Overview
Take a trip to Mana Pools National Park on your Zimbabwe Vacation
Mana Pools National Park is a wildlife conservation area found in northern Zimbabwe and remains one of the least developed national parks in all of Southern Africa on a Zimbabwe tour.
The park is 2,196 square kilometres in size but is part of the larger 10,500 square kilometres Parks and Wildlife Estate that runs from the Kariba Dam to the border of Mozambique. While much of the area had been protected as a non-hunting area since the 1930s, it was not officially recognized as a national park until 1963. It would later become a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
Mana Pools constitutes a region of the lower Zambezi River that sees flood plains turn into lakes during the rainy season. Once the lakes begin to dry and thus recede, the area becomes a hot spot for large game in search of water. The name Mana means “Four” in the Shona language in reference to the four large permanent pools found within the park.
Due to its water sources, Mana Pools is a haven for both Nile crocodiles and hippopotami, hosting the country’s largest concentrations of these species. Large populations of elephants and buffalo are present during the dry season while predators like leopards, lions and cheetahs are also found in the park. Mana Pools is far from any major town and wildlife roams freely making the park one of Africa’s most renowned game viewing areas on travel to Zimbabwe.
Due to its water sources, Mana Pools is a haven for both Nile crocodiles and hippopotami, hosting the country’s largest concentrations of these species. Large populations of elephants and buffalo are present during the dry season while predators like leopards, lions and cheetahs are also found in the park. Mana Pools is far from any major town and wildlife roams freely making the park one of Africa’s most renowned game viewing areas on travel to Zimbabwe.
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Classic Zimbabwe: Vic Falls, Hwange, Lake Kariba & Mana Pools
Mana Pools National Park, Lake Kariba, Hwange National Park, Victoria Falls (City), and Victoria FallsUncover Zimbabwe’s wild beauty on this small group safari, from thundering Victoria Falls to epic elephant encounters in Hwange, Lake Kariba, and Mana Pools.
10 days
From US$12,257/p.p.
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Classic Zimbabwe: Vic Falls, Hwange, Lake Kariba & Mana Pools
Mana Pools National Park, Lake Kariba, Hwange National Park, Victoria Falls (City), and Victoria FallsUncover Zimbabwe’s wild beauty on this small group safari, from thundering Victoria Falls to epic elephant encounters in Hwange, Lake Kariba, and Mana Pools.
10 days
From US$12,257/p.p.
Request a Quote
Don't see the
perfect trip idea?
Request a custom quote.
Turn your travel dreams into reality with Goway. Our customized vacations take travellers to all corners of the world.
What do the experts say?
Victoria falls is truly one of the greatest Wonders of the world! Apart from admiring its awe-inspiring beauty you can also take part in activities such as bungee jumping and swimming at the top of the falls - truly exhilarating!
The best times to visit Zimbabwe are May–October; offering dry weather, excellent wildlife viewing, comfortable temperatures, and peak visibility at major parks.
Travelers should experience a traditional Mbira music performance, showcasing Zimbabwe’s spiritual rhythms, storytelling, and deep cultural heritage through captivating live music.
Hippopotamus submerged in waters of Mana Pools NP
A lioness and her cubs as seen on a Mana Pools ...
Wild dogs are always a great photo opportunity ...
An elephant checking out the camp
African buffalo are a common sight on all Zimba...
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ExcellentBased on 5,258 ReviewsTouching base after our trip. As usual you did a great job helping plan and execute an amazing travel experience!! Everything was fantastic. Especially our hotel location. Since it's connected to the Victoria station it made getting around very easy. Thanks again for your help I'm sure we'll be booking our next trip soon...Leigh FerrisThe trip was planned perfectly, with the support of knowledgeable and dedicated local staff during any critical point of the trip.
