Access to Mana Pools with vehicle from 18th May 2026

[Charles Parrington]

Hi All

Trust that you are well and staying safe?

We have seen lots of input on this subject. We are booked into Mana Pools on the 18th May for 8 days. We have tried to contact Zimparks and also joined the Friends Mana Pools FB but the news is still very vague. I have asked them again, yesterday, if we could access Mana Pools with a vehicle, and their answers never inspire confidence. Currently we have a notice stating that the park is closed for March & April 2026.

But I did see someone suggesting another route into Mana Pools via Mazowe Road, through Mvurwi and Guruve etc, but is this a viable alternative and is it open? If anyone has done this, could you please provide more details such as duration, distance time to travel? Another problem might be that we enter Zim at Chirundu and had no intention to go all the way to Harare, which is where this alternate route seems to start.

So we do not know whether we should cancel our visit as we do not want to leave this to the last minute as we have month long trip and this will impact our travel arrangements severly.

I have attached a proposed map of an alternate route, not sure who created this, but looks like it comes from Basecamp. I also see that there is/was a road up from Chirundu on the Mongwa rRad, but looks like this crossed multiple rivers, one being Ruchomeshi River, which has flooded and washed away part of the bridge required to get to Mana Pools.

Any information or suggestions are most welcome, thanks in advance.

Best Regards, Charles Parrington Director   t: +27 (0)71 671 8565 e: cha...@apsza.com | sup...@apsza.com w: www.apsza.com   3rd Floor, Carpe Diem Building, Quantum street, Technopark, Stellenbosch

[Brett Ellis]

Description of the vehicle would help Charles

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[Lizette Swart]

Hallo Charles, 

See the attached documents with contacts for Zimparks regarding Mana Pools. Word on the ground in Zimbabwe is that by June/July they hope the riverbed is dry enough to cross, but nothing on rebuilding the bridge yet. (I am hoping the lodges will jump in and make a plan - they have built a foot bridge across for lodge guests, that walk across and they collect them in the safari vehicles.

The recommended access is indeed all the way south to almost Harare, then over the Mavuradonha escarpment to Mashumbi Pools and enter Mana from the West.

There is a LOT more water on the way to the Zambezi River (from the Chobe River) so it will take a while for the Zambezi at least to subside - I don't expect to be able to travel along the Zambezi from Chirundu to Nyamepi anytime soon.

Regards/Groete

Lizette

Lizette Swart

liz...@tracks4africa.co.za

+27 (0)21 880 8660

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[Charles Parrington]

@Lizette, thanks so we should probably plan to go somewhere else.

@Brett - Pajero SWB & Fortune both 4x4

Our current travel plans are we go from Botswana Chobe area into Zambia to Lusaka and then onto Mana Pools. We have about 10 days now available, what is Kafue like as a reserve? 

What other parks in Zim should we consider, Hwange? We have asked Zimparks if they would find us alternative accommodation in Hwange, but as yet no response, we would prefer self-catering. We are not travelling with trailers this time. Again any suggestions most welcome.

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Regards

Charles Parrington

[Lizette Swart]

Hi Charles,

Kafue is great, highly recommended. But Zimparks will probably not do a refund, but hold your credit for a future booking - so you may prefer to see if they can move your booking to other Zimparks. 

Try Zambezi National Park (waterfront similiar to Chobe riverfront exerience) - but no chalets. Kazuma Pan is great, but the only lodge accommodation is the privately owned Kazuma Pan Safari Lodge (highly recommended!).

In Hwange, Main Camp and Sinamatella chalets is still run by Zimparks, else Kapula and Robins accommodation is privately owned. 

Matobo is great for something different (and the only chance in Zim to spot rhino - I don't know what the park Chalets are like, else good accommodation at Big Cave outside the park.

Good luck!

Regards/Groete

Lizette

Lizette Swart

liz...@tracks4africa.co.za

+27 (0)21 880 8660

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[Charles Parrington]

Thanks Lizette

I have in my memory something about travelling to Kafue in the Tsetse fly season, a place to avoid. When is this season would you know?

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Regards

Charles Parrington

[Lizette Swart]

Hallo Charles, 

If there is a "non-tsetse fly season" I would love to know about it! I have been in Feb (during the rainy season) and I have been in September last year (before the rains arrived - hot and dry), I don't think one can avoid them. Google (AI) says they are more prevalent in the dry, hot season as well as the rainy season - basically September to April. In winter they are supposed to be less active.

I found them more prominent around the central area, far fewer in the south towards Nanzhila Plains. Some occurrence in the north, far less along Busanga Plains. Some of the camps have done well to keep them out of the camp, I found them less prevalent in camps itself than in the more remote areas. 

I went through a bottle of Peaceful Sleep in 2 days trying to keep them off me as I have a violent reaction to the bites, it swells up almost to the size of a golf ball! Sadly it also meant I drove with the windows closed and only opened for photographs.

.Go visit the elephant relocation facility near Ngoma, very interesting!

Regards/Groete

Lizette

Lizette Swart

liz...@tracks4africa.co.za

+27 (0)21 880 8660

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[Charles Parrington]

Thanks Lizette.

You mentioned Ngoma Elephant relocation facility, is that the same Ngoma as to the border post between Bots & Namibia or is there another one In Kafue area?

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Regards

Charles Parrington

[Lizette Swart]

Hallo Charles,

No, the southern sector has a ranger outpost, the Ngoma Ranger Outpost. Orphaned elephants are raised in Lusaka National Park, at the Elephant Orphanage, until the age of about 2, when they are transferred to the Kafue release facility until they are ready to join the other herds in the park. If you are travelling via Lusaka, try and visit both, it is run by Game Rangers International.

https://tracks4africa.co.za/listings/item/w315471/lusaka-elephant-nursery-game-rangers-international/

https://tracks4africa.co.za/listings/item/w656457/kafue-release-facility-game-rangers-international/

BTW nice blog on the Kafue tsetse fly here, from Classic Zambia that has camps inside Kafue: 

https://www.classiczambiasafaris.com/post/the-tsetse-fly-question

Regards/Groete

Lizette

Lizette Swart

liz...@tracks4africa.co.za

+27 (0)21 880 8660

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[Brett Ellis]

Charles, if you do manage to get accommodation in Hwange you consider splitting the 10 days and head down to the Tuli Circle Safari Area. The HO is on eastern bank of the Sashe with campsites or you could book at the Sashe Wilderness Camp. Details and link to follow.

A fabulous remote area and once done you could drive through the Northern Tuli Block and exit at Pont Drift into South Africa. The Zim - Bots border post is a delightful  very very small post and you will probably be the first people in a week to transit through there.

A magical area that very very few people bother visiting. You could do some philanthropic work and call in at the Sashe Primary School in the area and drop off some pencils and exercise books - they would be thrilled beyond the moon!

"Camping sites exist at the head office and within the safari area. There are no hotels or self-catering accommodation, but Shashe Wilderness Camp is run by Wildlife Environment Zimbabwe and is about a kilometre to the north of National Parks reception on the eastern bank of Shashe." 

https://zimfieldguide.com/matabeleland-south/thuli-safari-area

Your vehicles are perfect for trip.

Cheers

Brett

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