Gorongosa National Park

In the 1950s, Gorongosa bristled with tourists who flocked to enjoy its prolific wildlife and enjoy the bush. Over half a century later, having experienced the hardship of the war, the park is experiencing rejuvenation courtesy of an active partnership between the US non-profit Carr Foundation and the Mozambican government. Ecologists are overseeing the relocation of hundreds of animals from other game parks in the region and the initiatives to educate and support the local community are already paying dividends in resurrecting this wildlife paradise.

The park’s scenery, diverse in itself, waxes and wanes with the changing seasons. Lake Urema (and the river of the same name) is a central focal point for animal and birdlife; the surrounding floodplains supporting a multitude of wildlife. Stands of distinctive yellow fever trees, open grasslands and the level countryside around the Lake make for ideal walking territory. The waterfalls, heathland and deep-green forests of Gorongosa Mountain are entirely different but equally good for exploring on foot.

Currently there is only one small tented camp in the park from which to explore on foot, in vehicles or as a base for trekking and fly-camping up on the Mountain. Gorongosa’s fortunes are in the ascendant but you should come here with realistic expectations; the wildlife is there but you may have to look for it. The birdlife, though, is plentiful with a good number of endemics and “specials" worth seeing.