Limpopo National Park
Overview
Mozambique Parks
Philip is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Bradt guidebooks to African destinations, including the guide to Mozambique.
Limpopo National Park is the Mozambican counterpart of South Africa’s Kruger National Park. The two parks share a 200km/125mi border, and wildlife is free to move within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA), which also incorporates Banhine and Zinave National Parks in Mozambique and Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe. All of the Big Five are present, but wildlife numbers are very low.
Pros & Cons
Wildlife
Although Limpopo National Park is a Big Five destination, you probably won’t see a lot of wildlife in the park. Animals are very dispersed and skittish, and there are almost no roads. You’ll always see something though. Animals regularly spotted include buffalo, zebra, impala, greater kudu and steenbok. When staying inside the park you might hear spotted hyenas whooping at night.
Scenery
Limpopo National Park is mostly located in the Lowveld, but this flat land rises up to the Lebombo Mountains on the border with Kruger. There are several big rivers including the scenic Olifants River. At the main entrance to the park, the Olifants River dams up to form a body of water covering more than 120km²/46mi².
Activities
The park is mainly a self-drive destination. The road network is limited, but there is a 4x4 route for the adventurous. Canoeing, fishing and walking safaris are also on offer. However, with the temporary closure of the only private tourist lodge, it might be difficult to organize some of these activities.
Weather & Climate
Limpopo has defined Wet and Dry seasons, which correspond with the summer and winter of the southern hemisphere (opposite to summer and winter in Europe and North America). Summer days tend to be hot (November to April) and it can get very chilly at night during the winter months (May to October).
Best Time To Visit
Wildlife viewing in Limpopo National Park is best during the middle and end of the Dry season (from July to October) when the bush is less thick and animals stay closer to predictable water sources. It does, however, get very hot at the end of the Dry season before the rains break the heat. Bird-watchers might enjoy the lush Wet season months from November to April.