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A Safari Tour Itinerary

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Doug MacDonald’s A Journey to Mana Pools

A Customizable Trip to Zimbabwe

Chitake Spring, Zimbabwe

Highlights

Heaving with wildlife. Snorkelling elephants, belling wild dogs and sable on the run. Huge herds of buffalo coming to a remote spring for a drink as the lion prides keep watch. Eland trimming tamarind trees. And a granny lion who makes it through yet another season. Three stunning areas of Mana Pools, privately guided by our Zim Pro guide Doug MacDonald as part of our Master Guide Collection.


Starting from
US$ 6,000
per person sharing

Duration
8 days / 7 nights

Transport
Overland Safari

Accommodation
Camps and lodges

Exploring
Mana Pools National Park


About this Safari

This safari has been crafted by Doug to showcase the beautiful UNESCO world heritage site of Mana Pools. It takes you to the more remote and raw parts of the park to give you an exceptional wildlife experience. You will be able to do a good range of activities on this safari, which will include walks, drives, night drives and cruises. For this quality safari, Doug uses three different camps, which are Kanga Pan, Chitake Spring and Chikwenya Lodge, all with unique features and in unique areas showcasing the diversity of the park.

Chitake Spring is some kilometres inland from the Zambezi and delivers a safari experience that is quite unlike most safaris in that it is a walking area of the park and all animals are encountered on foot and from behind trees and termite mounds! He then takes you to Kanga Camp which is a relatively new luxury camp in a private concession of the park. Here, in the dry summer months, the wildlife comes to the water hole right into the camp. The safari ends at the beautiful Chikwenya Lodge on the eastern edge of Mana where you will be able to enjoy some of the most prolific wildlife and beautiful walks in all of Africa.

Recommended months: July – October


The Master Guides Collection

The Master Guides Collection

Designed by Doug Macdonald


Request for the Full Itinerary

or call our African safari specialists at
+1 703 220 6393 or +91 9717 275237



More

The Chalo Edge
  • A privately guided safari developed exclusively for Chalo Africa by Doug MacDonald, one of the best known Zimbabwean Pro Guides on the continent
  • Doug has intimate knowledge of Mana Pools and if he deems it safe for you and the animals, he can and will track wild dogs, lions and elephants on foot in the bush
  • Excellent chance for close encounters with lion, elephant, wild dog, kudu, impala, bushbuck, warthog and more – all from a camp chair placed at the edge of your campsite!
  • River cruises on the Zambezi
  • Doug has designed this as a modular safari – meaning that it can either be added on before or after other safari destinations, or be enjoyed as a stand-alone safari. If the latter, your charter flight will take you either to Harare or to VFA for your onward flight home. If you wish to extend this safari, please let us know and we will work together with Doug to make this happen
Sangeeta's Note

In August 2012, I visited Chitake with Doug and have fond recollections of spending a few hours perched on a sandy ledge (camouflaged by tree branches), waiting for the wary buffalo herds to come down the river banks for a drink. These large breeding herds of buffalo and elephants are always stalked by predators – prides of lions, packs of wild dogs, hyena, leopards, and even (very rarely) cheetah. Whether you get to see this action or not is a matter of chance, but either way, Chitake will give you very action-packed days and nights.

Here is a description I found in a report. I am quoting it here because I could not say it better:

“Of course, the greatest shows are put on by the grey herds of thirsty elephant and huge black masses of buffalo. Experience the closeness and excitement of Chitake by camping right on the edge of the river and exploring its mini sandstone gorge and wild woodlands, brimming with nature. Long walks are taken out from the spring area to go up into the different habitats of the hills or, when it is very dry, one can make a hide in the bushes near the water, blend into the environment and let everything come to you.

Chitake can be an extremely intense experience for the true naturalist and someone who likes to feel the challenge of nature. When walking you have to concentrate particularly carefully on your surroundings, often remaining silent for hours to let the game close in. Sounds are amplified at night in the narrow riverbed; the bushes around one threatening to release some bundle of tooth and claw!

This is not a “lodge”. This is not a game drive. Chitake is for people who understand the Africa away from the standard brochure. For the “Africaphile” who like their wildlife wild!”

Text credit: natureways.com

Another interesting read is Susan Robinson’s wonderful trip report of her experience In the Faraway Bush: Chitake Springs.


Gallery

  • Chitake Spring, Zimbabwe
  • Kanga Camp, Zimbabwe
  • Chitake Spring, Zimbabwe
  • Chikwenya Lodge, Zimbabwe
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Mana Pools Safari Map

Chitake Springs Camping Area, Hurungwe, Mashonaland West, Zimbabwe

Kanga Camp, Hurungwe, Mashonaland West, Zimbabwe

Chikwenya Game Lodge, Hurungwe, Mashonaland West, Zimbabwe


Best Time to Visit

January

Fair

February

Fair

March

Fair

April

Fair

May

Fair

June

Fair

July

Best

August

Best

September

Best

October

Best

November

Fair

December

Fair


Video


Enquire Now

You can add any other comments about your trip here. If you are travelling with children, please let us know how old they are.

Other Recommended Safari Tours

8N Safari & Beach in Mozambique
Great Mana Expedition
Chalo Africa’s Safari to Mana Pools National Park
Classic Zimbabwe Safari with Johnny Russell
Gonarezhou Bush Camp & Chilo Gorge Safari

View all safari tours in Zimbabwe »

Chalo Africa provides luxury African safari tours and holidays from the United States (Washington DC), United Arab Emirates (Dubai) and India.


We plan safaris to Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Uganda, Rwanda, Gabon, Chad, Ethiopia and elsewhere.
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