Gorongosa National Park in central Mozambique is arguably one of the most beautiful and ecologically diverse parks in the whole of Africa. Just 40 minutes by light aircraft from the coastal town of Beira, Gorongosa is a former heavyweight safari destination that after decades of neglect and degradation is being restored to its former glory. The recovery is almost complete, as I discovered on my recent visit.
Personally, I loved the park. The habitat is breath-taking, the game viewing was exclusive and interesting, and the conservation and community outreach programmes gave me hope for Africa in general. Although the elephants are still a little wary due to the park’s history, I thought the wildlife encounters were very relaxed and felt the park had a real sense of calm.
THE HISTORY OF GORONGOSA
In order to give a feel for the experience that Gorongosa offers today, it’s helpful to understand a brief history of the park. In the 1960s Gorongosa was an iconic wildlife destination, attracting international acclaim. Between 1977 and 1992, however, domestic conflict and lack of investment led to unrestrained poaching, and during this period the park lost 95% of its wildlife. Reinvestment began in the mid-1990s, and in 2008 the Carr Foundation signed a 20-year deal with the Mozambique Government to restore and manage the park, a deal that has since been extended due to the great work being done. Today, the restoration of the park feels almost complete, but there is still so much more that can be achieved.
THE RESTORATION OF GORONGOSA
If you like hearing about and experiencing success stories, then go to Gorongosa! The park has come a long way in the past 18 years. During my stay I was fortunate to meet Greg Carr, founder of the Carr Foundation, a man of wealth who went looking for a worthy project and found the ultimate prize. He has a clear philosophy – that the park must benefit the local communities. The work of the Carr Foundation is therefore far-reaching in Gorongosa, covering not just the resurrection of the park and its wildlife over the past 18 years, but also extending significantly into the local communities surrounding the park. I also met Vasco Galante, head of the Gorongosa Restoration Project since its inception, who shared insights into their projects and successes, from coffee farming on Mount Gorongosa to their much acclaimed Girls Clubs. Visitors to Gorongosa are able to arrange a meeting with Vasco or one of his partners, and this is perhaps the best way to appreciate the journey that Gorongosa has been on.
Nonetheless, the initial restoration of Gorongosa centered around their wildlife conservation project, reintroducing animals, controlling poaching and learning about the environment. The opening of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Laboratory has transformed scientific research of the park while also offering Mozambicans access to conservation education and training, including their Master’s in Conservation Biology Programme. My tour of the laboratory was fascinating (something all visitors can do), especially learning about the Paleo-Primate Project which is just one of the many projects ongoing today.
THE GORONGOSA LANDSCAPE
I am fortunate to have visited most of the parks and reserves of East and Southern Africa over the past 35 years, and I rate Gorongosa up there with the very best when it comes to scenery and habitat. A three-hour game drive felt like a journey through Africa in itself, with different sections of the park evoking memories of prior safaris in other lands such as Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana and South Africa. From vast open plains teeming with grazers, to majestic yellow-bark acacia (fever tree) forests and stunning palm, mahogany and winter thorn groves, the scenery was just stunning.
At the heart of the park is Lake Urema, sustained by waters flowing down from the looming Mount Gorongosa, and throughout the park there are a great number of beautiful ‘pans’ (large lagoons which reminded me of the ox-bow lakes found in South Luangwa) that hold water well into the long dry season. Riverine forest, savannah woodland and sand forest are common in the central wildlife viewing areas (in addition to the fever tree and palm forests), whilst further afield you can encounter swathes or miombo and mopane woodland. The most beautiful stretches of scenery are found all along the southern edges of the Lake Urema flood plains – miles and miles of perfect Africa.
THE WILDLIFE OF GORONGOSA
Whilst it is important to state from the outset that Gorongosa does not compete with the traditional ‘Big Five’ areas of South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania, the amount of wildlife in Gorongosa is still impressive and for anyone experienced on safari, the species list is enticing. There are 65,000 waterbuck in the park, and in August the floodplains of Lake Urema were covered in them, offering a ‘migration-style’ experience.
The park is also home to large numbers of warthog, impala, baboons and vervet monkeys, and there are healthy populations of wildebeest, kudu, bushbuck and nyala. Zebra, buffalo, eland, reedbuck, roan and sable are also seen, as are less common specialties including oribi, Lichenstein’s hartebeest and red duiker. Elephant populations are excellent, although they remain a little skittish due to years of conflict and poaching in the park. The lion and wild dog populations are very healthy, and you can expect to encounter these predators during a five to seven day safari (lions several times, whilst wild dogs are naturally always less predictable). There are no cheetah, rhino or giraffe in the park.
Lake Urema is home to numerous hippo pods, and the Urema River has many crocs basking along its banks. Night drives were productive with lots of genet, civet, white-tailed mongoose, porcupine and serval encountered. Leopard, aardvark, honey badger and spotted hyena all exist in the park, but are hard to see. Personally, I was thrilled to see several less common species, such as bush pig, Samango (blue) monkey and water (marsh) mongoose, as well a pangolin through the rewilding project (see below). This was in addition to the rare antelope species mentioned above. The birdlife was wonderful too, with several rarer species to seek out and a huge amount of activity around the water pans.
