minute taxi drive (300 kwacha) to Gwabi Lodge and Mvuu´s own boat transfer (must be booked in advance by email) from Gwabi to Mvuu. The boat took little more than an hour, and cost 170USD (one way), which is a bit pricy, but very smooth. The boat transfer was a nice way to see the wildlife along the river. Not accounting for the waiting on the bus station it took less than five hours to go from Lusaka to the Lodge, which is probably about the same as it would take to drive all the way. We booked a chalet and full board, which included a simple breakfast, a brunch, tea/coffee/snacks in the afternoon and a big (huge portions) dinner in addition to one free sunset cruise during our stay. The food was good, but nothing special. The chalet was well equipped, clean and spacious, and had a nice bathroom. The only drawback here was that the hotwater was a bit unstable. During the stay we had a morning river safari, the sunset cruise mentioned above and a full-day game drive inside the NP (140USD/person, total 11hrs). For other guests we would recommend booking the game drive in advance as the hotel manager had a hard time organizing it the day before. The river safaris were superb and a great way to see especially crocs, hippos and elephants close up. The game drive inside the NP required some patience as the roads are poor, but was fantastic. We saw shifting landscapes and a diverse wildlife. We met few other cars and felt like we had the NP on our own. The guides were knowledgeable and nice guys. Going back we made the same trip, but this time catching a bus at the border station.
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Date of stay: July 2022
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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.
Travelled by boat to be greeted by lovely, polite and attentive staff. Each of our 11 days brought new adventures whether it was tiger fishing, game drives, bird watching or simply staying on site and swimming in the pool. Chalets were cleaned every day - standard excellent for the location, delightful Godfrey looked after us beautifully with the extra of washing and pressing our clothes each day - a real luxury. The hosts were very pleasant and interested in each guest adding to the relaxed atmosphere of the lodge. We saw lots of elephant in the lodge gardens alongside a few baboons and wart hogs. Glorious sunrises and sunsets with the hippos chorusing in the background. Travel to the little airstrip and small plane to Lusaka airport completed our African getaway. If you want to experience the real Africa - this is the place for you.
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled with family
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We arrived late (9 pm), as it's a long drive from Lusaka. Roads are not good but were dry for the last couple hours. Dinner was waiting for us, and we were the only guests during the end of the wet (green or Emerald) season. Just has some rain at night. We did the full day Lower Zambei program, which involves going down river to the park by boat, transferring to safari vehicle for the game drive, and boat return. The animal sightings were were just "ok." No "big cats" but several other sightings. Meals were very tasty. The owners were there day 2 and they made sure our stay was special. Full breakfast and local AM game drive on last day before we departed by boat to reconnect with our transport down river (saves almost an hour total travel time). The grounds here are pretty. Stone chalets are right on the Zambezi River, making for nice sunrises.
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Date of stay: March 2020
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Awesome place. Small, friendly- owners mix with guests,making us feel special. So spoilt with every home comfort despite being on the banks of the zambezi and miles from civilization ( thankfully). Chalets are stunning. I can't think of any negative comments
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
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The site is lovely, smart and very well renovated. Even though we didn’t book any activities in advance (highly recommended!), the owners kindly brought us on a marvellous trip by boat on the river at dusk. We went in August 2019 with a roof-tented 4x4, camping spots are big and provided with a nice bathroom and a very large place for fire. A wonderful experience!
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Date of stay: August 2019
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Trip type: Travelled 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.
I have travelled extensively in southern Africa, being ex Zim; however Mvuu rates as one of my most memorable safari lodges/camps I have stayed in. The staff, location, accommodation and food are superb, including a wide variety of veggie options for my daughter and her boyfriend, all prepared for us by Jospeh the head Chef. Mvuu also offers a wide variety of activities both in the local conservancy and the LZ National Park, as well as on the Zambezi itself. Idyllic to also spend lazy days by the pool, at the bar in the main Boma, or your own private riverside Chalet watching the resident monkeys, baboons and elephants at play. The campsite looks very good too. Big shout out to Nibby, Joseph, John, Godfrey, Cosmos, Akim and Douglas for making our weeklong stay simply wonderful. So good I am currently planning a follow up trip next month from UK for the annual Tiger Tournament !!
