GORONGOZA NATIONAL PARK
This awesome adventure involves walking across what many have described as the most beautiful wilderness in Africa. Beginning the safari with game drives in the south of the Park, hikers will then descend into The Rift Valley for 4 days for mornings of walking and afternoons of exploring. The final leg of this safari is the ascent of Mount Gorongosa, the only home of the green headed Oriole.
If a 10 day walk through Miombo forests & grasslands with over 413 bird species sounds like your cup of tea, then this safari is for you! |
| Proposed Safari itinerary |
| Day 1 |
Day 1
We meet at the airport in Beira and drive to the Gorongosa safari camp at Chitengo in the south of the park. |
| Day 2 - 3 |
The day is spent doing game drives and getting to know the team.
We overnight at Chitengo. |
| Day 4 - 7 |
We get a ride to the north-east of the park and begin our walk descending into The Rift Valley. This is a backpacking adventure and we will be fully self-sufficient, carrying our own equipment. Each morning we will have an early tea and snack before starting to walk soon after sunrise. We break for a breakfast and then continue walking, reaching our next night's camp before the heat of the day. Camps are ad hoc locations chosen en route. Afternoons are spent exploring, tracking and watching wildlife without the burden of a backpack. |
| Day 8 |
Day 8
Transfer to our base camp at the foot of Mount Gorongoza. |
| Day 9 |
Ascend Mount Gorongosa.
Mount Gorongosa is one of the most threatened areas in this park because of the enormous human pressure found along its base. We pass through areas that have been deforested and then through areas under rehabilitation, before breaking into the dense indigenous forest higher up. This is the only home of the local race of the Green-Headed Oriole and we hope to see this endangered bird en route. It is a six-hour walk to the summit (named Gogogo) at 1863 metres, where we either spend the night or return to base camp depending on the time of year and/or client's preference. |
| Day 10 |
We descend the mountain and get a ride back to Chitengo Camp for our last night in paradise found. |
| Safari Description - PARADISE RESURRECTED |
During an era when wilderness is being lost, it is a rare privilege to walk in a wilderness that has been saved from the brink.
Gorongosa is a National Park in central Mozambique, that lies mostly in the southern part of The Great Rift valley. In the 1960's and 1970's Gorongosa was considered to be the greatest wilderness area in Africa - it was the Garden of Eden. This 4,000 km2 reserve had more predators than the almost 5 times larger world renowned 19,485 km2 Kruger National Park and higher concentrations of Buffalo and Elephant than the Serengeti!
The civil war in Mozambique and its aftershocks decimated this beautiful place and by 2001 of the once super-abundance of wildlife only 15 buffalo, 44 hippo, 12 zebra and a solitary wildebeest remained.
In 2004 an American philanthropist by the name of Greg Carr began a project to resurrect this essentially dead park. Since then, massive strides have been made and the wildlife numbers are steadily increasing. Species that had become locally extinct have been reintroduced and remarkably, paradise is well on its way to being resuscitated. The park is actively reintroducing a varied population of predators including Lions, Leopard, Cheetah, Wild Dog and Spotted Hyaena and sightings are becoming more frequent as the populations increase. |
| Issues of Interest |
Remarkable 413 bird species
Vegetation types. Miombo forests, grasslands.
Great Rift Valley
Lake Urema
Conservation interventions
This is one of the most incredible conservation efforts currently underway in the world. What was once considered the greatest Wildlife Reserve in Africa was destroyed through civil war. Estimates suggest that 95% of the mammals were killed during the war. It is currently being restored to its former glory through a private government partnership. Wildlife is being reintroduced, anti-poaching units have been established, infrastructure is being restored and the local community is being involved and educated (see below). A permanent research station is being created in the park.
Social interventions
The project is actively working to improve the lives of people in the Park's surrounding lands by creating employment in park jobs, funding schools and health clinics, and training local farmers in sustainable agriculture.
How your participation contributes to conservation and social upliftment
By visiting the park you are contributing in several ways. Your park fees go toward making the park self-sustainable and not relying on donor money. For the safari we will employ local game scouts, generating income for them as well as providing a learning experience. You will become an ambassador for this incredible wildlife reserve and will encourage others to make the pilgrimage here.
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| What to bring |
Comfortable hiking shoes/boots
Comfortable loose fitting clothes
A warm fleece
A comfortable backpack (50-60 litres)
Sleeping Bag
Sunscreen
Lip Balm
Prescription drugs (if required)
A hat
Sunglasses
Binoculars
Camera & spare batteries/charger
Water bottles (2 litres)
Contact lenses & lens fluid (only if you use them dummy)
Shameless enthusiasm and an adventurous spirit
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| The Details |
The best dates for this expedition are between May and September
Cost will vary depending upon client's requests for variables & catering options, etc.
Price available upon enquiry.
Includes
All activities described above, all vehicle hire & transfers, park entrance fees, all accommodation, all meals while on safari and guide services.
Excludes
Flights to and from Beira, drinks, laundry, tips and items of a personal nature
Required but not included in the cost
Visa, Travel insurance
Conditional Elements
Due to the nature of the area that we will be visiting and the remoteness of the terrain the order of the itinerary may be changed. |
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Email: peter@unconventional-safaris.com Cell: (+267) 7567 0277 |
