John’s Camp

The 6 Meru Style tents stand along the floodplain beside the Zambezi River, generously spaced apart for privacy. Each tent can cater for two guests and features a bedroom with a soft double bed and indoor lighting. There is also a lit changing area with a vanity table and basin. At the back of your tent, you will find an en-suite bathroom with a flush toilet and overhanging safari-style bucket shower. The tents are positioned on elevated decking and feature surround windows, meaning that guests can enjoy incredible wildlife viewing from the comfort of your room or out on your private deck.

Guests staying at John’s Camp will be able to enjoy 3 mouthwatering meals each day. Breakfast usually consists of a light meal served around the campfire so that guests can venture out on their first activity of the day as soon as possible. However, guests can also order a leisurely cooked breakfast if preferred. On returning to the camp after your morning activity, you will be treated to a hearty lunch such as quiche and salad with vegetables, ideal for the midday heat.

In the evening, guests will be served a three-course dinner. If the weather is agreeable, guests can sit out under the stars, with paraffin lamps to light the camp, creating a fairytale setting by the reflective river waters. Enjoy two delicious courses before a sweet dessert is brought out to you, ending the day with a beverage and stunning landscape views.

Explore the bush on foot on a walking safari, and experience the smaller details that make safaris more immersive. Your experienced guide will be able to teach you how to recognise tracks, and follow clues left in the wilderness that will lead to incredible game viewing opportunities. Get up close to the giant grey African Bull Elephants and get a sense of the sheer size of these amazing animals. Walking safaris allow you to explore at your own pace, without the noise of an engine to startle the wildlife, and take advantage of incredible photographic opportunities.

Embark on a game drive and discover the incredible wildlife of Mana Pools National Park from the comfort of a specially-designed safari vehicle. The park is home to a range of amazing creatures including approximately 12,000 African Bull Elephants and large prides of lions. Watch antelope as they congregate at the waters before scattering across the plains as predators approach. The camp’s knowledgeable guides will be able to teach you interesting facts about the incredible animals of Zimbabwe, as well as showing you the best spots for viewing game.

Enjoy a peaceful afternoon by the river and fish for a range of amazing species including African Tiger Fish, Tilapia and Bream. All Tiger Fish are on a strict catch-and-release basis and there is a bag limit of 5 Tilapia per day. Admire the stunning riverside views and the distant shores of Zambia as you reel in beautiful fish.

Take a private tour of the Mana Pools National Park Headquarters and meet the rangers who protect the local wildlife from poachers. Observe a day in the life of one of the rangers and learn how they safeguard both the park and its inhabitants and live in harmony with nature.

John’s Camp is part of Robin Pope Safaris, who work with local communities in order to empower local people and ensure that they are benefitting from responsible tourism by offering employment, health care and education. Robin Pope Safaris founded the Luangwa Safari Association Medical Fund which provides healthcare for over 20,000 people within the local community and maintains the Kakumbi Health Centre. They also support local children by investing in education provisions so that students can learn and better their chances of employment in later life.

Robin Pope Safaris supports the local communities and economies in the areas in which they operate by purchasing supplies from local sources whenever possible. They also employ local craftsmen when new buildings or refurbishments are needed and support local artists by selling their crafts and wares in some of their camp’s gift shops.

‘With our active support, community members from Kawaza Village set up and manage the first authentic cultural village tourism enterprise in Zambia. We encourage trade with Kawaza Village and are their main supplier of guests, marketing them internationally through our website and our tour operator partners and acting as their Booking Agent.’

Robin Pope Safaris is driven to provide a fair working environment where staff are employed ‘solely on the basis of merit’. They employ local people in all areas of their operations and train staff so that they have the opportunity to work up and gain promotions.

‘We always reward good work and encourage our staff to further their education – both through our in-house training courses and externally. We sponsor employees that show high commitment and potential to develop themselves to senior management level.’

Robin Pope Safaris have a number of initiatives in place to protect the ecosystems in the areas that they operate in, and to reduce their impact on the environment. They use green technology such as solar energy systems and natural air-cooling to reduce their carbon emissions, and they use non-fired bricks in construction, as the firing process releases pollutants such as fluorides, chlorides and oxides of nitrogen and sulphur that are harmful to the environment. Robin Pope Safaris also conserve water to reduce their consumption, and have policies for the reuse, recycling and disposal of waste in a responsible fashion.

Robin Pope Safari supports the Conservation South Luangwa (CSL) who carry out crucial anti-poaching activities in order to protect wildlife in Zambia. CSL work with community and conservation partners within the South Luangwa ecosystem and are ‘working towards the long-term survival of wildlife and habitats in South Luangwa under the custodianship of the Zambian people.’

Robin Pope Safaris also support the Zambezi Elephant Fund (ZEF) who work with local authorities and partners to protect elephants within the Zambezi Valley from the ever-present threat of poachers. By monitoring elephant populations and developing systems to help better protect both them and their habitat, ZEF hopes to ‘ensure the long-term safety of these incredible animals and the security and growth of other wildlife in the area.’

Robin Pope Safaris support the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) by providing a base camp for their work on Nkwali land. ZCP conduct research in the Luangwa Valley, which is home to Zambia’s second-largest wild dog population and its largest lion population. The Luangwa Valley is also a habitat for a significant number of leopards. ZCP run a number of conservation initiatives in order to help protect this land and the carnivores that live on it, as well as educating local people to prevent habitat infringement and human-wildlife conflict – some of the biggest threats that carnivores face.

Robin Pope Safaris pay tourism fees and levies to support the conservation efforts of the Zambian, Zimbabwean and Malawian governments. This goes towards anti-poaching initiatives and supporting the conservation areas. Additionally, they also report snared animals to wildlife authorities and promote the protection of fish species along Lake Malawi National Park. Robin Pope Safaris also help with anti-poaching operations by providing vehicle and resource assistance when needed.