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Date of stay: September 2022
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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 Mvuu Lodge for three nights and we couldn't recommend the place more highly. The staff were at all times friendly, polite and helpful. Thank you to Lynne and Brett Brannigan for their very warm hospitality. We stayed in one of the chalets and Clayson looked after us really well including ensuring we got back to our room safely every night. We got to know the sounds of the hippos in the water and munching grass near the chalets at night. The restaurant area is a wonderful place to relax during the day, read a book and take in the sights of the Zambezi river. The food was great and plentiful and Cosmos was attentive to every detail in the restaurant. He very generously taught us some basic phrases of greetings in the local language of the next place we were going to visit. Ackim, a very experienced guide, took us for a sunset cruise and a day-long safari trip by jeep. With his help we saw lots of elephants, birds, some lions and different breeds of deer. He explained the medicinal properties of some of the trees we saw along the way. Overall an excellent experience for us a Mvuu Lodge and a wonderful introduction to Zambia for us. Susan and Sander (The Netherlands)
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Date of stay: June 2023
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Â If you have never travelled on the dirt roads in Zambia before, it is good to give yourself a lot...
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Had a wonderful time we went Tiger fishing, On a Game drive and a River cruise Lovely lodge with very friendly staff everyone was helpful The Guides on the game drive and the Skipper on the fishing boat were top notch really knowledgeable Great owners Lyn and Brett really made me feel at home Good food and ice cold beer just what you need after a day’s fishing on the lower Zambezi. The wildlife we saw was amazing Lions, Elephants,Hippos,Buffaloes,plenty of different species of Buck,lots of Birds and Crocodiles lazing on the river bank. There’s warthogs and monkeys around the camp and a occasional Elephant wanders through. The accommodation was very good and the pool was great to cool off in.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â The animals around the Lodge are wild so you need to be very careful
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.
Mvuu Lodge proved to be one of my best experiences during multiple visits to ten African countries. Brett and Lynne are excellent hosts who carefully tend to their visitors’ needs while also forming friendships. And their amazing staff do the same. When my original plans fell through, Mvuu Lodge took me in, made me feel at home, fed me excellent meals, and arranged activities that made my visit an incredible experience. Here, on a beautiful bank overlooking the Zambezi River, one can see and hear abundant wildlife including hippos (mvuu) near camp during the night. Many other animals also make occasional visits. The lodge offers spectacular boat cruises and game drives. On one game drive, I saw lions, leopards, a huge herd of cape buffalo, forty elephants, crocodiles, kudus, waterbucks, impalas, baboons, and an array of other African mammals, reptiles, and birds. In a span of six hours, I saw four of the Big Five animals. When I return to Zambia, I will come here, and I will encourage my family and friends to do the same.
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Date of stay: April 2023
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Trip type: Travelled solo
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Response from Nicole Subramunian, General Manager at Mvuu Lodge
Responded 09 May 2023
Dear David Thank you for your kind email, it was a pleasure hosting you and we hope to host you again soon. Keep well.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi Carly,
The boat transfer is about $150 one way per trip not per person so even if there are four of you it will still cost the same. Mvuu Lodge can arrange a road transfer from Chirundu and it is about $80 one way again per trip. Having done both I would always choose the boat. have a lovely time.
Rima
Hello, our hottest month is October where temperatures can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius. September is a bit cooler, the best place to be is lazing by our beautiful new pool.We do not have electricity where we are so everything runs on generator and solar. Our luxury tents do have fans.
We have various activities available: fishing, sunset cruises, day and overnight canoe safaris,day and night game drives and walking safaris (which need to be pre booked so we can organise scouts). September is a great time of year for wildlife.
For bookings please contact Nicole, her details are on our website.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards
Mvuu Management Team
San Antonio, Texas126 contributions56 helpful votes
Screened in rooms no AC. Weather should be OK. The Safari experience was all we did no fishing. Walking, Range Rover and River safari's. We saw amazing animals.(I am very hot natured keep house at 69 or less year round & I was OK.). Limited Generator bugged me. You could not charge your phone, laptop,camera etc overnight- they turned it off around 9:30 and had odd hours that it was on. They did have a power strip in lunch/ bar area and many of us charged our phones then. We were on the river and saw many hippos from the room.
There are more places to choose from in the Chiawa Conservancy area.
LOCATION
ZambiaLusaka ProvinceChiawa Conservancy
NUMBER OF ROOMS
24
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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