Mana Pools - One of Nature's Last Unspoiled Wilderness Areas

Despite the continuing political uncertainty in Zimbabwe, this southern African nation still boasts some of the greatest safari adventures on the continent. For an African safari you'll not soon forget, there's likely no better place than Mana Pools National Park. Located in the Lower Zambezi Valley, where this great river flows from the artificially constructed Lake Kariba, Mana Pools is home to an astonishing variety of African wild life. With a profusion of animal and bird life, and miles of hiking and driving trails, Mana Pools is one of Zimbabwe's world heritage sites. In addition, on the edge of the park are private fishing and hunting camps that cater to thousands of visitors each month.

Nature Unspoiled

Hunting is not allowed in the park itself, making it a great place for photographic safaris by vehicle and on foot. As the Zambezi River emerges from behind Kariba Dam, it flows from a deep gorge to spread across a flat, fertile plain, grinding out pools and oxbows, which is what gives the area its name. Stretching across over 2,000 square kilometers of vegetation, much of which is only accessible on foot, leaving it relatively unspoiled. The sand banks and islands are bordered by dense forests of baobab and other indigenous trees, as well as the Zambezi escarpment.

Along with walking and driving safaris through the land area of the park, the river, which forms the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, is great for canoe safaris. The park is home of great herds of elephants, black buffalo, leopards, lions, and the occasional black rhinoceros. Along the river bank, Nile crocodiles and pods of hippos can be seen in abundance. This area, in fact, has the largest concentration of hippos and crocodiles in Africa. There are some 380 species of birds in Mana, including the Nyasa lovebird, Livingstone's flycatcher, and the banded snake eagle.

'Mana' in the Shona language, one of the main indigenous languages of Zimbabwe, means four. This refers to the four large pools that have been formed by the meandering Zambezi. In addition, there are a number of smaller pools scattered throughout the park.

Accommodations

Inside the park there are a number of safari camps, ranging from standard to superior with all inclusive fees beginning at $365 per person with shared accommodations. If hunting or fishing is your thing, several hunting and fishing camps are located outside the park along the banks of the river.

Here is just one example of the facilities available in the park itself:

Kanga Bush Camp

Mana Pools National Park

Zimbabwe

www.go2africa.com

Reservations can be made directly through the Web site, and rates start at $365 per person sharing accommodations. The camp is in Kanga Pan, an area containing a permanent pride of lions as well as a wild dog population.

References:

www.zambezi.com

www.go2africa.com

www.go2africa.com