MATUSADONA NATIONAL PARK

Zimbabwe

Matusadona National Park

Matusadona is a game reserve park in northern Zimbabwe. The park takes its name from the local Matuzviadonha Hills and is a stunning combination of flat plains and rugged mountain country. The meaning of “Matuzviadonha” is “falling dung” – which was probably a comment on the sight of elephants dropping dung balls as they struggled up the hills. The name is often abbreviated as “The Matus” in colloquial speech by locals.

Matusadona boasts a unique combination of pristine and rugged wilderness, together with the water frontage of Lake Kariba. It is one of the last remaining sanctuaries of the endangered Black Rhinoceros. It is commonly recognized as having the second largest concentration of wild lions in Africa after Ngorongoro Crater[citation needed]. Its relatively poor accessibility by road and extremely harsh internal network of roads keep the crowds and traffic low – it is accessible by boat from Kariba and from the Bumi Hills airstrip.

Matusadona National Park is one of several protected wildlife areas with shorelines on Lake Kariba. Some 338,000 acres (1370 km²) in area, it is bounded on the west by the Ume river and on the east by the Sanyati River. Two-thirds of it lies south of the Zambezi Escarpment formed by the 1968 foot (600 m) high Matusadona Hills from which it takes its name.

Many of the animals rescued during Operation Noah when Lake Kariba was filling (following the construction of Kariba Dam) were released into Matusadona, which now holds strong populations of most mammals occurring in the Zambezi Valley. Buffalo are especially prominent and herds of up to 1,000-strong often congregate along the shoreline in the dry season.

Best time to visit Matusadona National Park

The best time to visit Matusadona National Park for wildlife viewing is from June to October, which is during the dry season. This is when the animals can often be found at the shores of Lake Kariba and can easily be seen through the thinning vegetation.

Wildlife

Well know for its black rhino, Matusadona offers excellent viewing of other animals as well, such as elephant, lion, buffalo, hippo, hyenas, and occasionally leopard, wild dog and cheetah are seen too.

Special interests? Talk to us and we can include these in your itinerary.

WHAT TO EXPERIENCE IN MATUSADONA

Why travel with African Travels to Zimbabwe?

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WHERE DO YOU STAY?

African Travels will send you to the most beautiful and unique accommodations in Africa. They are not only runned by excellent staff, they also give back to the local community and operate as eco friendly as possible. Located in the most beautiful locations, they will contribute to the your ultimate safari experience.

From tented safari camps to luxury boutique hotels. We will make sure they tick all the boxes!

  • All accommodations are carefully selected by us
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Bayete Guest Lodge – Zimbabwe

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Bayete Guest Lodge offers affordable, eco friendly bed and breakfast accommodation in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.

John’s Camp – Zimbabwe

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John's Camp is a semi-permanent tented camp situated within Mana Pools on Zimbabwe’s northern border with Zambia.

Somalisa Camp – Zimbabwe

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Renowned for its huge population of elephants, Somalisa Camp is tucked away within its own private concession in Hwange National Park.
National parks & highlights

Explore Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe has a total of 24 natural reserves, which are covering about 12% of the landmass of the country. A few small parks are privately owned, but most of the parks are managed and controlled by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management.

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