Matusadona National Park

Matusadona runs along the southern shore of Lake Kariba between the water and the escarpment behind it, and the flooding of the valley in the 1950s left drowned mopane trees standing in the shallows, which is the image the park is known for. Elephant and buffalo work the shoreline grassland, and the park has been managed since 2019 in a partnership that has brought in new investment. Access is mainly by boat or air.

What you actually see

• The drowned trees - mopane skeletons standing in the lake shallows.
• The shoreline grassland - the flush the receding water leaves for game.
• The escarpment - the wall rising behind the park inland.
• The lake - Kariba stretching away to the north.

When to go

May to October is the dry season and best for game on the shoreline. The rains disperse the animals inland. The lake level varies and changes the shoreline.

Honest expectations

Road access is poor and most visitors arrive by boat or light aircraft, which is expensive. Game numbers fell badly in past decades and recovery is ongoing. Facilities inside the park are limited.

Nearby

Kariba is northeast, and Chizarira is southwest.