“Tena Tena Camp is altogether beyond superlatives, and must be one of the best safari camps in the whole of Africa!” – The Times, London.
A favourite amongst safari lovers who are looking for that classic safari experience of yesteryear, Tena Tena Camp has been offering unforgettable safari experiences for over 35 years! This year we’re delighted to announce that it has been nominated for a World Travel Award in the Best Tented Safari Camp in Zambia category (for voting instructions, see below 🙂 )!
Tena Tena means ‘temporary home’ in the local language and was Robin Pope Safaris first camp, opened by the legendary Robin Pope himself back in 1986 in the Nsefu Sector of the South Luangwa National Park where the wildlife was prolific and the scenery took ones breath away. This location served us well for many years, but unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans: The Luangwa River had changed course over time and carved out a lot of the camp’s bank – resulting in reduced camp space as well as compromising the lifespan of the central tree and so after 28 years there, we sadly had to say goodbye to this beloved spot and moved the camp one kilometre upstream. Thankfully the new site was just as stunning, if not better, with a magnificent grove of Mahogany trees backed up with sausage trees and phenomenal view of the Luangwa River in front of the camp and a impressive lagoon system behind.
During the move we decided to upgrade some of the features of Tena Tena. The new tents were now slightly more spacious, set up on the river bank with en-suite bathrooms, the walls curving around trees with the fronts low enabling views of the wonderful Luangwa from everywhere. For sentimental reasons, we decided to incorporate the bar tent from the original site, which now hangs elegantly from a leadwood stump. In line with our green policy, the new Tena Tena site also became fully powered by solar energy (generator available for those cloudy days!). Here is a quick tour of the camp to whet your appetite: Watch – Welcome to Tena Tena.
The location may have changed but the soul of this quintessential safari camp remained the same, and at the heart of Tena Tena is Bertram ‘Bertie’ Njobvu, manager and head guide who’s charismatic charm and exceptional knowledge of the bush make for an unforgettable safari experience. He started his guiding career at Tena Tena in 2006 and has been there ever since and could not imagine life anywhere else!
Having spent over 15 years in the bush, you would think he has seen it all, but last week he witnessed an incredible wildlife encounter that left him completely astounded! Take a look at this and make sure to turn up the volume to hear Bertie’s reaction: Watch – Wild Dog & Hyena Breakfast!
After a 2 year pause due to the pandemic, we are thrilled to finally have Tena Tena opened again, and receiving the World Travel Award nomination is the cherry on the cake!
We’d be over the moon if you could vote for us, it only takes a few minutes:
1. Click this link : Vote here.
2. Register to vote by creating an account.
3. Verify your account by email.
Log in and:
4. Select Africa.
5. Select Zambia’s Leading Tented Safari Camp.
6. Select Tena Tena Camp.
It’s that simple!
The season has got off to a fantastic start and we’re looking forward to sharing this special camp with you all some day!