MAPUTO NATIONAL PARK
RUSSEL WASSERFALL
Maputo National Park in southern Mozambique is rapidly emerging as a premier eco-tourism destination. The park has undergone a remarkable transformation through an ambitious rewilding program. Devastated by civil war and the ensuing poverty and uncertainty of a post-conflict society, Mozambique’s government determined that tourism would be one of the pillars to rebuild their economy.
The rewilding of Maputo National Park has seen over 5,000 animals released into the area to repopulate and revive its biodiversity. These include giraffe, cheetah, elephants and lions.
Images supplied by Anvil Bay Lodge)
Images by Jacques Marais
Since 2010, over 5,000 animals across 16 species have been reintroduced, to the reserve. At least twelve of these species were previously extinct in the area partly due to a hungry and displaced population hunting for the pot. A recent wildlife census revealed a thriving population of at least 14,000 wild animals, including elephants, lions, and cheetahs.
Image by Carrie Hampton
As well as larger animals and predators, the antelope and bird population has returned in for, like these Springbok and Crested Cranes at the water’s edge.
There is much more than animal encounters to look forward to in the park though. Inland, visitors can explore vast landscapes, including wetlands, mangrove forests, and savanna woodlands. Pristine beaches stretch along the Indian Ocean, providing ample opportunities for swimming, snorkelling and other maritime activities.
The ocean here is so precious and so full of teeming aquatic life that it has been made part of Africa's first trans-frontier marine protected area. The Lubombo Trans-frontier Conservation and Resource Area, like other TFCAs in southern Africa aims to protect the region's unique biodiversity and promote sustainable development. While Lubombo, a collaboration between Mozambique, South Africa, and Swaziland, is largely land-based, it includes a marine component stretching from Ponta do Ouro in the south to the mouth of the Maputo River in the north and extending three nautical miles out to sea.
The biodiversity of the Park, eco-tourism initiatives and accommodation concessions like Membene Lodge are specifically and materially benefiting local communities, particularly women.
The night skies in this untouched corner of southern Africa are nothing short of breathtaking.
The park administration has also gone to extraordinary lengths to ensure access to the region for both local and international travellers. With the inauguration in early 2024 of Membene Lodge, a stunning three-star eco-friendly accommodation, it is accessible to international tourists and to locals who want to explore the beauty in their own back yard.
The award-winning eco-lodge at Membene was specifically designed to give various layers of accommodation so it is affordable to both foreign tourists and locals holidaying in their own country. It is comfortable and neat, giving visitors and locals a chance to mingle and learn from each other if they so choose.
The lodge was designed by award-winning architects PlanEco (PTY) Ltd, blending luxury and sustainability. Self-catering chalets and campsites cater to a range of budgets, and the lodge's eco-design and construction have earned it praise for a refined and experiential approach to hospitality in the heart of nature.
Utenriksdepartementet gir følgende reiseråd: