Flatdogs Camp

My wife and I were fortunate enough to spend 12 nights at Flatdogs last month and upon reflection we regard our ‘in camp’ and ‘out of camp’ experiences with Flatdogs in the Luangwa as one of the most memorable safari trips we enjoyed across the last 20 years. It is not our modus operandi to stay at one camp for such an extended duration, especially as first time visitors. However, Flatdogs had been on my ‘bucket list’ to experience for many years and this heartfelt desire, coupled with seamless direct comms with Jess from the outset, made it an easy decision to make and one which is hindsight was more than justified. As the popular advertising slogan goes, ‘if Carlsberg did safari camps’… then IMO they would look and ‘feel’ an awful lot like what Ade and Jess have created and helped to cultivate over the years in what is a spectacular camp location overlooking the Luangwa River and beyond into South Luangwa NP itself. Without going off on too much of a tangent by listing what I regard as being cornerstones and the pre-requisites of what makes for an exceptional safari camp, suffice to say Flatdogs has long since thought of them all and has them in spades, which truly elevates the guest experience. One of these cornerstones that I would like to make quick mention of is the importance of having an exceptional team of ‘in camp’ staff in place and at Flatdogs this is strikingly evident. I would stake claim that the staff and team at Flatdogs were perhaps the friendliest, most amenable, attentive and professional staff that my wife and I have had the pleasure of getting to know and befriend in over 20 trips on safari in Africa. We arrived as guests but we certainly felt after 12 nights that we were leaving newly found friends behind. I could wax lyrical about all the wonderful people we met during our stay individually by name but to avoid singling anyone out, I would just say each and every one of the Flatdogs family we met along the way were a pleasure, a true asset to Flatdogs and a huge part of what I feel helps to make Flatdogs so special. Our safari experience was also second to none. They do not call the Luangwa ‘the valley of the Leopard’ for nothing it seems and our visceral experience of this adage became apparent less than one hour past our arrival in camp when a female leopard decided to take down a rather unfortunate Bushbuck not 30 yards from where we sat eating dinner – what an exhilarating beginning to our Flatdogs adventure and the hits kept on coming, clocking 20 separate Leopard sightings across the 12 days in the park, which including several sightings of ‘Lucy’ the queen of Mfuwe and of the archetypal stalking behaviour in using the deep crevices and gulley’s as cover from their potential prey… incredible to witness. In a broader sense, the South Luangwa NP is alongside the Okavango Delta, in being the most visually beautiful and habitat diverse areas in Southern Africa that I have witnessed on safari. The topography

Great situation on the Luangwa river. Great game dives and guides. Food is excellent. Accommodation is comfortable but somewhat dated

I honestly cannot say enough wonderful things about Flatdogs. Having been to many camps in Africa I can only describe it as the best safari camp in Africa. This was our 2nd visit in 3 years and I am so happy we went back. Jess, Ade & Paolo the owners and all the staff are so welcoming and friendly that they make everyone feel like family. Flatdogs USP is its flexible approach to the most import parts of your stay. They have an amazing a la carte restaurant that allows you to eat whenever want. The food is fresh and delicious and everyday there are different specials available. The accommodation is well spaced out with lots of options from Classic or Luxury Tents to Tree houses or Stone built Chalets which we stayed in. Our Chalet was massive with a lovely walk in wet room and private garden. There are 2 beautiful swimming pools, one of which over looks the park. The game drives are flexible and all the guides are all fantastic. We had Geoffrey who like many of the guides has been at Flatdogs for many years. We were able to go on all day drives with a lovely picnic lunch and visited so many different areas of the park. Highlights were 11 different Leopards, 2 pack of Wild Dogs, 3 prides of Lion also Large herds of Elephant and many other rare sighting of game such as Roan & Eland. The camp itself is in a lovely position on the edge of the Luangwa river and very close to the entry point of the park. We had many Elephant, Giraffe and antelope visit the camp during the day and we even found a pride of 14 Lions just outside camp. Look no further than Flatdogs for the perfect South Luangwa safari, its unbelievable value and you won't regret it. We will certainly be going back. Thank you Flatdogs for all the lovely surprises and magical moments that made our stay so special. Our birthdays celebrations and cakes were amazing.

I simply can’t praise this establishment highly enough. We went as two couples and had a fantastic time. The staff are courteous and thoughtful without coming across as insincere. All things were very tasteful- as compared to other places we stayed no blaring sports tv, for example. Food was outstanding as well. Highly recommended.wildlife excursions were similarly high caliber- so many leopards! Yotam was an outstanding guide/companion.

Just completed my 5th visit to one of my fav places on earth. The luxury tents are situated along the river where you can watch hippos and crocs wallowing, and elephants crossing….and that’s without even leaving your tent! The guides and spotters are superlative - they can follow animal tracks and put you right where the animals likely are. Zambia isn’t as well known as Kenya for its safari opportunities and this works in your favor - oftentimes we were the only jeep observing the wildlife - including the time that a pride of 14 lions calmly walked right past our jeep or when we observed a pack of painted dogs resting in the shade. Great staff, best food in the valley, and flexible mealtimes are the icing on the cake. Also highly recommend a village visit which the camp can arrange and provide transport for.

We had a wonderful time at Flatdogs and learned a few things. The camp is well attended and we met people from different part of the world. The camp is mostly run by the locals, with the owners behind the scenes. Everything ran smoothly. The food was well made and there was a large selections. The game drives were awesome. We visited a lot of areas, saw a lot of different animals, and enjoyed the knowledge of our guide. The camp is by the river with lots of trees, and often visited by different animals. I often felt that I was in the jungle and could feel the animals near by. The tent was clean and well taken care of. The people are nice and there is a friendly vibe. I highly recommend Flatdogs for visiting south Luangwa area.