Mana Pools National Park

Pros & Cons

• Top wildlife viewing with four of the Big Five present
• Some of the best guides in Africa work here
• Guided and unguided walking and canoeing is available
• Excellent river fishing
• Great birding destination
• Less accessible than other parks in Zimbabwe, 4WD is essential
• Limited road network

Wildlife

The park is home to most big safari animals. The endangered black rhino has become locally extinct, but most visitors will encounter at least one of the big cats. Buffalo and elephant are abundant, and large herds roam around the floodplains. The river teems with crocodile and hippo. Wild dog are resident in the area as well.

• More about Mana Pools NP's wildlife

Scenery

Mana Pools consists of four main pools and several smaller pools on the floodplains of the Zambezi River. The landscape includes islands and sandbanks fringed by riverine forest and baobab trees against a backdrop of the rugged Zambezi escarpment. The park is just a small part of the 10,500km² (4,054mi²) Parks and Wildlife Estate without physical borders or fences.

Weather & Climate

The weather at Mana Pools is at its most pleasant in the Dry season (April to October). There can be a bit of dust in the air, and the temperature skyrockets just before the rains break in October. But overall the conditions are much more agreeable than in the Wet season (November to March), when rain is a daily occurrence and humidity hangs in the air.

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Best Time to Visit

The Dry season (April to October), when the sky is clear and animals cluster around the Zambezi River to stay hydrated, is the best time for wildlife viewing at Mana Pools. If you do decide to visit during the rainy months, be prepared for stifling conditions and the potential frustration of getting bogged on muddy roads.

• More about the best time to visit

Want to Visit Mana Pools NP?

• Mana Pools safaris and tours
• Tour operators for Mana Pools