The Chikoko Trails camps are operated by Remote Africa Safaris, which is owned by the Coppinger family, who are well-respected, long-time residents of the Luangwa valley. This is one of the few owner-operated safari outfits in the valley and Tafika Camp, which one naturally chooses to spend a few nights at before moving to Chikoko Trails, is located just across the river, on the edge of the Nsefu sector – Tafika is John and Carol Coppinger’s home as well as being the base for their operations. John has retired from guiding and the camp operations are now run by their daughter Jenny and husband Nick, but he and Carol still sit with guests at dinner each night. This is as close to home-from-home as safari camps get.

There’s a strong feeling of tradition and authenticity running through their operation, with emphasis placed on conservation and the involvement and support of local communities. Although there is much more to Tafika than the Trails Camps, which are more simple, all of the camps are built from natural materials, with grass thatch being placed on and tied to wooden frames – the frames have to be re-clad in fresh grass before the start of each season, as soon as the rains have finished, an operation that takes about a month and which provides work for teams from the local villages. Even the glazed bricks that form the floor of Tafika were made on site. You’ll notice that the Coppinger’s safari vehicles are much older than most of those being used by other safari camps – Tafika has an in-house workshop which ensures their fleet is properly maintained, another manifestation of their attitude towards conservation. Something that you’ll notice out on game drives is that guides maintain radio silence unless communication is absolutely necessary – another small but important detail in keeping things natural and traditional. We wish other safari operators would do this!