​Overview – Mana Pools NP

Philip Briggs
Expert
By Philip Briggs

Philip has traveled through Zimbabwe several times and is the author of more than 20 guidebooks to various African destinations.

Philip is the Zimbabwe expert for SafariBookings and author of more than 20 guidebooks to Africa.

Philip is our Zimbabwe expert and author of more than 20 guidebooks to Africa.

Mana Pools National Park, a World Heritage Site, is pristine wilderness on the Zambezi River. The park is usually explored by canoe or on foot, uniquely offered as guided or unguided activities, and is particularly appealing to adventure seekers. Four of the Big Five are present.

 
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Best Time to Go June to October (Dry season)
High Season July to September (Mana Pools is seldom busy)
Size 2,196km² / 848mi²
Altitude 329-1,180m / 1,079-3,871ft
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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

Mana Pools NP Safari Reviews

  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding

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.

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.

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.

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Mana Pools NP Safari Reviews

  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
  • Wildlife
  • Scenery
  • Bush Vibe
  • Birding
Most Helpful Expert Review
Expert
Mike Unwin  –  
United Kingdom UK

Mike is an award-winning wildlife writer, former editor of Travel Zambia magazine and author of the Bradt Guide to Southern African Wildlife.

River wild
5/5

Mana Pools was once one of those ‘best-kept secret’ parks, celebrated by locals and aficionados for its scenic grandeur, hair-raising safari yarns and general wilderness appeal, but relatively little known to the broader safari...

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All 9 Expert Reviews
Latest User Review
Michelle Welch  –  
New Zealand NZ
Reviewed: Dec 28, 2019
4/5

Mana Pools is one of the most beautiful destinations on the planet. Waste disposal upstream and the relaxation of rules around fishing, motor boats and generators are threatening to spoil this once pristine relatively undisturbed ecosystem....

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