Kwihala Tented Camp, Ruaha

At Kwihala lodge the staff did everything for our well feeling and the  food was excellent . Our guide Lorenzo was very professional,   he knows how to find and show us the game so we saw so many  many  lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, elephants, buffalos and many colourful birds.

The two safari camps, Impala in Selous and Kwihala in Ruaha, were both fantastic, and three nights in each worked really well: they had a very different feel from each other, and provided a great contrast.  All the staff at both camps were great, and Pietro at Kwihala was a particularly outstanding guide, combining in depth knowledge of the wildlife with a great sense of fun.

The second camp, Kwihala was even nicer, the decor made it very homely and the game drives here were even better. The food was excellent too. Our very first evening here we almost saw a “kill”. We saw the stalking and chase however, the lioness couldn’t make the jump to the giraffe and help came too late to her from the others. We were then on watch every day with them cause we knew they were hungry but in 4 days that we were there they never ate. Because it was cooler in this park the animals were much more active and we saw loads of different animals playing with each other.

5/5 -> Not the most luxurious camp, but everything was just right. Very friendly staff. Great Guides and an amazing amount of animals. We’ve seen over 40 different lions and 2 kills in just 3 days/4 nights.

I have been going on safari for over 20 years. I have been to countless camps through Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. I am a keen photographer / film maker. Kwihala is the best camp I have ever been to - period. 

I was the only guest booked on the 4 nights that I spent there in late November. I had Walter as my guide (the nicest guy, and a super guide). Aiden was the manager who was covering the normal manager while on leave. As the only guest in camp, the team really spoilt me. I should point out that I didn't come here to relax - we were on the road by 6am every morning, and stayed out until lunch at 12.30, a little rest, then back on the road by 4 for the afternoon drive. Back at 6.30, drinks by the campfire on the sand river at 7, then dinner at 8 out on the sand - a team member 20m one way down the river with a torch keeping elephants from joining us, and another the other way down the sand river keeping jackals from going crazy. The food was the best I have had in Africa. 

I saw so much at Kwihala - 4 separate leopard sightings (1 where a young male literally sat underneath the front wheel of our vehicle gnawing on a baboon hand), a family of 5 cheetah, more than 60 elephants every day, normally about 40 giraffe per day, a heard of near 3000 buffalo, a pride of 13 lions hunting, bat eared foxes on a night drive, hippos, crocs, countless birds.......we tracked the wild dog pack, but weren't lucky enough to find them. There was nothing I was left wanting for at Kwihala - and from here on it is the only camp I plan to return to again and again.