"ZAMBEZI RIVER
MANA POOLS CAMPING – SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE

Wild Zambezi has been talking to visitors camping in Mana Pools National Park.
As a result of feedback received, here are some important pointers to remember if you are planning a stay there.

1. PRIOR BOOKING IS BEST: It is always advisable to pre-book accommodation and camping with the ZimParks HQ Booking Office prior to your trip.

2. CHECK IN AT MARONGORA AS WELL AS MANA HQ : All visitors to Mana Pools National Park must check in and obtain an entry permit (no charge) at the Parks Zambezi Valley HQ at Marongora at the top of the Zambezi escarpment, BEFORE you descend the hills and turn in at the first entry gate. If you do not have this permit, the gate officers will make you go back up the hill to Marongora to collect one! Once you arrive at the Zambezi River in Mana you must also check in at the Parks HQ at Nyamepi to show your Accommodation Booking Form and pay your Conservation Fees. You will not be allowed out of the Park exit gate if you cannot show proof that you have paid these.

3. NYAMEPI CAMPSITE LAYOUT CHANGES: The camping site layout at Nyamepi Camp (the main Mana Pools camp) has been modified slightly as a result of the loss of some major shade trees at the edge of the Zambezi River, due to bank erosion. The map above shows the NEW campsite numbers and their approximate location.
If your campsite booking was made before June 2014, please check with the ZimParks HQ Booking Office to see if yours is one of the sites affected by layout changes.

4. CAMPSITE CHARGES VARY: There are different charges for different campsites in Mana Pools. Note that in Nyamepi Camp, sites furthest away from the Zambezi river-frontage are charged at a per person/night rate (see below). If there are only two of you camping, this is more cost-effective than taking a site near the river-front. Similarly, there are per person/night options for some of the exclusive campsites elsewhere in the Park, including at Chitake Spring.
2014 Tariffs – Camping, Mana Pools
Nyamepi Nos: 1,2,4,7,8,10,12, 14, 15, 26 & 28 per person: US$20; US$10
Other Nyamepi sites (Standard Campsites) per site : US$100; US$75
Exclusive Campsites/site: US$150; US$115 (6 pp max – extras US$30 pp)
New Ndungu 1 & 2 & Chitake 2 campsites per person: US$30; US$15
Chitake Exclusive Camps/site: US$200; US$150 (6 pp max – extras US$30 pp)

5. TOILET FACILITIES: There are four Ablution Blocks in the Nyamepi Campsite (see map) with flush toilets, basins and shower facilities. They are basic, but have received a welcome upgrade recently, with new tiling and better plumbing. Hot water is provided via wood-burning boilers. Be sure to bring all your own toiletries, including toilet paper.
Note that the Exclusive Campsites elsewhere in the Park do NOT have Ablution Blocks or running water. The only facility provided at each site is a very basic “long-drop” toilet with a thatched surround for privacy. Campers at these sites need to be completely self-contained and able to provide their own water and ablution facilities. A spadeful or two of cold campfire ash sprinkled regularly into the “long-drop” toilet serves to reduce odours and help sanitise it.

6. THERE ARE NO FENCES! In Mana Pools there are no fences around any of the camping areas. Potentially dangerous wild animals can wander through at any time of the day or night. They may look tame, but they are not. Be vigilant at all times, especially after dark, and carry a torch with a strong beam to shine all around before moving.

7. CHILDREN: Unless you are rigorously cautious about safety, it is inadvisable to camp in Mana Pools with very young children. There are five Park lodges available for hire. These are a safer option. If you are camping with children under the age of 12, keep them well within the confines of your campsite and NEVER let them move away alone (day or night).

8. WALKING IS PERMITTED, BUT ONLY IF YOU ARE WILDERNESS-SAVVY. Mana Pools is one of Africa’s great wilderness Parks. Visitors are permitted to walk on the “floodplain” area near the Zambezi River. However, if you are not experienced in the African wilderness, do not attempt to do this. Rather hire the services of an armed ranger from the National Parks office at Nyamepi who will take your group out to enjoy this privilege.

