As we continued our trip around Zimbabwe, we had set ourselves quite a daunting task upon leaving Chilo Gorge Safari Lodge, when we made plans to travel all the way from the Chilo entrance of the Gonarezhou National Park, on the far northern boundary, to the Mabalauta area, in the southernmost part of the park, in just 1 day! We didn’t know anyone who had actually done this and therefore no one could tell us how long it would take or the exact distance. By our calculations if we left Chilo and entered the park when it opened at 6a.m and took the route along the top of the Chilojo Cliffs, with no detours (aside from angry elephants that is) we should made it in a day. But we packed a tent in case we got stranded. I was particularly worried about the one river crossing we had to make at Chitove but our high clearance 4×4 did the trick and we got through no problem.
We relied heavily on a phone app a friend had told us about called MAPS.ME. It was an absolute life saver, as the route we took turned out to be extremely unused! And at some points we were not sure we were actually on a road but possibly a fire break! Thanks to the app we could see we were indeed on a designated road and it took us roughly 8 hours to travel from the top of the park to the bottom. Something that really struck us was the huge difference in the terrain from one part of the park to another, we actually started an album called “roads of Gonaz” which we saved to show the variances to our friends and family when we got home.
We had never been to the southern part of the park before and had booked into the parks little known self-catering accommodation called Manangas. They are traditionally built mud huts, the management partnership between Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZPWMA) and the Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) pride themselves on having used locally sourced materials for the building, as well as local labour. All the staff hired to maintain the chalets are men and women from the surrounding communities. We had Janet and Eunice looking after us, they were fantastic.
Mention HAS to be made of the fact that although the chalets are mud huts, they have been fitted out with high quality appliances and linen. Woody teases me, but I was extremely impressed with the ‘Shogun’ peeler! There are 2 chest freezers in the kitchen, one set up as a fridge and the other as a deep freeze, with a decent cooler box for the clients use. There is a modern 4 plate gas stove, wine glasses, filter coffee pot, potjie pots of various sizes, you name it! And the accommodation huts were no different, with brand new beds and very good linen. The en-suite bathroom is set up on a solar bucket shower, which is great fun filling, and the best part of the bathroom – it has no roof so you are open to the sights and sounds of the bush. Having a shower under the stars, looking out over the Mwenezi River was just divine but of course Woody’s favourite thing was the “view from the loo!”
We were booked in to Mathuli Mananga for 2 nights, which took us a good half hour to reach from the Mabalauta Office, once we were there we made sure to get out each day and explore the area. The first place we went was for a picnic lunch at Samalema Gorge, which was not very far from camp. What a treat it was to have the whole place to ourselves, and even though it was October, the weather had changed and it wasn’t too hot, so we were able to walk out to the river and have our picnic on the rocks and jump into the river for a quick cool off afterwards. We also went to Nyavasikana and Makwakwani sites, but Samalema was most definitely our favourite. There had been a bit of rain a few days before and the wild flowers were beginning to come out in full bloom, which made a beautiful contrast to the normally dry surroundings.
The second part of our time in Gonaz was spent at a chalet at Swimuwini, which has just recently been refurbished. The chalets are equipped with solar geysers, lights, fridge/freezers and fully-equipped kitchens. We once again lucked out and were the only people booked in for the 2 days we were there, and so managed to get the best chalet, which is Trichelia. It is in prime position, under a gigantic baobab tree and overlooks the same Mwenezi River we had viewed from the Methuli Mananga, but this location is on a cliff, and you therefore view the river from a higher vantage point. Sunsets while watching the herds of elephants crossing below in the riverbed are truly special. We even had a resident male Nyala who came to drink at the little bird bath in front of our chalet every day, so we nick named him Nathan and Woody made sure there was always water for him.
Sadly, on our last day the weather really did change and we awoke to rain on the rooftop. We were very happy for the rain, as the park desperately needed it, but the game viewing was not as good due to this. We had not packed enough warm clothing – picturing a holiday in Gonarezhou in October which is typically in the 40 degrees marker. We had just taken a couple of light jackets, to be honest we were also packing in 40 degree heat when we left Kariba a week or so earlier, so to think about packing big jackets was a non-starter. We were still determined to get out and about and see what this side of Mabalauta had to offer and we had a nice drive to the Rossi Pools and Muwatomba sites. We even saw a bit of game, including a beautiful male giraffe very close to the road. The chilly weather eventually got to me, and I caved, and much to Woody’s amusement asked if I could add his work jacket to my layers of clothing? He made sure to take a photo of this not very fetching attire, but I really didn’t care as I was so cold!
Sadly, on our last day the weather really did change and we awoke to rain on the rooftop. We were very happy for the rain, as the park desperately needed it, but the game viewing was not as good due to this. We had not packed enough warm clothing – picturing a holiday in Gonarezhou in October which is typically in the 40 degrees marker. We had just taken a couple of light jackets, to be honest we were also packing in 40 degree heat when we left Kariba a week or so earlier, so to think about packing big jackets was a non-starter. We were still determined to get out and about and see what this side of Mabalauta had to offer and we had a nice drive to the Rossi Pools and Muwatomba sites. We even saw a bit of game, including a beautiful male giraffe very close to the road. The chilly weather eventually got to me, and I caved, and much to Woody’s amusement asked if I could add his work jacket to my layers of clothing? He made sure to take a photo of this not very fetching attire, but I really didn’t care as I was so cold!
Anyway, we most certainly saw a different side to the park in that weather and we were very sorry to have to leave but we had an itinerary to stick to. This meant we had to get to Bulawayo in one day and we made the decision to use the Boli exit gate and go via Beit Bridge. Well, I’m not sure how long it normally takes, but due to the road construction on the Harare to Beit Bridge road it took us ten and a half hours! And our poor car needed a VERY good clean when we got to Bulawayo.
It is very hard for us to say which is our favourite national park in Zimbabwe, Gonaz is most definitely up there. Aside from the unusual scenery and terrific wildlife, one of the most noteworthy attractions is the lack of visitors. In the 4 days we were there we did not see another tourist, which is pretty remarkable. So, for those of you looking for a very wild and unique destination, Gonarezhou National Park is the place for you. If you need more information about the Manangas and bookings then drop us a line and we’ll be happy to help.
Contact Us
Package Deals
For package deals that include accommodation, as well as other lodges, activities and annual event participation in and around the Eastern Highlands, Matopos, Kariba & Vic Falls area.
