Visitors Book

Kris, July '09

My father, Ned had a wonderful time and many lovely memories of the bush, walks, and all of you! As a "third time guest", it is beginning to feel more like "family" than just a "tourist destination". All a tribute to the calibre of people, quality of experience, and exquisite environs of NCS. I thought I would take a moment and share some thoughts about our stay, in case this would be helpful.

• The quality most enjoyed about NCS is the remoteness and layout of the bush camps. I feel truly peaceful and away from everything. The camps seek to "fit in" with the environment as if they might be "gobbled up" at any time by the bush. The fact that each camp only hosts 8-10 people is truly special.
• The walks: wonderful focus on nature and the animals. Even though I have seen the area 3 times, each walk is truly a new adventure and something I would never tire of.
• The guides: I have so many favorites: Aubrey, Shaddy, Brian, Levi, Innocent, Lawrence, and Paul. Their depth of knowledge, love of the wildlife, kindness and humanity are a treasure. Ned (he has a Master Degree in Landscape Architecture and is extremely knowledgeable about plants and their Latin names) was really impressed with Paul's command of the plants and wildlife.
• Scouts: Starting with Ricetime in 2000, and continuing with Bottle and Batwell, we feel well protected and cared for. A special note of appreciation for Batwell and his genuineness.
• Hostesses and staff: Graciousness and attention to detail have been most appreciated. The hostesses, having many times, grown up in the bush, are a welcome help in addresssing all the "details" to make our stay more enjoyable.
• Food: Wonderful meals, especially the ongoing emphasis on salads and fruit along with the main staples of meat are very much welcome. The effort of putting on the "Bri" both at Luwi (surprise!) and Mchenja was very special. Every meal felt like a "celebration"!

I would also like to share the following concern: the focus on providing an abundance of alcoholic drinks at meals/sundowners without a suitable offering and variety of non alcoholic beverages. As a non drinking family, we are accustomed (and have no problem with) sharing meals and attending parties where alcohol is served. However, there are usually a wide variety of non alcoholic choices for us to enjoy, such as: sparkling apple juice, lemonade, other fruit juices, mineral water, and mixed juices with sparkling water added as well as "virgin" margherita's and other drinks without the alcohol. For those who do drink alcohol, they might enjoy an alcoholic drink and also enjoy one of the nonalcoholic choices as well. The lack of choices was most evident at sundowners where, after the alcoholic choices were given, Ned and I were usually limited to Club Soda (that's fine) and Coke (neither of us drink because of the caffeine). We would have appreciated some more choices.

Our family is definitely looking forward to our next visit to NCS. We are excited about our daughter (who turns 8 in a week) coming in the next 4 years and experiencing the wonders of South Luangwa.