The Magic Of Mana River Camp
A Blog By Mike Garden
There are three completely different ways to overnight in Mana Pools. You can stay in one of the National Park’s three brick lodges, which include bedding and showers, pitch your own tent at the self-catering campsite, or splurge on an exclusive Temporary Camping Site (TCS) and let someone else take care of the arrangements. Each option has its place, depending on your budget and love of the outdoors.
Recently, I was fortunate to spend a few relaxing nights at Mana River Camp, a TCS set among Natal mahogany trees (Trichilia emetica) during a weekend family trip.
Three years ago, Machaba Safaris took over the management of the original Trichilia Camp site, laying down their own style with seven very well-appointed, luxury Sahara Tents.
Typically, guests fly in from Harare or Victoria Falls before being collected from the landing strip and taken to the campsite some 20 minutes away. The drive takes them through wide open spaces lined with plains game and elephants feeding on the apple ring pods that have dropped off the iconic Faidherbia albida trees (Acacia Albida).
On arrival at Mana River Camp, camp manager Justin Mabhena and his team welcomed us with cold, refreshing drinks.
We were then taken to our individual, private, river-facing tents showing breathtaking views of the Zambezi River, so we could settle in and freshen up before lunch.
The spacious, central meeting area, set well away from the tents, separates the open Mana Pools floodplain from the Zambezi. Wildlife, including elephants and hippo, can roam freely through the camp, while birds merrily chirp and call in the background.
The best thing about staying in one Machaba Safaris camps within Mana Pools (including Ingwe Pan) is the allocation of a professional guide to each couple or group overnighting. The very high standard set by the Zimbabwe Professional Guides Association ensures that these guides are very knowledgeable about all aspects of bush life, from wildlife to birds, trees, insects and much more.
On our first afternoon, we were taken to a remote site, well away from the main camp, for a relaxing sundowner. The next morning, we met the other guests at 5:30 for a continental breakfast, followed by a very informative drive around the floodplain, arriving back at camp just after 11:00, followed by a shower and a well-deserved brunch. Our logbook for the day included mention of the lions and wild dogs we encountered during our morning tour. In the afternoon, we joined fellow guests from Germany to paddle lazily down the Zambezi River in three-man canoes.
We woke up early the next morning to go on a long 9km guided walk through a well-treed forest overgrown with the iconic Faidherbia albida trees (Acacia albida). Our excellent guide, Fisher, slowly led us along unmarked paths, stopping every few metres either to recall wildlife incidents from the past or explain to us city-slickers just why certain trees or animals behaved in a particular way. Like an amazing story about the time he came across a group of banded mongoose that had killed a python they had found wrapped around a tree – they just started gorging themselves whilst the snake was still alive!
The best time to visit Mana Pools is over the spring when large herds of antelope and their predators leave their dried-out inland pans to drink from the large Mana Pools close to the river.
If you want three nights away from the hustle and bustle of Harare, I highly recommend Mana River Camp.
