Gile National Park

Gile covers around four thousand square kilometres of miombo woodland, inselbergs and rivers in eastern Zambezia, upgraded from a reserve to a national park in 2020. Wildlife was heavily reduced and has been recovering under a long-running management partnership, with elephant, sable, buffalo and leopard present in small numbers and reintroductions underway. It is one of the least visited parks in the country and infrastructure reflects that.

Highlights

• The miombo woodland - broadleaf woodland across most of the park.
• The inselbergs - granite outcrops rising through the trees.
• The recovering wildlife - elephant, sable and buffalo in small but growing numbers.
• The rivers - watercourses running through the park, holding water in the dry season.

When to go

June to October is the dry season and the practical window. The rains from November to April make tracks impassable. Animals concentrate at water late in the dry season.

What to expect

Wildlife densities are low and sightings are uncommon; this is a wilderness rather than a game park. Facilities are minimal and visits must be arranged with the park in advance. Roads in are poor and long.

Nearby

Gile town is nearby, and Nampula is northeast.