Matusadona: Where the Wild Come to the Water's Edge

MATUSADONA NATIONAL PARK - Northern Zimbabwe

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At the water’s edge of Zimbabwe’s inland lake, Matusadona National Park is a wilderness getaway with all the attractions of seeing wildlife and birdlife, as well as fishing and boating. Facing Lake Kariba, with rivers on two sides, Matusadona stretches westwards to the wide-mouthed Ume River, eastwards to the Sanyati River with its magnificent steep-sided gorge and up to the rugged Zambezi Escarpment in the south. Matusadona is on the shoreline of the largest man-made lake in the world and is known for its scenic 'Kariba' setting.

Photo credit and Copyright: Scott Ramsay

Image is looking directly southward at the Matusadona Hills.

Part of the African Parks portfolio, Matusadona National Park is being restored with the hopes to make it Zimbabwe’s premier rhino and elephant sanctuary. It was initially created as a haven for wildlife rescued in the famous Operation Noah. Lake Kariba was built and made into a full national park seven years later. Matusadona is currently being improved in the first partnership between the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority and African Parks. Matusadona, marking its milestone 60th year in 2026, is being developed around local community involvement in the protection of natural heritage, wildlife, and investment in tourism. Zebra, buffalo, and eland to name a few, have been introduced so far since 2019. The country’s first research and monitoring project on the much-loved, endangered pangolin was established with the Tikki Hywood Foundation and a handful of pangolin have been introduced in 2024. Black rhino is on the list and planned for 2026.

One of the largest waterholes in Africa, Lake Kariba, engineered as a hydroelectric power scheme has the ecology to support some 240 bird species, as well as all of the wildlife around. For visitors, there are lodges, chalets and campsites with lakeside views, both operated by national parks facilities and private lodges and camps within the park — as African Parks grants concessions to third-party operators who can run the tourism facilities, or you can choose to stay on the water on a houseboat and move up the shoreline. Whether staying on land or on the water, you can hop into a tender boat and still go fishing on the lake, or just move around the bays to view game at close range. Keep an eye out for hippo, waterbuck, impala and buffalo feeding on the torpedo grass along the shoreline that over time has become part of the ecology of the park. in designated spots, you are able to disembark with a professional guide and go on a guided walk or game drive on the open grassland of the Kariba floodplain where lion and leopard prowl.

Photo Credit: Changa Safari Camp

Image is of a walking safari with a professional guide.

Drink in the scenic Kariba waterscape with its famous ‘sentinels’, the ghostly trees still standing almost 70 years after the lake was filled with their top branches protruding above the water. Watch the fish eagle with its distinctive call take up its lookout post on a top branch, ready to swoop down and catch the prize tiger fish or bream, which makes Lake Kariba, with its rivers and inlets a fisherman’s paradise. Egrets, grey herons, goliath herons, great white herons and reed cormorants have their fill of fish too, along with saddleback storks, rare red-winged pratincoles, and darters. With its diverse birdlife and resident ornithologists, Matusadona is perfect for birding.

At the end of the day, enjoy a spectacular Kariba sunset, where sky and water meet and merge as the last rays of the setting African sun are reflected in the lake. Enjoy a sundowner on deck or lakeshore as you watch game come down to the water’s edge for an evening drink. Zoom in with your lens and capture the magic of a Kariba sunset.

Photo Credit and Copyright: Scott Ramsay

Image is of the iconic Kariba sunset.

Just offshore and within easy reach by boat or air, are Kariba’s famous island getaways of Spurwing Island, Fothergill Island and Changa Safari Camp. All three offer scenic views over the lake and you can take a breathtaking guided tour up the Sanyati gorge, or view wildlife on foot, by boat or in a game vehicle. Further upriver, Rhino Safari Camp is being restored to a luxury camp, and the Matusadona Conservation Trust has been refurbishing the self-catering cottages and campsites at Tashinga. Other popular resorts easily accessible from Matusadona include Bumi Hills, a luxury clifftop lodge with its own water features, a spa, and an infinity pool that spills over into the vast lake.

Photo Credit: Bumi Hills of African Bush Camps

Image is of the Bumi Hills infinity pool, overlooking Lake Kariba.

However you choose to enjoy it, lakeside, on deck or from an island paradise, Matusadona National Park on Lake Kariba is the perfect water resort in the African bush. From the thrill of seeing big game, a breathtaking climb up the Sanyati gorge, to a romantic sunset cruise, houseboat holiday or fisherman’s retreat, Matusadona has it all.

This African Park is a getaway most easily accessible by air, from all directions.

Photo Credit and Copyright: Scott Ramsay

Aerial Image of Sanyati Gorge and River.

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