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Gorongosa Conservation Safari

Wildlife, Conservation & Community in Mozambique

Few places in Africa tell a conservation story quite like Gorongosa National Park. Once devastated by civil war, this remarkable wilderness in central Mozambique has become one of the continent's most inspiring examples of ecological restoration. Today, its floodplains, forests and savannahs are once again alive with wildlife, supported by an ambitious conservation programme that places local communities at the heart of its work.

This eight-day Gorongosa Conservation Safari offers a rare opportunity to experience that recovery firsthand. Alongside traditional game drives and walking safaris, you'll meet the scientists and conservation teams working to protect the park's biodiversity, discover community-led initiatives and gain an insight into the rehabilitation of one of the most threatened animals on earth, the pangolin.

Your journey takes you between two intimate safari properties, Muzimu Lodge and Chicari Camp, each offering a different perspective on Gorongosa's landscapes and wildlife. Explore the park's floodplains and fever tree forests, watch herds of waterbuck gathering around seasonal water sources and venture out after dark to discover a different side of the African bush.

By spending time with the people restoring Gorongosa, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how scientific research, wildlife protection and community development are helping shape the future of this extraordinary wilderness.

Close-up of a pangolin showing its overlapping scales

Safari vehicle watching an elephant herd among fever trees in Gorongosa National Park

Why you'll love this trip

Experience Gorongosa's remarkable conservation story: discover how wildlife restoration, scientific research and community partnerships are transforming this national park.
Meet the scientists behind the recovery: visit the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Lab and learn how researchers are documenting and protecting Gorongosa's extraordinary biodiversity.
Discover pangolin conservation firsthand: join a specialist foraging experience with the veterinary and ranger teams caring for rescued pangolins, subject to confirmation.
Explore the park on foot and by vehicle: enjoy expertly guided game drives, walking safaris and night drives through Gorongosa's diverse habitats.
Stay at two intimate safari camps: spend three nights at riverside Muzimu Lodge and four nights at Chicari Camp, overlooking a natural wildlife-rich pan.

Eight days between two intimate camps, with game drives, walking safaris, science and community at the centre.

Day 1: Arrive in Gorongosa National Park

Arrive at Beira Airport, where you'll board a short flight to Chitengo Airstrip in Gorongosa National Park. From here, transfer to Muzimu Lodge, your riverside base for the next three nights.

After settling in, head out on your first afternoon game drive, exploring the park's grasslands and woodlands as the light begins to soften. Stop for sundowners in the bush before returning to camp for dinner.

Accommodation: Muzimu Lodge

Sundowner drinks set up beside the water in Gorongosa National Park

Day 2: Gorongosa's Community & Conservation Projects

Discover the people behind Gorongosa's restoration on a guided community experience. Visit local initiatives that may include schools, Girls' Clubs, sustainable agriculture and beekeeping projects, learning how conservation and community development work together.

Return to Muzimu Lodge for lunch before heading back into the park for an afternoon wildlife drive, finishing with sundowners as the sun sets over the floodplains.

Accommodation: Muzimu Lodge

Villagers gathered beneath trees during a community visit near Gorongosa National Park

Day 3: Visit the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Lab

Spend the morning at the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Lab, where scientists from the Gorongosa Restoration Project are studying the park's wildlife and ecosystems. Learn how ongoing research helps guide conservation decisions and supports the training of Mozambique's next generation of conservationists.

In the afternoon, return to the wilderness for another game drive, exploring Gorongosa's forests and open plains in search of wildlife.

Accommodation: Muzimu Lodge

Scientists at work in the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Lab in Gorongosa

Day 4: Wildlife Safari & Transfer to Chicari Camp

Begin the day with an early game drive, when the cooler morning temperatures offer excellent opportunities to observe wildlife across the park.

Afterwards, transfer to Chicari Camp, an intimate tented retreat set beside a natural pan that attracts waterbuck and abundant birdlife. Spend time enjoying the surroundings before heading out after dinner for a night drive, looking for nocturnal wildlife rarely seen during the day.

Accommodation: Chicari Camp

Safari vehicle driving through fever tree woodland in Gorongosa National Park

Day 5: Pangolin Conservation Experience

Today offers a particularly memorable insight into Gorongosa's conservation work. Join the veterinary and ranger teams caring for rescued pangolins as they forage in their natural environment, learning about the challenges these extraordinary mammals face and the work involved in their rehabilitation.

Return to camp before setting out on an afternoon game drive, with opportunities to observe wildlife and enjoy sundowners in the bush.

Accommodation: Chicari Camp

Ground pangolin foraging at sunset in Gorongosa National Park

Day 6: Exploring Gorongosa's Wildlife & Floodplains

Spend the day exploring Gorongosa National Park on morning and afternoon game drives. Travel through open floodplains, palm groves and fever tree forests, discovering the varied habitats that support the park's recovering wildlife populations.

Your expert guide will help interpret animal behaviour and the wider ecosystem, with opportunities to photograph wildlife and learn more about Gorongosa's continuing restoration. Recovering populations include African elephants, African lions and wild dogs.

Accommodation: Chicari Camp

Aerial view of the Gorongosa floodplain and pans

Day 7: Guided Walking Safari in Gorongosa

Experience the African bush from a different perspective on a guided walking safari. Accompanied by an experienced armed guide, follow wildlife tracks through the forest and learn to recognise the smaller signs of life that are easily overlooked from a vehicle.

After lunch and time to relax at Chicari Camp, enjoy a final afternoon game drive and sundowners, reflecting on the wildlife encounters and conservation experiences of the past week.

Accommodation: Chicari Camp

Guide tracking wildlife on foot in Gorongosa National Park

Day 8: Depart Gorongosa National Park

Enjoy a final morning in Gorongosa before transferring to Chitengo Airstrip for your return flight to Beira, where your safari comes to an end.

Chicari Camp tents in morning fog in Gorongosa National Park

Your Accommodation

Muzimu Lodge

3 nights | Gorongosa National Park

Set beside an oxbow of the Mussicadzi River, Muzimu Lodge offers an intimate base from which to explore Gorongosa's wildlife and conservation projects. Its name means 'Guardian Spirit', reflecting its connection to the surrounding wilderness.

Spacious en-suite safari tents sit on raised wooden decks overlooking the river, with private verandas and comfortable interiors. The lodge's location provides convenient access to the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Lab and community initiatives, alongside guided game drives and walking safaris.

Chicari Camp

4 nights | Gorongosa National Park

Hidden within a band of forest overlooking a natural pan, Chicari Camp offers an immersive wildlife experience in the heart of Gorongosa.

Its nine en-suite safari tents each have a private deck facing the water, where waterbuck and birdlife can often be observed without leaving camp. Walking safaris, game drives and night drives reveal the park's diverse habitats, while the intimate setting allows guests to enjoy the sounds and rhythms of the African bush.