Mana Pools sits on the south bank of the Zambezi in northern Zimbabwe, opposite Zambia's Lower Zambezi. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for walking with professional guides, canoeing past elephants and hippos, and good odds of seeing African wild dogs in the dry season.
Mana Pools National Park covers about 2,196 km² of the middle Zambezi valley in northern Zimbabwe. With the neighboring Sapi and Chewore Safari Areas it forms a UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1984. The name comes from the Shona word for four, after the four large pools left behind by old channels of the river.
Across the river is Zambia's Lower Zambezi National Park, and the escarpment on the Zambian side forms the backdrop to almost every view. Between the river and the woodland are floodplain terraces shaded by tall albida trees.
As the inland pans dry out, elephant, buffalo, zebra, eland and waterbuck move down to the floodplain. Elephants come for the albida pods and sometimes stand on their hind legs to reach the branches. Lion, leopard and spotted hyena are here, and Mana Pools is one of the better places in the region to see African wild dogs. The park also has large numbers of hippos and crocodiles, and over 450 bird species have been recorded in the World Heritage area.
Walking is the reason many people come. Guided walks on the open floodplain let you get close to elephants on foot, and canoe trips on the Zambezi and its side channels give you a quiet, low angle on hippos, crocodiles and birds. Most camps also run game drives, river cruises and catch-and-release fishing for tigerfish.
Mana Pools is a dry-season park. Most camps open from about April to November and close for the rains. Wildlife viewing is usually best from August to October, when the floodplain is the main source of water and food. October and November are very hot.
Most visitors arrive by light aircraft, landing on an airstrip above the floodplain. Flights connect with Victoria Falls and Lake Kariba, and the hop from Bumi Hills on Lake Kariba takes about 30 minutes. Plan at least three nights, and four if you want time for both walking and canoeing.
Camps here sit either inside the park or in private areas on its edges. The river camps are best for canoeing and boating, while the inland camps trade the river for privacy and a waterhole of their own.
African Bush Camps' river camp in the remote eastern part of the park, with six suites, each with a plunge pool. Walking and canoeing are strong here.
Set inland on Kanga Pan, the only water for a long way in the dry season, so wildlife comes to camp. There is a hide below the main deck.
On the eastern boundary where the Sapi meets the Zambezi, with seven tented suites, two of them for families. Good for boating and elephants in the albida groves.
In a private concession on the western boundary, with game drives, canoeing, walks and a Star Bed for a night out under the sky.
Ruckomechi's small sister camp on the same stretch of river, a good fit for couples or a small group booking the whole camp.
Great Plains' camp in the private Sapi Reserve next to Mana Pools, with four suites, each with its own pool. Longer stays include an outing into the national park.
Mana Pools works well after Hwange, which is drier country with bigger herds around waterholes, and before a couple of nights at Victoria Falls. Lake Kariba is a short flight away if you want time on the water.
Mammals
Primates
Birdlife (river and floodplain species)
Reptiles
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