We spent a month at Flatdogs and we had a hard time leaving because we had such a great experience there.
Here are some points to consider when planning a trip to Flatdogs Camp near Mfuwe, Zambia, and the South Luangwa National Park.
Ways to get there:
It goes without saying that you should visit the Flatdogs website , or contact them directly for the latest information Meanwhile, here is what we found:
**You can fly directly to Mufwe but you will be limited on the amount of luggage since it is a small plane.
**You can fly to Lusaka, then take a nice bus to Chipata (nice bus means luggage is stored underneath and there are only as
many people on the bus as there are seats) cost is k115,000 each and k5000 for each piece of luggage. There is an early
bus (4:00 a.m.) that leaves from Freedom Way and then the busses leaving from the main bus station. You will need to check
on times because we found that there were several bus companies operating to Chipata. Hint: Many of the buses indicate
they are heading to Llongwe in Malawi and make a stop in Chipata.
If you catch the 4:00 a.m. bus and get a taxi on the Mufwe/Flatdogs, you can make it in one day. We did not. We got to
Chipata around 4:00 p.m. and went to Dean's Hillside Camp. It had been recommended to us by the manager of Chachacha
It is only 2 km from the bus station and you could actually walk into town from there with no problem. Dean's Hillside Camp is a
very nice setting with a nice view out over the town and hills in the background.
**From Chipata to Mufwe you can either take the minibus, hire a private taxi, or maybe find a ride with an individual traveling thatdirection. We hired a private taxi partially because of the amount of luggage we carry and also because most minibuses do not leave until they are full. We did hear some stories of minibus travel they made us happy we did pay for the private taxi. On theway back to Chipata we shared the taxi cost with two other guys which made it even better.
Flatdogs Service
This is the most incredible place as far as the extra mile to make sure you have a pleasant stay! Everyone that works there goes out of their way to help you.
*Reception would gladly loan you a wash basin for clothes wash day, or let you know when they were making a shopping run to town so you could go to the local market and get fresh vegetables, meat, and other supplies.
*The watchmen were always warning you when there were elephants in the area, showing you the sleeping hippo and when the
hippos were coming out of the water would shine their torches so you could see. They also accompanied you back to your
tent in the evening coming from the restuarant and bar. One watchman, Keway entertained us with stories about the animals
and why they behave the way they do.
*Whether we were in the Cyberdog Cafe, the bar, the dining room, there were always smiles to greet us and ask if we were getting everything we needed. Visiting with the barmen was interesting as they would tell us stories of their life, life in the village and other interesting topics. The food at Flatdogs is incredible! They have a varied menu and daily specials. This is one thing that you do not find in many places and it is really tempting to blow the budget and eat there all the time! Most places have a set menu in the evening and will not serve food in the evening except for the set menu and you also must let them know in advance if you are going to eat. Here at Flatdogs, they had full service until 9:00 p.m.! We did yield to temptation several times in the evening and have nachos. We also had the curry, salads, steak baguette and the fatdogs full english breakfast.
*All of the managers Jess, Aidee, Cathie, Ed, Paolo, as well as the many local people employed there in a variety of positions, all would answer any question we had or were always checking to see how we and the other guests were doing and what they could do to help. Top to bottom, the staff was great! Really!
Flatdogs Services and Setting
Flatdogs is right on the Luangwa River across from the park and so you can see animals sometimes during the day and night.
There are huge trees all over the grounds and so the shade is most pleasant and the setting in the camp is almost manicured and beautiful, yet the view is of the wild.
In the camping area, there are several concrete service stands, each with a sink, braii pit, trash can and electrical outlets for charging things. However, this camp is in the game management area so food coolers are at risk of burglary by baboons and vervet monkeys who have been allowed to feed on human food by unobservant or tired campers. A locked and covered trash can is provided at the block. Food for "self-caterers" may be stored in the newly opened self-catering kitchen. Store food in the cabinets, or the baboons might see your plastic bags and break in.
There are three tree platforms for the adventurous or timid to camp on. These platform are also convenient when you see an elephant heading you way to climb up there and enjoy the view. They have a self catering kitchen with refrigerator, two burner electric hotplate, shelves to store your foodstuff and a sink and braii pit. There is a nice shower block with plenty of hot water!
They have twelve erected safari tents that are absolutely beautiful with private bathroom. Some look out to the river, others to the bush and others to the small waterhole.
There are also chalets that have a self-catering kitchen and private bath. They all look out to the river.
There is a very nice swiming pool that many a guest spent a nice afternoon sunning and swiming. The lawns out in front of the dining area has nice chairs to sit and enjoy the river and in the evening sit by the firepit, enjoy the fire and watch the hippos start coming out of the river.
There is both indoor and outdoor dining and both have nice views and you can have the white tablecloth treatment in the indoor dining room.
Atmosphere
An attempt by the management is made to keep the sattelite tv sports watchers and bar patrons quiet so that the abundant sounds made by birds and other animals may be enjoyed by all. There is also a "no music" policy except for that played by the camp in the bar.
All bets are off, though, when an overland truck brings a load of "gap year" young people who get loud and rowdy from time to time.
Finally, after a month of Flatdogs exceeding our expectations, we can easily rec this place to as an incredible place where you can observe nature up close and personal, a place run by such an amazing and caring staff such as we have seen in few places we have traveled around the world, a menu and bar with choices that seem hardly possible given the remote location.....
Important Note
Independent Campers should confirm that camping is indeed available at the time you plan to come. Apparently for the first time as of July 1, 2009, during the dry/high season independent travelers may not camp in their own tents as we did, but may rent safari tents or chalets only. The plan is to cater to those who want an all inclusive or self catering stay in the rooms provided by Flatdogs.
We hope that in the coming years they will still allow campers to come in the "green" and wet seasons as they did this year.
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