Safari to Matusadona

motorboat safari and birding on Lake Kariba

At 1400 square kilometres, Matusadona is a good sized national park lying on the southern shore of Lake Kariba, which contains a good range of wildlife.

Lake Kariba is an enormous and very scenic expanse of water which was created in the 1950’s when this section of the Zambezi Valley was flooded by an enormous dam.

The area is reasonably rich in wildlife, especially Jul-Oct, with the key riverfront areas having decent densities of elephants, hippos and lions, as well as a wide range of other mammals. Birding is particularly strong.

The biggest draw is sport fishing, with the lake being well known for its large tiger-fish and vundu catfish, although we have very mixed feelings about that activity.

Motorboat safaris on the lake are also particularly good.

The Matusadona area contains a number of private safari areas, including the Changa and Bumi concession areas.

These concessions generally each contain just one camp, which each enjoy exclusive use of their safari areas. They are also not subject to national park restrictions on off-road driving, walking safari and night vehicle safari, which can make a significant difference to the range and quality of the overall experience.

Matusadona is not a strong area for savanna safari. The primary reason to visit is to include a relaxing punctuation in a longer safari, providing a break from the relentless daily schedule and take time to breathe in this beautiful lakeside location.

Seasonality

Like most areas in Zimbabwe, safari in Matusadona is very seasonal and careful planning is extremely important.

The best time to visit Matusadona is during the May-Oct dry season, when the wildlife is focused along the lake and easy to find.

Within that period, May-Jul is pleasantly cool at night, but the animals may not yet be fully migrated back into water.

Towards the end of that period, Oct-Nov the wildlife should be at its strongest, but the weather is likely to be uncomfortably hot, especially at night. Bear in mind that most camps do not have air-conditioning.

Getting around

Visiting and travelling around Zimbabwe is relatively straightforward. By far the easiest (but also the most expensive) way to travel is to connect the various areas by light aircraft flights. However, some of these flights are relatively long and expensive.

Matusadona is usually accessed by light aircraft from Victoria Falls, Hwange, Mana Pools or Harare into the local airstrip on the nearby Fothergill Island.

From there it is a motorboat safari of around 20 minutes to the lodge.

It is also possible to fly into the main airport at Kariba and journey for around two hours by motorboat across the lake.

Where to stay

The Matusadona area contains just a handful of camps.

The most upmarket option is the substantial Bumi Hills Safari Lodge, which seeks to provide a relaxing change of pace from the usual safari nights, with a heavier build and a higher level of convention comforts.

Another high quality option is Changa Safari Camp, whilst Musango Safari Camp is a very characterful owner-guided property.

a handful of interesting accommodation options