Matusadona National Park

• Beautiful, unspoilt wilderness area
• Large game populations
• On the shores of lovely Lake Kariba

The Matusadona National Park is situated in north-western Zimbabwe, on the southern shores of the beautiful Lake Kariba. The 1500km² park includes wooded hills, scrubland and dense bushes.

The biggest part of the park is accessible only by foot and most visitors enter the park via a boat trip across the lake. Matusadona offers water-based as well as land-based safari opportunities. Walking safaris are also extremely popular and a thrilling way of seeing the park’s great wildlife. 

Matusadona is best known for huge elephant populations, as well as being one of the last remaining sanctuaries of the endangered Black Rhino. There is a very high population of lions and lots of antelope and buffalo. Birders will be able to see fish eagles, storks, herons and even flamingoes.

Matusadona is bordered by the Ume River to the west and the Sanyati River in the east.  Most of the area lies south of the Zambezi Escarpment, formed by the Matuzviadonha Hills, from which the park takes its name. Many of the animals that were rescued during Operation Noah, when the Kariba Dam was built, were released into Matusadona and contribute to the vast animal numbers that can be seen here today.

Special features include:  

• Ranks as one of the top walking safari destinations in the world
• Crocodiles are estimated to be one adult animal for every 656 feet of shoreline
• 240 bird species