Mana Pools
Mana Pools National Park is an excellent game viewing destination located on the banks of the Zambezi river opposite Zambia’s Lower Zambezi National Park The magic of this national park stems from the pervading sense of the wild and also in the park’s relative remoteness.The word ‘Mana’ means four, in reference to the four pools around the park headquarters: Main, Chine, Long and Chisambik. They are actually on the mainland, in an area of deep and good quality alluvial soil, along a portion of the southern bank of the Zambezi. They owe their existence to the scouring action of the flooded river that created a number of elongated troughs which retained water long after the flood had subsided.
The area has a parklike appearance with massive acacia albida trees towering over more open grassland. Further away a border of mopane trees and combretum scrub begins and there is visible a line, like some extraordinary tide-mark, a browse-line that exactly demarcates the height to which browsing animals of the area can reach.
Accommodation is provided in luxury bush camps and lodges on the Zambezi river bank in private safari concession areas adjacent to the park. Game drives and specially the bush walks offer close up encounters with buffalo or elephant.
Part of the fun is getting out on the river and short, guided, canoe trips along the river where sightings of hippo and crocodile are virtually guaranteed are offered at most camps.
We also offer guided canoe and walking safaris travelling downstream on the river with competent experienced and well trained guides. These are usually of three or four nights duration, camping overnight on the banks of the river or on islands in the river. This an incredible way to experience the river at first hand the and the game viewing particularly in the Mana Pools section is exceptional.
Every kind of wild animal and bird is viewed at close hand as the canoe glides silently past. One can drift within metres of grazing buffalo, slide by sleeping crocodiles, watch wading elephants and enjoy a sense of openness, freedom and a feeling of being totally at one with the environment which is hard to match elsewhere.
Our Camps also offer some of the most exciting freshwater fishing anywhere, in pursuit of the ferocious tiger fish of which there are many specimen sized examples caught in this part of the river. We operate a catch and release policy in keeping with our general wildlife policy. If the fishing is slow, the wildlife viewing from the boat is usually excellent and more than compensates.
The best time to visit Mana Pools is between April and October, during September and October this area has the highest concentration of wildlife in Zimbabwe.