Reviews from our Guests

Spent there 11 amazing days ! Just back from Msandile river lodge and we do not have enough good words in our vocabulary to explain properly the place … we are doing safaris since 30 years, visited most of the parks in africa and elsewhere, therefore we believe we can give a fair idea and evaluation of this place.

-The LODGE - it is located in the most amazing location of south luangwa ; there is the river just in front with all kind of animals coming for water .
Super well managed , everything works seamless and in perfect harmony; they are so good that they make you think that it is an easy task to manage a lodge in the wild .. but I can assure you it is not !!
Tents are nice and comfortable, maybe a better fan/ventilation for the hot midday hours would be good . Beds and en suite bathrooms are ok .

Food is excellent and well presented , great chef !
The dining area “restaurant” is in a beautiful setting, under the trees and with the river in front ; after a long day of safari, a nice dinner with romantic candles and lights on the trees, is a moment to remember for long time.

Staff is amazing , they all try to make you feel special, and they achieve it !! Great great job guys! Thank you all.

-The PARK- we visited this park for the first time and we are speachless of the beauty of the nature and the abundance of animals you can find . The quality of safaris here is the best , you can easily spot all the different animals in a short period of time , and most of the time your (open) jeep is the only one around …. this is wondeful. We spent one hour all alone with a pride of 15 lions !! It was all for us , a dream.
You’ll not find easily anything like that in other places . And a plus.. you’ll have night drive safari too, amazing moments .

Guides are very skilled and experienced , top quality .indeed!

-ECONOMY- ratio money spent / product received is unbelievable . It is absolutely the best ever. You’ll not believe what you’ll get in return .
So , for all these reasons, we can easily say that we’ll return to this magic place again and again and again ; thank you very much for the unforgettable time we enjoyed with you .Bravo!!
If you, reader, are still here reading, do not think twice .. book your safari in msandile and you’ll not regret it ..

• En-Suite Tent

This lodge offers a truly remarkable location for wildlife—I really saw at short distance all the animals shown on the Booking.com photos, and more. Elephants and hippos regularly walked past and even through the lodge grounds, creating the feeling of being part of nature while still being completely safe and well looked after.

The team manages everything with great care, professionalism and responsibility. Frank is an excellent host who also does impressive work by employing a large number of local staff, all of whom were friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and highly professional. The food was excellent, the accommodation very comfortable, and all transportation arrangements ran smoothly. The safari program exceeded expectations! E

very day included morning and afternoon + night game drives, and I also had the option to do a walking safari, which all offered different and fascinating perspective on the wildlife. Beyond the park, I appreciated the insights into Zambian and Malawian life I received from the staff and the driver. Overall, this place offers an unforgettable safari experience, with superb hospitality, wildlife immersion and great value. Hugely recommended!

• En-Suite Tent

This lodge is a true gem, not to mention Frank & Sabine that own & run the lodge, they are good people! They have done some upgrades to the camp including a water filtration system throughout so all the water is safe to drink & no more plastic water bottles. All the staff are extremely helpful & the food is a five star plus. You will not want to miss any of the excellent meals the chef prepares. I love S Luangwa it’s a great park with plenty of animals to see. I always feel welcome when I stay here with all the friends & acquaintances I have met during the years. Can’t wait to come back my friends!

• Double Chalet

We had an amazing time staying at Msandile River Lodge. From the warm welcome by Frank and Sabine to the kindness and great service of the entire staff during our stay and game drives. The entire lodge has the most amazing view on the river banks and enables you to experience the incredible wildlife from the lodge! In the daytime you can relax at the pool, whilst at night you are treated to some great dinners underneath the stars.

We had such a lovely time here. The place is stunning and the location couldn't be any better. For me (Jessica) bringing my mum (Janine) to this place, as her first time ever in Africa, was the best place to come. The staff is really nice, kind, friendly, open hearted. Isaac Junior our guide was TOP! His knowledge is sooo big. You can ask him anything. Always open for jokes. So thank you Isaac for having us 8 days. Chris and Bupe are really friendly, lovely people behind the bar. Ellis and Crispin thank you, Satiel, Adam, Robson, Ngoso, Movat, thank you for your service. And all the other staff. Douglas makes the best food ever. And Paul was our super cool spotter. A big thank you to Sabine & Frank. Such lovely people, that made us feel at hone at the first second. We are leaving with a sad eye and a happy one. The sightings and leopards here are crazy. Beautiful park. See you hopefully in October 2026.May you all be blessed. 

We stayed at Msandile River Lodge for 4 days (3 nights), and it was absolutely amazing! I 100% recommend this place to anyone planning to visit Zambia.

I stayed in a two-person tent with a friend, and it was stunning! The tent was clean, spacious, and came with an adorable outdoor bathroom. Watching the sunrise while brushing your teeth or spotting animals from the shower is something truly special.

The entire crew is fantastic! The food was delicious, fresh, and varied, and the housekeeping was great—everything was clean and organized. The guides were outstanding, incredibly knowledgeable, and always had answers to our questions. We went on several game drives, and each one was different/a learning experience. We even had an amazing (bush) breakfast in the middle of the park! The guides were also funny, open for conversations, and super friendly.

Since the lodge is located in the heart of the park, you're constantly surrounded by wildlife. We saw it all—elephants crossing near the pool and hippos walking around our tent. Thanks to the well-trained staff, I never felt unsafe, and we could fully enjoy the moment.

Special thanks to Sabine, Frank, Feline (and Chloe) for letting us experience this - I will definitely be back! :)
Rooms: 5
Service: 5
Location: 5

This was one of the most fantastic stays in Africa, where we spend 6 month every year. Msandile lodge is to be recommended 100 times for your Africa/safari experience. Gracious hosts, helpful staff, superb Chef and comfortable glamps. Don't go anywhere else.

This is hands down the best wildlife lodge experience we’ve had in a long time. This low key simple lodge is situated deep in the bush, perched on the southern bank of the Luangwa. It’s right on an elephant crossing point with animals passing through the river in front of
the rooms all day. This morning wild dog killed an impala right in front of the lodge eating area. Elephants pass between the buildings all day.
The lodge itself is simple and has all the essentials to make it a fabulous experience. Lovely staff, delicious food (vegetarian friendly), comfortable beds, hot water, rooms with gorgeous views directly overlooking the river. Their attention to detail is really slick.
At night you’re immersed in hippo calls, elephants eating by the door, lions roaring.
Another feature I love is that you go by boat across the river every morning and evening for your game drives. No waiting by the gates in dusty queues. You’re first to get into the depth of the reserve. Daily leopard and lion sightings.
I’m always reluctant to be too nice on reviews or they’ll push their prices too high that I can’t come back but this is really a place worth seeing! Thank you Msandile team! See you next year.

Ps. Get a Starlink next time please!!
That’s my ONLY bugbear and easily remediable.

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Date of stay: September 2024
Trip type: Traveled with family