9. SECURE, BURN OR REMOVE ALL RUBBISH. Mana Pools has a “carry-in-carry-out” policy for all rubbish generated within the Park. You should burn anything combustible on your nightly campfire, including organic material, but you must carefully bag any non-combustibles e.g. glass, polystyrene, plastic bottles, aluminium cans) and take the rubbish bag(s) with you out of the Park for safe disposal at an urban centre. DO NOT on any account leave your rubbish bag in Mana Pools or at the exit gate (there are no disposal facilities there, and you will be fined). Monkeys, baboons and hyaenas can be pests in a campsite if rubbish bags and foodstuffs are left out. Make sure all rubbish bags and food are securely shut away in a car, locked trunk or trailer at all times. Never leave food in your tent.

10. FIREWOOD IS A SCARE RESOURCE. In Mana Pools, you are not permitted to collect your own firewood. This must be purchased by the bundle at the Nyamepi Parks HQ. Keep your campfire to a minimum size in order to preserve a fast-dwindling resource.

11. RESPECT THE WILD Here are some useful guidelines for how to minimise your camping impact and make the most of your stay in a wild place like Mana Pools. Respect the Wild Code of Conduct
WILD DOGS - A STAR ATTRACTION IN MANA POOLS
Whatever you choose to name the species, – Wild Dog, Cape Hunting Dog, Painted Dog – a sighting of a pack of Lycaon pictus is one of thehighlights of a trip to the Zambezi Valley.

Of course, you may not always see them – like lions, they are sometimes elusive. But in Mana Pools National Park, you’ve got more of a chance of lucky sightings than elsewhere.... and when you find them, it’s a real bonus!
There are several packs that roam quite widely within the Park, their movements currently being monitored by The Painted Dog Conservation Project via tracking collars attached to some of the animals.

Wild Dogs breed once a year, and May/June is the time. During “The Denning Season”, as it is known, the pack stops its wanderings and settles down at a chosen den site – typically an excavated ant bear hole in the side of a termite mound. Usually it’s only the alpha female who produces a litter (8-10 pups is the average, but the number can vary).
All members of the pack, whether they are related to the alpha pair or not, help to raise the litter. They will hunt to bring back meat that is then regurgitated to the pups. Some pack members will stay at the den to guard it while the others go off hunting.
Since the pups are born blind (their eyes only open after two weeks), they are extremely vulnerable during this period. They first venture to the entrance of the den at around three weeks, and will only be able to participate in the social interactions of the pack and become capable hunters after at least a year’s apprenticeship with the pack.

In recent years there has been some controversy about people in Mana Pools causing pressure and disruption to the dogs – especially during the 10 – 12 weeks of the Denning Season. If too many visitors (including tour operators and researchers) eager for photographs or data approach a den site and get too close, this harassment can be seriously disruptive to the pack and may cause them to abandon the site (often to the detriment of the pups).

If you are lucky enough to visit the Park at this time, it is wise to avoid approaching a Wild Dog den altogether – or at the very least to keep at a respectful distance.
These animals are rare. They need time and space to breed unthreatened. Let’s give it to them.

Here are some wonderful images of Wild Dog sightings in Mana Pools taken in the interior of the Park near African Bush Camps’ Kanga Camp:-

Left: “Not Cleared for Take-off!”.....what a great sighting for visitors to Kanga Camp taking an early morning air charter with Safari Logistics and Halsted’s Aviation (HAC) out of Dandawa airstrip!
Right: Kanga Camp, which is owned by African Bush Camps is one of the few tented camps in Mana Pools set inland and away from the Zambezi River. While this makes the wildlife experience a little bit different from the normal river setting associated with this wonderful World Heritage Site, there are nevertheless opportunities for amazing sightings – particular late in the season when inland water supplies have dried up and the animals flock to Kanga Pan (right in front of the camp) for life-giving water. In September-October visitors to Kanga need never leave camp – a parade of extraordinary wildlife experiences occurs day and night right in front of the guests – including a visit by this pack of dogs!
Visitors to Kanga Camp who also want to experience the Zambezi River at Mana Pools can spend a few extra nights in African Bush Camps’ Zambezi Life Styles tented camp."