RIVERS AND RUINS SAFARI

An 8 night safari exploring 2 of Zimbabwe’s most incredible wilderness areas

A classic safari combination of Hwange and Mana Pools National Parks

Journey to two of the most remote and untamed wilderness areas in Zimbabwe. This safari starts in Hwange National Park, the largest wilderness area in Zimbabwe. Hwange is renowned for its diverse habitats, abundant wildlife sightings and fantastic birding and is home to some of Africa’s biggest ‘Tuskers’ which can be seen roaming the vast open plains of the park. Mana Pools National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site flanking the mighty Zambezi River. This park is breathtakingly picturesque and incredibly rich in wildlife. The presence of the river offers guests a diverse range of activities which include boat cruises, tiger fishing, canoeing, walking safari and game drives.

“Great camp with beautiful en-suite tents over -looking the Zambezi river. Loved canoeing with the hippos and crocodiles and catching a 7 pound tiger fish. Nikki and her crew kept us happy and well fed. We had a group of 18 and they all loved it! Tusker the elephant coming in to camp the last day was a wonderful send off.”

– Gail T, October 2021

Quick facts about the Rivers and Ruins safari

A brief overview of what to expect on this package

May – November

8 nights

2 camps

2 national parks

Game Viewing & Birding

River Activities

Safari Walks

Hides

Camps featured in this safari itinerary

Click the thumbnails below for more information on each of the camps

Vundu Camp, Mana Pools National Park

Vundu Camp is an owner-run and managed camp located in a private concession, in the heart of the park. The Camp is set underneath a shady forest of riverine trees on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River, giving guests beautiful sweeping views of the floodplains.

Bumbusi Wilderness Camp, Hwange National Park

Bumbusi Wilderness Camp offers an exceptionally unique experience in a reclaimed corner of Hwange National Park where the various gorges, drainage lines and hills are perfect for safari lovers who like to explore a region on foot.

3 reasons you should choose this safari package

Highlights from this 8 night Rivers and Ruins safari include:

Close proximity to Victoria Falls

Bumbusi offers a really remote camp experience that is still easily accessed from Vic Falls.

Intimate Wildlife encounters

Unique to safaris in Mana Pools NAtional Park and in this case – Vundu Camp are the close and personal wildlife encounters on foot.

River and Land based activities

The permanent river setting combined with the Game-rich acacia forests of Mana Pools offers for a diverse range of activities

Travel Logistics for this safari

See the travel route for this safari below:

Day 1: Travel to Vundu Camp

This package begins in Victoria Falls with a 20 minute flight where you will be met by The Bumbusi team who will drive you into camp.

Day 5: Travel to Vundu Camp

After an early breakfast, you will depart Bumbusi for a transfer to Robins Airstrip where you will catch a charter flight to Mana Pools National Park. A member of the Vundu team will be there to collect you for your short drive to camp.

Day 9: Travel back to Vic Falls

After breakfast and an optional short activity , you will be transferred to Mana Pools airstrip where you will catch a flight from there to Victoria Falls Airport.

About the areas: Hwange & Mana Pools National Park

Learn about the area specific to this safari package

Hwange National Park is situated in western Zimbabwe and is the country’s premier game reserve. With easy road and flight access from both Victoria Falls and Bulawayo, the reserve is extremely popular with both local and international tourists. Hwange is renowned for its huge elephant and buffalo herds, sable and other rare antelope as well as an excellent concentration of large predators including lion, leopard, wild dog, hyena, and cheetah. Birders will find plenty to keep them busy with over 400 species of birds recorded and the park is especially known for its spectacular sunsets. At almost three million acres, Hwange is a huge wilderness area open to Botswana on its western side, allowing wildlife to traverse across countries and making it extremely valuable for the conservation of large mammals like elephant, lion, and buffalo.

Mana Pools is an almost 500,000 acre national park and one of the most iconic in all of Africa. A photographer’s paradise, its beautiful setting of endless Ana forests along the Zambezi River provides a scenic backdrop for a huge variety of wildlife that congregate here in the dry season.

Mana means “four” in the local Shona language and refers to four permanent pools that are a mecca for game viewing. Activities are mostly conducted along the river area with some of the best walking in all of Africa. You can get up close to big elephant bulls or even follow African wild dogs on the hunt. Enjoy a slow game drive or take a canoe or boat to see huge pods of hippos, along with a plethora of bird species including the African fish eagle. Fishing is excellent and there is no better place to watch endless wildlife activity while winding down the day with a drink in hand.