The accommodations, transfers, transportation, guides' input and visits' setup met the highest standards and expectations.Nadia & Cristian We recently completed a trip to Crete, Greece - our third trip with GoWay - and I have run out of superlatives to laud their efforts. This was a self drive trip, and as has been our experience with GoWay, we were permitted to customize the standard offered itinerary to suit our personal preferences. Brooke, our agent on this trip, went the extra mile to make all the adjustments we requested, including providing for an English-speaking guide at the Phaistos archeological site. The hotels which Brooke booked on our behalf were truly excellent, and - again, per our wish - just outside of the urban chaos of Heraklion, Rethymno and Chania, but close enough to readily access the cities' benefits. Each hotel was a beachside sanctuary, and we spent several serene, idyllic days never leaving the hotel, and yet there was plenty of time for more distant and adventurous sight seeing.
I cannot overstate how happy we have been with our GoWay experiences - most notably in their willingness to listen to our preferences and make those manifest in the itinerary - and this most recent trip just confirms our already positive opinion of GoWay, and we will be certain to consider them again for our next travel adventure.Frank VenutiVenessa Lloyd at GoWay organized a trip to Africa for us- We just returned last week. It was very well organized and included everything we requested, and more. We did two safaris - one in Tanzania and one in South Africa. They were both excellent, with first class accommodations and guides. We absolutely would recommend GoWay and Vanessa to anyone. SandraOverall, the hotel and tours were amazing. We had issues with communicating with the driver. At times I was asked where, I was gone. The local company handled the situation and there were minor issues after. I would recommend a local English-speaking guide every day. My clients loved the trip. The area we stayed in had many restaurants and local markets nearby. I recommend the cooking class, flamenco dance show, wine tasting and taps tour, and the city tour. Jolynn TizenoAni M was absolutely amazing to work with! I actually chose Goway for our group trip because of her recommendations. She was the only agent who took the time to explain that we really needed to split our travels into two separate trips if we wanted to experience everything on our wish list, and I really appreciated her honesty and guidance.
Throughout the planning process, Ani was incredibly helpful and answered ALL of my questions, even when I asked the same ones more than once! She was patient, knowledgeable, and always willing to help. I enjoyed working with her and her team so much that I already have another group trip planned with her, and I expect we'll be planning another one soon!
The guides during our Scotland trip were wonderful as well. Ian Short was the BEST! He was professional, knowledgeable, and made sure everything ran smoothly so we could simply enjoy the experience. He even worked in sightseeing stops we didn't know we needed to see, and those little extras made the trip even better.
The entire experience was absolutely wonderful from beginning to end. I'm already looking forward to our next adventure to Ireland with Goway and working with Ani and their team again!Angela ButlerMichael was informative and answered all my questions.
Flexible with package details and accommodated changes we preferred with activities. He put together a superb tour with transportation and guides that were very knowledgeable. Would book with them again on next trip to Europe.Christopher CareyWe recently traveled to Portugal and had the most wonderful experience. As our first venture overseas, we decided to search online for travel assistance. We happened across Goway Travel and are so glad we did!
Michael Keon, our Destination Specialist, is extremely proficient and knowledgeable in his profession. "Thorough" is an understatement. He assisted every step of the way from the moment we stepped on our flights, transfer arrangements, hotel accommodations, train travel and multiple tours/outings tailored to our specific needs/wish list.
He provided unparalleled guidance and support during the planning process and was always available to discuss any questions/concerns. His communications were always prompt and concise.
Without a doubt, our best trip to date...there will be no hesitation to contact Mr. Keon for future travels.
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Joanna MaysWhat made this experience great was Cedric Wai. Had a client going to Asia and this is Cedric's wheelhouse since he is from there.
Everything was wonderful. Everything went smoothly. The individual tours were wonderful and all the guides were exceptional. A lot of traveling-the flight was very good on Cathay Pacific would highly recommend their airline seats were comfortable and spaced well. Being on an airplane for 16 hours sucks in general, but other than being a little sore from being stuck in one place all was good.
Thank you so much for all your help and the trip was wonderful and everything that it should be! Next trip will be much more relaxing, sitting still for a while on a beach somewhere ha ha!Careen SullivanAndrea Paredes helped me plan a last minute Colombia trip for my clients who had never been! They loved every minute of it. The hotels, history, excursions, and flights went very smooth. They were so happy with all their tour guides. Deanna Frisbie Borrego
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