Mana Pools National Park

Mana Pools National Park is a world heritage site famous for its huge concentrations of game in the dry season, drawn to the Zambezi River to drink.

A walking or canoe safari is the best way to fully experience and appreciate this rich and beautiful area, dotted with mahogany, fig and acacia trees and pools of water formed by the re-routing over the years of the Zambezi River. Famous for its prolific wildlife density and photographic opportunities, the area has high numbers of leopard, wild dogs, elephants and buffalo as well as many hippos and crocodiles lurking in the river.

Did you know?

• Located in the far north of Zimbabwe, Mana Pools National Park is a stunning collection of islands, channels, sandbanks and lakes, teeming with game.
• Canoe safaris are the thing here and you can either have a morning safari by canoe or multi-day safaris where you can camp out under the stars.
• The birding in Mana Pools is outstanding.
• David Attenborough’s Dynasties wildlife programme filmed 2 packs of wild dogs from the Mana Pools area, their survival and feuds on the plains.
• Goliath Walking Safaris is one of the most well-established safaris in Mana Pools, led by world-renowned head guide Stretch Ferreira for the past 30 years. Here you can crawl in the undergrowth with wild dogs, track lion prides and sit with herds of elephants before relaxing around the campfire under the starlit sky, swapping tales of the bush.
• The animals are far more relaxed with people being on foot compared to other parks, so sightings of wild dogs, lion, elephant and other wildlife while on foot is not uncommon here.
• The word ‘mana’ means ‘four’ in the local Shona language and the area consists of four main pools that the Zambezi has carved out over thousands of years.
• Bushmen once lived in the Mana Pools area and proof of their existence can be found today in four different places where you can still view their cave paintings.