Mana Pools National Park

The Mana Pools are a cluster of lakelets that are fed by occasional floodwaters. They attract vast numbers of aquatic birds and are rich in fish. Large numbers of game frequent the area, especially elephant, buffalo, hippo, rhino, crocodile, various antelope, lion, leopard and wild dog. The game reserve is open from May to October. Accommodation is available in the park.

What makes Mana Pools particularly special is it's unique scenery coupled with the large variations of animal and bird life created by its rich and wild heritage. Mana Pools is the only game park in Zimbabwe holding carnivores and the larger mammals in which visitors are allowed to walk unaccompanied - this is of course done at your own risk.

Winters (May to September) are like luscious Mediterranean summers with warm, sunny days and cool, clear nights. There is never any snow, not even in the eastern highlands, but overnight frosts and freezing temperatures are not uncommon anywhere on the plateau.

Most of Zimbabwe's rain falls in brief afternoon deluges during electrical storms in the summer months (October to April) and bring little relief from the humidity.