Known for its exceptional walking and canoeing safaris, Mana Pools National Park in northern Zimbabwe is one of the least developed safari parks in Zimbabwe. The name Mana Pools comes from the 4 permanent pools that form in the meandering Zambezi River while ‘Mana’ comes from the local Shona word for ‘four’. The park lies in the lower Zambezi River region where the flood plains, turns into a broad expanse of lakes after each rainy season. As the lakes gradually dry up and recede, the region attracts many large animals in search of water, making it one of Africa’s most renowned game viewing regions. Remarkably beautiful, Mana Pools is a superb safari destination famous for its huge elephant herds though not good for great sightings of lion and leopard. It has the country’s biggest concentration of hippos, crocodiles, zebra, elephant and cape buffalo. The area is also home to cheetah, cape wild dog, brown hyena and the endangered black rhino. Mana Pools is also known for its abundance and enormous beautiful trees providing shade and making it ideal for walking. The ‘pools’ for which the park is famous, provide permanent water year-round attracting an enormous amount of wildlife, including large predator populations. The best way to explore this magnificent park is either on foot or by means of a canoe down the Zambezi River.
There a variety of camps and lodges in the park, ranging from affordable to luxurious an exceptional wildlife experience in this very wild region of Zimbabwe.
