Key Takeaways
- Tafika is owner-run by John and Carol Coppinger's Remote Africa Safaris, in the wild Nsefu sector
- Six reed-and-thatch chalets rebuilt each year, including a honeymoon suite and a family unit
- Among the finest walking-safari camps in Africa, with small groups and outstanding guiding
- An elephant hide at the camp waterhole, most active from August to November
- Game drives limited to four guests per vehicle for space and photography
- Meaningful community links through the Tafika Fund and visits to Mkasanga village
First Impressions: Genuinely Wild, Genuinely Personal
Tafika feels different the moment you arrive, and the difference is authenticity. This is an owner-run camp in the truest sense — the creation of John and Carol Coppinger, who have spent decades pioneering safaris in the remote reaches of the Luangwa Valley — and there is nothing corporate or contrived about it. Set among mahogany and ebony trees near the river in the wild Nsefu sector, north of the main crossing and away from the crowds, it is a place where the bush presses right up to the edge of camp and the wilderness feels immediate and real.
The camp is rebuilt from reed and thatch each year after the rains, a labour of love that keeps it light on the land and true to the old spirit of safari. It is comfortable and characterful rather than plush, and that is exactly the point: guests come to Tafika for the wildlife, the walking and the personal warmth of a family operation, not for marble bathrooms. If your idea of the perfect safari is genuine, unhurried and deeply connected to place, this is a camp that will speak to you.
The Chalets: Reed, Thatch and River Air
Tafika has six chalets built from local reed and thatch, open to the sounds and air of the bush yet thoughtfully comfortable. Four are standard doubles or twins, and there is a dedicated honeymoon suite — complete with his-and-hers showers and a little extra romance — plus a family unit for those travelling with older children. Each has an open-air en-suite bathroom, solar lighting and fans, and USB charging, striking a lovely balance between rustic authenticity and everyday ease.
The camp grows much of its own produce in a well-tended vegetable garden, and meals are honest, generous and delicious, eaten together under the stars or by the river. Because Tafika is small and owner-run, the atmosphere is convivial and personal — guests, guides and hosts share stories over dinner, and by the end of a stay it feels less like a hotel and more like being welcomed into someone's remarkable bush home.
The Walking Safaris: Tafika's Beating Heart
South Luangwa is the birthplace of the walking safari, and Tafika is one of the very best places on earth to experience it. Walking is in the camp's DNA, and the Coppingers' guiding team is among the most respected in the business. To set out on foot into the Nsefu sector at dawn — reading tracks, approaching game quietly, learning the small stories of the bush from an armed, expert guide — is a profoundly different way to understand Africa, and it is what keeps guests returning to Tafika year after year.
The Nsefu sector itself is a jewel: wild, uncrowded and famous for leopard, big lion prides, and the endangered African wild dog, which den in the area in some years. Game drives are deliberately limited to four guests per vehicle, so everyone gets a window seat and a clear shot, and night drives reveal the valley's elusive nocturnal cast. For the wider picture, see our South Luangwa safari guide and our guide to the best Zambia safari lodges.
The Elephant Hide and Community Spirit
A sunken elephant hide at the camp's own waterhole lets guests watch elephant, and often other game, drink and bathe at eye level — most active from August to November as the dry season concentrates wildlife around water. It is a wonderful, low-key alternative to a formal drive, and a favourite with photographers. Beyond the wildlife, Tafika is proud of its deep roots in the local community: the Tafika Fund supports schools and clinics nearby, and guests can visit Mkasanga village to meet the people who make this corner of the valley what it is.
This blend of serious wildlife, genuine walking heritage and real community connection gives a stay at Tafika a meaning that goes beyond the game viewing. It is safari with a conscience and a soul, run by a family who clearly love this place and want to share it honestly.
Who Is Tafika For?
Tafika is the walking-safari purist's camp — the ideal choice for travellers who want authenticity, expert guiding and a genuinely wild, uncrowded corner of the valley over polished luxury. It suits couples (the honeymoon suite is quietly special), keen walkers, photographers and returning safari-goers who know exactly what they want. The family unit and welcoming atmosphere also make it a fine choice for families with older, bush-ready children.
Those seeking air-conditioning, spa treatments and resort-style polish should look elsewhere. But for anyone who believes the best safaris are the most honest ones — small, personal, on foot and deep in the wild — Tafika is one of the most rewarding camps in all of Africa.
Recommended Safari Packages
- Ultimate Walking Safari, Zambia (7 Days) — the definitive Luangwa walking journey
- Wild Dogs & Leopards, Zambia (4 Days) — a predator-focused Nsefu escape
- South Luangwa Explorer (5 Days) — a compact introduction to the valley
Getting There and Booking
Tafika is reached by a scheduled flight to Mfuwe International Airport and a road transfer into the Nsefu sector, or by a short light-aircraft hop to a nearby airstrip. The camp is seasonal, open roughly from May to mid-November, with the walking and the elephant hide at their finest in the dry months. The minimum age is generally around eight, in keeping with the walking focus, and because the camp is small and much-loved we recommend booking well in advance.
Beyond Africa Safaris arranges every detail of your stay at Tafika Camp — the light-aircraft flights, the finest rooms and the ideal pairings across South Luangwa, the Lower Zambezi and Victoria Falls — as one seamless, tailor-made journey.
