Maputo National Park – A magical destination

Published

November 14, 2023

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Text: Lowlder

Photo: PPF

Edição 80 Jul/Ago/ Set| Download.

Maputo National Park – A magical destination

A rare and treasured jewel of nature just one hour from Maputo town and a four-hour drive from Mbombela/South Africa, the Maputo National Park in Mozambique is the home of one of the most biologically rich and endangered ecoregions in the world.
Offering its visitors a chance to experience pristine beaches, lakes, wetlands, swamp forests, grasslands and mangrove forests, the thriving wildlife haven is the perfect getaway for nature lovers.
Whether you are seeking a thrilling adventure in the great outdoors, wanting to laze in the lap of luxury, or experience the best of both of these worlds, the park has a perfect destination for every single one of its visitors.
This includes the park’s newest addition, Membene Lodge (www.membene.co.mz), an affordable 3 star hideaway that offers open-plan and modern accommodation. It is nestled in a coastal dune forest and the lodge’s design both preserves and incorporates the unique natural environment that surrounds it.
With 72 beds in 24 chalets units and a beach-side restaurant overlooking an untouched beach, nature was front of mind when Membene was designed. Membene also has a campsite with hot water, energy and ablution facilities.
Another exciting feature of the park are its five 4×4 Wilderness Camps and Xinguti camp. Ideal for rugged eco-travellers, the camps presents an excellent opportunity for immersing oneself in the surrounding untouched environment, allowing you to explore the unique habitats and wildlife of the park.
The park also offers three picnic sites each with an incredible view including at Lake Xinguti, where the location ensures visitors spectacular game viewing opportunities of the lake’s resident hippos, crocodiles and birds.

Accessing the park and all the wonders it has to offer is unsurprisingly painless and easy. The development of infrastructure such as roads and signage includes a beautifully upgraded entrance gate that also offers guests ablution facilities, a small shop and plenty of information that will allow visitors to confidently navigate the park. A 4×4 vehicle is however recommended for the more sandy roads found in the park.

Paradise is just a stone’s throw away

Maputo National Park is only a two-and-a-half-hour drive on paved roads from the South African border into Mozambique, and just one hour drive from Ponta de Ouro and KwaZulu-Natal border with South Africa. The park lies in the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area between Mozambique, South Africa and eSwatini.

This means the area connects Mozambique’s turtle monitoring programme in the park with that of South Africa’s iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a World Heritage Site in KwaZulu-Natal, providing kilometres of safe nesting sites for these critically endangered ancients of the sea. When visiting between October and February, visitors could have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view a nesting female making her way across the beach, or hatchlings heading to the ocean.
It is all thanks to the hard and tireless work of Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC), Peace Parks Foundation (PPF) and partners that the conservation area is the true gem it is today.
ANAC and PPFs’ fierce advocacy for the preservation and protection of the park’s environment and its inhabitants has created a richly diverse and healthy ecosystem.
This includes a rewilding programme that has seen the reintroduction of 11 species that had become extinct locally with almost 5 000 animals translocated into the park.
Over the years, the wildlife numbers have grown to an estimated 16 000 animals, signifying the success of intensified ecological management and protection of wildlife and their varied habitats.