Guided Safaris in
Mana Pools

Floodplains and deep wilderness

Mana Pools National Park is a landscape defined by contrast. Along the northern Zambezi shoreline, wide floodplains and riverine forests support high wildlife densities and excellent visibility. Further south, Chitake Springs offers a more rugged environment, where a permanent spring in an otherwise dry landscape draws wildlife in from far afield.

Together, these two areas reveal very different sides of Mana Pools – from open, river-shaped landscapes to intense dry-season wildlife concentrations centred on water.

Map of Mana Pools National Park showing two fly camps, Chitake Fly Camp and Shoreline Fly Camp, with an 80 km route marked between them, and nearby countries Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Walking is central to the Mana Pools experience. Kaz did his safari guide training in the Mana Pools area, and his intimate knowledge of the landscape brings tracking wildlife on foot to life as you walk and learn about what's unfolding around you.

Mana Pools is also one of the strongest areas in Africa for painted wild dogs. While sightings are never guaranteed, the park offers consistently good opportunities to encounter these endangered predators, particularly across the floodplains where their movements are easier to follow.

African wild dogs resting on a grassy area in Zimbabwe.
Two elephants, one adult and one young, drinking water at the edge of a waterhole in a natural habitat with trees and bushes in the background in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
A colorful bird with black, yellow, green, and red feathers standing on a branch in a natural setting in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
Elephant with a raised trunk in a forested area with trees and dirt ground in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
A herd of African buffalo standing in tall grass in a savanna landscape in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.

 Highlights of Mana Pools

  • The Zambezi floodplains offer excellent walking safari conditions with frequent sightings of painted wild dogs, elephants, buffalo, and leopards.

  • Chitake Springs provides a more concentrated dry-season experience, where wildlife gathers around a single permanent water source, often attracting lions, buffalo, elephants, and hyena.

  • The opportunity to experience two distinct Mana Pools ecosystems within one safari: river-driven abundance in the north and raw, water-dependent wilderness in the south.

  •   Strong birdlife throughout, from riverine species such as African fish eagles, carmine bee-eaters, and kingfishers along the Zambezi, to dry-country birds including raptors, guineafowl, and hornbills around Chitake.  

  • A safari style focused on walking, observation, and time spent understanding animal behaviour and movement.

Three lions resting on the sandy ground in a wooded area with fallen leaves and branches in Mana Pools.

Your Stay in Mana Pools

MANA POOLS FLY CAMPS

Our Mana Pools Fly Camps can be set up in both the north shoreline areas of the Zambezi River and at Chitake Springs, allowing flexibility based on season, wildlife movement, and guest preference.

Camps are simple, comfortable, and low-impact, offering an immersive under-canvas stay in the heart of the park. Days are relaxed and responsive to conditions on the ground. Meals are enjoyed outdoors, with the focus firmly on time spent in the bush.

Two people sitting inside a camping tent, writing or drawing at small tables, surrounded by dry grass and trees.
“Each fly tent includes twin or double beds, a private al-fresco ensuite bathroom, solar lighting, a camera-charging station, and a fly-sheet verandah with seating. Starlink Wi-Fi is available for essential communication.”
Three people stand near a table with drinks on a riverbank in Mana Pools during sunset, with a calm river and an orange sky in the background.

Guests may choose:

  • A Fly Camp stay of 3–5 nights, either along the Zambezi floodplains or at Chitake Springs

  • Or a 6-night, two-camp Mana Pools circuit, combining both regions 

Mana Pools Fly Camps can also be combined with Fly Camps in Hwange National Park (Robins + Kennedy) as part of a longer Zimbabwe itinerary.

Minimum Stay: 3 nights
Rate: USD 375 per person per night
Bookings Requirements for Mana Pools: Group bookings only – Minimum 4 guests | Maximum 10 guests

Inside a canvas fly camp tent, a bed with white sheets and pillows, surrounded by wooden chairs and a small round rug, with Mana Pools landscape visible outside.
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ABOUT OUR FLY CAMPS
An elephant with large, upward-curving tusks standing in a forest at sunset, surrounded by trees and fallen branches in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
Sunset over a winding Zambezi River with sandbars and islands, mountains in the background, and a clear sky in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
Two antelopes running through a dusty forest with birds flying overhead and large trees on either side.
A herd of elephants walking through the forest, with dust rising as they move. The scene is illuminated by sunlight filtering through the trees in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
A dog with the body of a hyena and the head of a wolf, lying on the ground with its mouth open in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
A baboon sitting on a tree branch in a dry, wooded area in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
A zebra standing in a grassy field with sparse bushes and trees in the background Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
A leopard walking on a tree branch, looking down, with a background of sky and branches Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
A heron standing on a hippopotamus in a body of water at sunset Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe.
Kaz Dube, private safari guide and guest sitting on the grass near a water body in Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe. An elephant in the background.

Get in touch to find out more

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