MANA POOLS

ONE OF THE BEST bush and wildlife destinations in southern Africa, where visitors are free to walk unguided in places inhabited by lions, leopards and elephants.
Campsites on the mighty Zambezi river see frequent visits from Africa’s iconic animals. 170km from gate to camp, many regional campers set up here for weeks at a time.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park elephant Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Perhaps it was the 10 year absence, but I always felt the animals were closer in Zimbabwe.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park lion track paw print Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Mana Pools, in the north-west, is famous for allowing visitors to walk without a guide or ranger.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park lion rests BBC Camp Zambezi river predators wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Which might sounds crazy in a place with apex predators.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park traffic jam with elephant Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Deaths and injuries are rare, but not unknown, and unguided walking was banned in 2015.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park waterbuck Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — The decision was reversed the same year in the face of outcry from regular visitors, 52% of whom said they'd stop coming.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park elephant in camp ground Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Wildlife roams through the campsites anyway. We had very close encounters with elephants, hyena and monkeys, and lions and leopards passed unseen.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park tracking wildlife Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — We took a guided walk on our first morning, to get a feel for the land and walking amongst the wildlife.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park hippo in pool Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — We saw cat tracks, but no cats, as well as large game like hippos and elephants, and various bucks.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park bush Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — The biggest reward was seeing a family of wild dogs hunting across this plain. Wild (or painted) dogs are considered a bigger "get" in Mana than lions.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park road signs at gate Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Mana takes some getting to. The Chimutsi gate is over 5 hours from Harare, and from there to the camps is another two.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Some take a car ferry up the Zambezi. The direct road from Hwange is a day and a half along a variety of the worst roads you'll ever experience. Bloody interesting though.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park elephant suckles young child Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — The 75km from gate to camp is doable in a 2WD (just) but there are some patches of sand. Enough, but not all of the roads around the camps and pools are also OK, just.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park elephant eats Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — No fresh fruit can be taken in, and fines are heavy. Elephants love fruit.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park vervet monkey camp pests Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Monkeys patrol the camps and are incredibly quick when your back is turned. Don't keep food in tents.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park elephant Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Visitors need to be prepared. There is vrtually nothing to buy inside, bar a pack of biscuits and firewood. No fuel either.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park waterbuck Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Despite or perhaps because of this, it is very common for local and South African visitors to stay for weeks at a time. Some pop out to resupply for another few weeks.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park elephant passes tent Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — With wildlife encounters as close as this being normal, it's easy to understand.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park buffalo herd Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — But is often the raw, isolated, authentic bush experience which brings them back.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park ground hornbill twitching africa Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — We always felt we were flying blind in our search for animals, unable to interpret the landscape. Or we were just unlucky.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park elephants Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Paradoxically, the wildlife would often come to us. These elephant were daily visitors, as were others.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park eland Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Huge eland, waterbucks, and hyena roamed the camps, one even sharing a tap with us. Leopard and lion were caught on our neighbour's trail cam.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park buffalo at pool Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — We made twice daily rounds of lagoons and pools. One morniing's quest for leopard turned up two rival packs of 20+ hyena.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park lion rests BBC Camp Zambezi river predators wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — We never did see leopard, not on the whole trip.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park lions rest BBC Camp Zambezi river predators wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — We'd have missed the lions, too, had we not asked a passing guide how his morning had been!

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park lion rests BBC Camp Zambezi river predators wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — "Go to BBC Camp. You WILL see lions.". We had no way of knowing if they'd left since he'd seen them.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park lion rests BBC Camp Zambezi river predators wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Fortunately, they were doing what cats do- lazing around.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park lion glares BBC Camp Zambezi river predators wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — After 3-4 safari cars left, we had an hour or so watching them on our own.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park lion walks BBC Camp Zambezi river predators wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Apparently they weren't as lazy as we thought. Not long after we left, they brought down an unfortunate warthog!

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park yellow bill stork birding Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Leaving BBC, we stopped by a safari car at a lagoon. Just crocs, the guide said. It was good to return the favour and point him to BBC. His clients were grateful.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park birds twitching Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Sometimes the bush throw up the unexpected, like this family of funny looking birds, or a bat-eared fox.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park elephant Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — While other game can be elusive at Mana (or anywhere) you'd have to be dead unlucky not to see elephants.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park elephant reaches up Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — And Mana's elephants also have a unique talent, famed among game viewers.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park elephant stands on back legs Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — They have learned to stand on their back legs to reach food higher up. Quite the sight.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park elephant passes close by car Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — Mana may not be the best place for a first time self-drive safari holiday.

ZIMBABWE MANA Pools National Park boabab tree bush Zambezi river wildlife unguided walking safari camping nature conservation Africa — It's a place where just being in the bush is as important as the wildlife, where a bit of experience, and lots of patience and preparation is needed.