Located in northern Zimbabwe, the life-giving power of the Zambezi River makes Mana Pools National Park one of Zimbabwe’s most lush and flourishing regions. Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is known for its natural beauty and as one of the continent’s premier game-viewing areas. Visitors can look forward to an array of activities such as canoe trips which are offered year round and provide a unique and memorable way for visitors to experience the area’s striking scenic beauty and diverse fauna, while guided walks are a great way to take its pristine riverside forests. Other popular activities include: game drives, river cruises, nature walks, bird watching, catch-and-release fishing, and searching for dinosaur tracks.
As previously described
The planet’s most voluminous man-made lake, Kariba is a popular tourist destination that was created in the 1950s when the mighty Zambezi was dammed. It stretches for more than 200 kilometres along the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, forming a natural boundary between the two countries. The lake’s waters are home to abundant wildlife including: crocodiles, hippos, fish and aquatic birds, while its shoreline and islands are rich with terrestrial game such as elephant and buffalo. It has become one of Zimbabwe’s main tourist attractions offering houseboat holidays, fishing safaris and wonderful game viewing experiences.
Southern Hwange has a very different character to the rest of the park. Influenced by the Kalahari sands, this region is drier and more open, with wide grasslands, scattered pans, and stretches of mopane woodland. It feels more remote and rugged, with long horizons and fewer visitors.
Wildlife here includes many of Hwange’s signature species — elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard, cheetah, and wild dog — but the south also offers the chance to see more unusual species that favour the arid conditions, such as brown hyena, bat-eared fox, caracal, and gemsbok. The pans and pumped waterholes are magnets for elephants during the dry season, and birdlife is abundant, with kori bustard, secretary bird, and a wide range of raptors often spotted.
Activities focus on game drives, guided bush walks, and in some areas horse-riding safaris, giving guests the chance to experience both the big game and the smaller details of this unique environment. The southern region’s open terrain also makes for excellent photographic opportunities, especially during the late dry season when wildlife congregates at dwindling water sources.
Altogether, Southern Hwange offers a wilder, more remote safari experience — a place of dramatic landscapes, unusual species, and unforgettable encounters.
