The four pools
Permanent water from the river's bends.
Babakathy — CC0 · Babakathy — CC0 · Public domain · ccried — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Babakathy — CC0 · ccried — CC BY-SA 3.0
Mana Pools National Park is a 2,196-square-km wilderness on the lower Zambezi in northern Zimbabwe. Its floodplain turns into broad lakes after each rainy season, drawing big animals as they dry up, which makes it one of Africa's most renowned game-viewing regions and among the least developed parks in Southern Africa. UNESCO inscribed it in 1984 together with the Sapi and Chewore areas, and it became a Ramsar site in 2013. Mana means four in Shona, for the four large permanent pools left by the river's meanders. It was once a key refuge for the black rhino, but poaching had nearly wiped them out by 1994. Zambia's Lower Zambezi National Park lies opposite. You see sandbanks and islands with forests of mahogany, wild fig, ebony and baobab, with the distant escarpment behind the river. It has the country's biggest concentration of hippos and crocodiles, and elephant, buffalo and zebra stand near the water in the dry season. Lion, cheetah and wild dog live here, along with over 350 bird species. The park is 96.1 km in a straight line north-east of Kariba. Access is long and partly gravel, and services are few, so bring fuel and supplies. Four-wheel drive is needed and campsites are limited, so book ahead. Stay away from the water, as crocodiles are dangerous, and ask rangers about walking rules. Ask a doctor about malaria precautions.
Permanent water from the river's bends.
The country's biggest concentration.
Mahogany, fig and baobab.
Lower Zambezi, northern Zimbabwe
The dry season, when animals gather at the pools.
Yes, campsites are limited and services few.