Track and Trail River Camp

We had the most amazing and memorable time during our 11 day stay at Track and Trail. The whole experience exceeded our expectations in all aspects. We are keen wildlife photographers and have travelled extensively pursuing our passion. We’ve had Peter and Track and Trail on our radar for a number of years, but the pandemic etc meant we didn’t manage to visit until November 2023! We engaged Peter to take us out exclusively, so we could concentrate on achieving the best possible photographs. We both felt our photography improved significantly under Peter’s guidance and his ability to “see” the shot and put us in the best possible position to achieve it. He knows the park like the "back of his hand" and with Andrew his incredible local spotter we witnessed and photographed a vast array of wildlife and the surrounding landscape. One of the main reasons we came to Track and Trail was to catch up with the Painted Dogs, which we did on numerous occasions to our great delight. Peter has the ability to put you at ease whilst still imparting loads of info regarding the animals, how best to photograph them and how to get the best out of our camera equipment. All the Safari side was backed up by superb accommodation, wonderful food and lovely staff all of whom couldn’t do enough for you. Chichi and her team looked after us superbly and in the eleven days we never had the same food twice. We cannot fault any aspect of our stay and wholeheartedly recommend Track and Trail for any type of Safari activity. Thank you Peter and Chichi for such a wonderful time which we will never forget.

We stayed at Track and Trail in April 2024. The place was incredible and so were the staff. They were the nicest people I have ever met and the food was spectacular! We had an amazing safari guide called Vic. He was very interesting and knowledgeable. The quality of the service was amazing. We would love to come back one day! Fraser aged 9.

We stayed for three nights in two bungalows. We had a meet and greet with the staff, Cece, - excellent first impression - and it stayed that way for our entire stay : warm, friendly, to the point, always with a smile. And immediately we were impressed by the location : views across the river, hippo's in the river, the sunset and sunrise views of the next couple of days, and the camp itself, well designed bungalows, the restaurant, all very spacious, and the wildlife in the camp : monkeys, squirrels, bushbucks, and ... hippo and elephant. The bungalow is/was above expectation; when you see management pictures on their site or here on tripadvisor, it's always different than the real life 'pictures'. This place is the exception; it looks even better than on the paper picture. All equiped with what you need, bathroom accesoiries, mosquito net, ... Meals are very good, large portions, very tastful, amazing how the chef makes such a delicous dinner in this remote area. Of course, the most important thing to do is the game drive, the wildlife views, the safari experience. Vic and Enok, the trainee, did an excellent job; outstanding, amazing, ... All kind of antilopes, zebra, girafe, elephant, hippo, crocodile, and, .... three lioness with cubs, the leopard, and above all, the wild dogs. And it didn't stop after sunset : hyena, genet cat, civet cat, chameleon, .... We should come back for a full day safari to see the other species, further inland ... Really recommend this place.

We stayed with our family in two of the huts looking out over the river, for 4 nights. It was absolutely amazing. Hippos and elephants came to graze regularly just at the balcony and everything worked smoothly. The bar has an even better view, it is a great place to just hang out and the menu and kitchen is really good. We had not too much time to enjoy it as it was our first time and we were busy with activities most of the time, under the super- knowledgeable guidance of Vic. He must be one of the best guides there is, knows everything and goes out of his way to show more of the area then we’d expected. The pool was also very nice and there is a small gym. We had planned to self-cater for most of the meals but that was a bit awkward at first - the self catering hut being rather far away, expensive (60usd/day) and it’s access road occupied by a hippo most of the time. But this was solved smoothly and effectively by the owner and we were given a braaistand at the nearby campsite instead. Great solution for us. We thus enjoyed our stay very much and will visit again maybe for photography course.

Whilst living in Zambia for a few months, I treated myself to a solo trip for 5 days at track and trail camp - and in summary it was nothing short of magical. The whole place is that of complete peace and serenity. I stayed in one of the beautiful river view chalets (they are all on the river if I remember correctly), where all you can hear when you wake up and fall asleep is birds and grunting hippos. I was even treated to a bush bug on my doorstep one morning and a whole group of monkeys another morning! The food is excellent and there’s a great drink selection. The restaurant has a beautiful position on the river where you have full view of Frank the hippo if he is around. This is actually the reason I booked track and trail over other similarly priced lodges and it was so worth it. I have to make a special mention to the staff that really make track and trail what it is. In particular, Albert who works in the restaurant was absolutely fantastic (and would keep me company in our daily catch ups when I’d come to breakfast or dinner alone after the game drives). Also a special mention to the game driver Vic and his fabulous spotter - truly they are one of a kind and SO knowledgable about the animals. You can see that they truly care about giving you an amazing experience and will go out of their way to do so. I actually joined another camp for their game drives due to the lodge being empty (that is something to consider if you are travelling solo during quiet season - there is a minimum of two people for the game drives to go ahead). In the end I actually paid for two people despite it being just me so that I could go out again with Vic - and it was SO worth it. We saw a leopard, lions, wild dogs, a whole herd of elephants (including babies) and had sundowners surrounded by giraffes. The game driver really does make or break a safari experience and he is a great asset to T&T. The owners (Peter and his lovely wife Chi Chi) also made an effort to say hello and I felt immediately so welcome and at home. Peter also went out of his way to organise a taxi for me from where I was staying when I decided to come a day early - despite it being very last minute which was so so appreciated. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a more affordable safari experience (although I would have expected to spend much more to have the same level of quality)! A lengthy review but I felt that T&T needed to be given the credit it deserves. If you’re not sure - just book it - you won’t regret it!

An excellent spot to escape from the busy life. The facility is excellent! Very friendly staff that make you feel at home from the get go! The chalets were beautifully done and very inviting with a touch of the unique culture. The safari was calming and educational! Amazing experience all round.

We had a magical stay at Track and Trail River Camp. Everything was perfect from start to finish. The staff couldn't have been more helpful and friendly, the facilities were excellent (loved the pool and outdoor gym!), and every single meal we had was superb. Our safari guide was brilliant too. We were lucky enough to see a pride of 15 lions on our first game drive!

We stayed here for a week in a beautiful room, overlooking the Luangwa river. With the sound of the hippos in the background it was wonderful to sleep. The meals were also beautiful every time, not only to look at but also the taste was delicious. We went out for 7 days with Peter twice a day, early in the morning and in the afternoon. He gave us the opportunity to learn to use our camera and spot beautiful animals with the right Light. So we were able to take some nice picture. Our thanks go to, Chi Chi and Peter and of course all the staff for a great stay