ACTIVITIES AND EXPERIENCES IN GORONGOSA
Game drives naturally form the main focus for game viewing and allow you to cover the ground between different sections of the park. However, Gorongosa also offers some wonderful walking opportunities led by professional walking guides. Night drives can be flexible and are productive, and boat safaris are usually possible in April and May when the entire floodplain system is under water. Canoeing on one of the larger pans is sometimes possible.
Gorongosa is also an incredible conservation and community success story and it is possible to visit the E.O. Wilson Laboratory and meet some of the people heading up the restoration project. This is a fascinating insight into the journey of Gorongosa and the ongoing work in both conservation and community development. It is also possible to spend a day visiting Mount Gorongosa, which is outside the park. The mountain has some interesting forest birding to offer, and you also have the opportunity to visit the local communities and the coffee factory which forms a significant part of the community development program.
One activity that all visitors (staying five nights or more) tend to do is the Pangolin re-wilding project, where guests join the conservationists and rangers on their daily re-wilding program with their current rescued pangolin. During my visit we met John, rescued from captivity in Beira, and spent an hour or so watching him learning to dig up ants and termites. This is a lovely experience out in the bush and John was very cute!
WHERE TO STAY IN GORONGOSA
The accommodation choice in Gorongosa is wonderfully simple. Whilst there is some budget accommodation at the park headquarters, the two properties we would recommend are Muzimu Lodge, set on the banks of the Mussikadzi River, and Chicari Camp, set overlooking a beautiful year-round pan. Both camps are run by the excellent Gorongosa Safaris. Muzimu Lodge offers greater comfort with more luxurious tented suites and a swimming pool, whilst Chicari Camp is more adventurous with smaller, more simple tents and facilities but a fabulous outlook and bush atmosphere. Combining the two camps is common during a longer stay, but is not necessary from a location perspective as you can access all areas and activities from both camps.
ACCESS TO GORONGOSA
Access is by a 40-minute air transfer from the coastal town of Beira, which in turn is reached on a scheduled flight from Johannesburg or Addis Ababa. As Johannesburg is such a hub for southern Africa, it is easy to combine Gorongosa with a safari in any of the key southern Africa destinations, such as Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa. Within Mozambique, it is also possible to combine a visit to Gorongosa with a visit to the coast and the beautiful islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago to the south near Vilanculos.
WHEN TO VISIT GORONGOSA
The season in Gorongosa runs from April through to November. The experience in April and May will be dominated by the expansion of Lake Urema after the rains, with the entire floodplain ecosystem and some of the surrounding woodland completely flooded. This time of year is more challenging for game drives, and boats are also used to explore. From June onwards the floodplains dry out and the best period for wildlife viewing and walking is from July through to October. However, it can be very hot and dusty by October and November, until the rains arrive and transform the landscape again.
SO SHOULD I VISIT GORONGOSA?
If you are planning your first safari and your key priority is seeing as many of Africa’s iconic species as possible, then in truth there will be better places for you to consider, such as the Big Five reserves in South Africa or the open plains of Kenya and Tanzania. However, for anyone who has travelled widely in Africa, Gorongosa is a highlight not to miss. The park is really beautiful, and the habitat is varied, so experienced safari goers will simply enjoy exploring the landscape and ecosystem. The wildlife viewing is sufficiently good to keep most people happy, and I particularly enjoyed the birding, walking, night drives and the specialties that are hard to see elsewhere. The sunrises and sunsets over the Urema flood plains were magical and a real highlight, and the park had a real sense of unhurried calm that allowed me slow down enough to really appreciate the environment.
Anybody looking for exclusivity will also enjoy Gorongosa. There is a vast amount of space and not many vehicles. There are some occasions where a few vehicles may converge at a key sighting (typically the wild dogs), but for most of the time you can drive for hours without seeing another vehicle. The ability to head out on all day game drives to explore deeper into the park also adds to the exclusive wilderness experience.
In addition, Gorongosa is a wonderful example of how conservation and community development can be woven into the successful management of a national park in Africa, and by visiting you are supporting its continued restoration. A visit to Gorongosa is about more than just going on safari to see some animals, hence it will suit visitors who are going to be interested in the journey of the park, and who will appreciate its relevance in the broader safari landscape.
Overall, Gorongosa was a fantastic experience and is very highly recommended for anyone who has previously covered the more obvious safari regions of Africa. I combined my visit to Gorongosa with a trip to the idyllic Bazaruto Archipelago, where I enjoyed beach life for a few days and managed to see dolphins, grey reef sharks (diving), humpback whales and even a lone dugong. I think this makes Mozambique a very special ‘bush and beach’ destination for those that enjoy the combination!
Inspired to visit Gorongosa? Contact our expert travel team on +44 (0) 1787 888590 or reach out via our contact us page to find out more.
