Mana Pools National Park

Introducing Mana Pools National Park

This magnificent 2200-sq-km national park (admission US$15; 6am-6pm) is a Unesco World Heritage Site, and its magic stems from its remoteness and pervading sense of the wild and natural. The word mana means four in the Shona language, and refers to the four pools around the park headquarters that are popular with crocs and hippos. This is one park in Zimbabwe where you’re almost guaranteed to see plenty of hippos, crocs, zebras, antelopes and elephants.

There are two main options for visitors to the unparalleled Mana Pools.

Book a tented camp through a travel agent – this is the easiest option and the one that most people do. Try a tented camp safari with Craig Van Zyl or Natureways through travel agent Experience Africa Safaris (04-301494/369185; Shop 37, Arundel Village, Mount Pleasant, Harare).

The second option is to book a self-catering lodge through National Parks & Wildlife Zimbabwe (706077; fax 726089; national-parks@gta.gov.zw; cnr Borrowdale Rd & Sandringham Dr; 8am-4pm Mon-Fri). There are two main self-catering lodges at Mana Pools; each sleep up to eight people, with four people in two enclosed bedrooms and four sleeping under mosquito nets on the balcony. Booking is open three months in advance. September/October is the best time of year to visit and it’s incredibly popular, which is why you have to get to the office at 3am on the morning of 1 June/1 July to book for those months.

Last updated: Mar 24, 2009