Matusadona National Park, on the remote Lake Kariba shore, offers good wildlife viewing in a magnificent wilderness setting. Four of the Big Five are present (black rhino became extinct within the park in 2016). Elephant and buffalo are abundant on the lake, and hippos wallow in the shallows. Spending time on a Kariba houseboat allows you to view wildlife from the water.
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Best Time To Go
- May to October (Best wildlife viewing)
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High Season
- August to September (The park is never crowded)
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Size
- 1,407km² / 543mi²
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Altitude
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486-1,274m /1,594-4,180ft
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Pros & Cons
- Good wildlife viewing
- Great animal diversity, including four of the Big Five (no rhino)
- Excellent birding destination
- Walking safaris are available
- Wildlife numbers are increasing rapidly under new management
- Lots of accommodation options, including Kariba houseboats
- Hot and humid from November to March, with many mosquitoes
- Not easy to get to by road, and 4WD vehicle is essential
Wildlife
The park is famed for the large herds of buffalo and elephant that gather on the lakeshore in the Dry season. Lions are quite common and antelope include waterbuck, sable and roan. The lake is teeming with hippos and crocodiles. Wildlife numbers declined prior to a management lease being signed with Peace Parks in 2021, but are now recovering solidly. Plans exist to reintroduce black rhino and cheetah by 2025.
More about Matusadona’s wildlifeScenery
Matusadona reaches from the southern shore of Lake Kariba up to the rugged Zambezi Escarpment. The Sanyati River in the east is well known for its breathtaking gorge, which is most beautiful in the rainy season when small waterfalls run down the steep, rocky sides. Sunsets over Kariba (the world’s largest artificial lake), with ghostly mopane tree trunks poking out of the water and distant mountains in the background, are spectacular.
Activities
The main activities offered by lodges in Matusadona are game drives and guided walks. These usually focus on the open grassland of the Kariba floodplain, which has the best general wildlife viewing. Although you generally see more wildlife on drives, walks offer a more immersive bush experience. Boat trips, which provide a good chance of getting close to hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds, are particularly enjoyable at sunset.
Weather & Climate
Matusadona stays fairly hot throughout the Wet season (November to March). The days of the Dry season (April to October) start off cool. Don’t make the mistake of wearing a T-shirt and shorts on an early morning game drive. But the sun soon warms things up.
More about the weather and climateBest Time To Visit
Matusadona can be visited throughout the year. However, the drier months from May to October are best for observing animals wandering along the lakeshore. The Wet season (November to March) is less favorable to spotting wildlife, which is why some lodges shut when the rains sweep in.
More about the best time to visit