MANA POOLS NATIONAL PARK
There is something magical about Mana Pools, a World Heritage Site in northernmost Zimbabwe with stunning landscapes and diverse wildlife. From its riverine forests in the north to the backdrop of the Zambezi Escarpment in the south, this wonderland is the perfect setting for the true African bush experience in all its biodiversity.
Mana Pools National Park, a Ramsar wetland, is home to many of Africa’s iconic animals including four of the big five and over 350 species of birdlife. It boasts the largest concentration of hippos and crocodiles in Zimbabwe and is the playground of Mana’s famous elephants which return year after year. With 219, 600 hectares of unspoiled wilderness to explore, Mana is a safari paradise.
Flying into the national park you have an aerial view of the four famous pools from which Mana (which means four in the local Shona language) derives its name. Green Pool, Chisasiko, Chine and the largest one, Long Pool are former tributaries of the mighty Zambezi River.
Mana Pools is managed by the Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority, which charges a daily rate at the park. While you relish the wilderness experience, safety and other protocols in Mana’s ‘Respect the Wild’ Code of Conduct must be observed. As a visitor, you also play your part in maintaining the pristine environment of the park, right down to its ‘carry in – carry out’ policy on rubbish. Within the park are some twenty camps and resorts, ranging from eco-friendly tented safari options to luxury private lodges, among them Mana Pools National Park lodges and campsites, all on a scenic riverfront or other serene setting.
Immerse yourself in the African bush, with the freedom to explore it on foot with an experienced guide who will see you safely back to your room at night. The walking safari is one of Mana’s great attractions. Not surprisingly, the park with its concentration of game is also home to some of Africa’s finest professional guides.
Chitake Spring in the southern part of Mana Pools National Park offers the ultimate close-up game viewing experience. On foot and with an experienced guide, you come intensely and intimately close to nature here. Lion, leopard and buffalo are among the animals to be seen where the spring surges out of the ground and flows up to a kilometre along the otherwise dry riverbed, making Chitake a focal point of your trip.
Go on a photographic safari and appreciate the diversity of flora and fauna across Mana’s different scenic habitats – river frontage, riparian forests, scrub and wide open seasonal floodplains – all in one destination. Capture the tranquillity of its lush riverine forests under the cliffs of the Zambezi with the Great Rift Valley beyond, or the rolling plains with abundant game. Marvel at the elephant standing on hind legs, with its trunk stretched upwards to gently pluck the pods from the albida tree. This is just a snapshot of Mana’s scenic beauty.
See wildlife from a different perspective on a leisurely canoe safari. Limited fishing is allowed at Mana; if you’re angling for tiger fish, head downstream to the Sapi and Chewore safari areas northeast of the park.
Unique to Mana is the armchair safari, right at the edge of the waterhole. At Ingwe Pan or Kanga Camp experience the African bush from the comfort and safety of a chair in your luxury camp. This is a front-row seat on Africa’s game emerging from the surrounding bush to drink, including leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo, jackal and their pups and even the elusive nyala antelope.
Mana Pools National Park is best visited during the dry season from May to October when the terrain is not waterlogged and impassable by vehicle. This is also the time for prime game viewing in this biodiverse wonderland with its famous pools, the spring and oxbow lakes carved out over eons by the Zambezi River.
Look out for our next National Park feature, Matusadona, on the shores of Lake Kariba, further up the Zambezi!
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