CHICARI CAMP – GORONGOSA NATIONAL PARK

Gorongosa National Park offers visitors the opportunity to experience one of Africa’s most successful wildlife restoration projects. From open floodplains and river systems to woodland and seasonal wetlands, the park supports a remarkable diversity of habitats, each attracting different wildlife throughout the year. For those looking to explore beyond the better-known safari destinations, Gorongosa provides a rewarding combination of wildlife, birdlife and conservation.

Chicari Camp is one of only two permanent safari camps operating within the national park. Set around the Chicari Pan, a natural waterhole that attracts wildlife throughout the safari season, the camp allows guests to spend time watching animals from camp as well as on game drives and guided walks. The pan is the focal point of the camp and changes continually as different species arrive to drink, feed or pass through during the day.

Originally known as Gorongosa Wild Camp, Chicari has been developed as a seasonal camp with a light environmental footprint. It operates during the safari season before being dismantled at the end of the year, allowing the site to recover naturally during the wet season. This approach reflects the camp’s close relationship with the surrounding landscape rather than imposing a permanent presence within it.

With just ten canvas tents, Chicari offers a different style of stay from neighbouring Muzimu Lodge. The emphasis is on spending as much time as possible outdoors, whether watching wildlife around the pan, setting out on foot with a guide or sitting around the campfire after dinner listening to the sounds of the bush.

LOCATION

Chicari Camp is located within Gorongosa National Park in central Mozambique, overlooking the year-round Chicari Pan. The surrounding woodland and open grassland attract a wide variety of wildlife and birds, making the area productive throughout the safari season. The camp’s location also provides straightforward access to many of the park’s principal game-viewing areas.

Guests normally travel via Beira before continuing by light aircraft into Gorongosa National Park, where they are met by the camp team for the transfer to camp. Chicari combines particularly well with a stay at Muzimu Lodge, allowing visitors to experience different parts of the park whilst enjoying contrasting styles of accommodation.

CAMP

Chicari Camp has ten canvas tents, comprising eight safari tents together with two Treehide Tents that share a raised viewing deck, making them particularly well suited to families or two couples travelling together. Each tent has an en-suite bathroom, comfortable beds, solar-powered lighting and views across the pan. Timber walkways connect the tents to the central guest areas whilst maintaining privacy between each unit.

The central guest area includes an open-sided lounge, dining area and bar overlooking the waterhole. Much of the day is spent outdoors, whether enjoying a meal, reading with a view of the pan or simply watching the steady movement of wildlife through camp. As evening approaches, guests gather around the fire before dinner, often accompanied by the sounds of hyena, bushbabies and nightjars from the surrounding woodland.

Meals are freshly prepared using locally sourced ingredients where possible, with Gorongosa honey and locally grown coffee featuring regularly on the menu. The food is uncomplicated, well prepared and reflects the relaxed style of the camp, whether enjoying breakfast before an early game drive or returning for afternoon tea before heading back into the park.

Chicari’s greatest strength is its location. With the pan only a short distance from the lounge, there is always the possibility of seeing wildlife without leaving camp. During the course of a day, elephants, antelope, birds and other animals may all visit the water, providing a reminder that the safari experience continues even when the vehicle is parked.

ACTIVITIES

Game Drives – Morning and afternoon game drives explore the varied landscapes of Gorongosa National Park, from open floodplains and woodland to river systems that attract wildlife throughout the year. Lion, elephant, buffalo, hippo, crocodile and a growing population of plains game are regularly encountered, while each drive also provides an opportunity to appreciate the changing habitats that make Gorongosa such an interesting park to explore.

Walking Safaris – Walking with an experienced guide offers a different perspective of the park. Rather than concentrating solely on larger mammals, walks focus on animal tracks, birds, insects, plants and the smaller details that explain how the different ecosystems of Gorongosa work together.

Bird Watching – More than 400 bird species have been recorded within the national park, making Gorongosa one of Mozambique’s leading birding destinations. The area around Chicari Pan attracts a wide variety of waterbirds throughout the season, while woodland and riverine habitats support everything from colourful bee-eaters and kingfishers to larger raptors.

Wildlife Viewing from Camp – One of the advantages of Chicari Camp is that wildlife often comes to you. The pan in front of the camp attracts animals throughout the day and early evening, allowing guests to continue watching the changing activity from the lounge, dining area or around the campfire without leaving camp.

Photography – The combination of open views across the pan, varied habitats and changing light creates excellent opportunities for photography. Early morning and late afternoon are particularly rewarding, when both wildlife and birdlife are most active.

Conservation Experiences – Depending on current projects and operational requirements, guests may have opportunities to learn more about the conservation, research and wildlife monitoring taking place within the national park. These experiences provide additional insight into the work that continues to shape Gorongosa’s future.

GIVING BACK

Gorongosa National Park is recognised internationally for the scale of its conservation programme. Alongside the restoration of wildlife populations, the Gorongosa Project supports education, healthcare, scientific research and sustainable livelihoods for communities living around the park.

A stay at Chicari Camp contributes directly to these programmes. Many members of the camp team come from neighbouring communities, and guests gain an understanding of how conservation, tourism and community development work together to protect both the park and the people who depend upon it.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

CHICARI CAMP OPERATES DURING THE GORONGOSA SAFARI SEASON. PLEASE CONTACT TRACKS SAFARIS FOR CURRENT OPENING DATES AND AVAILABILITY.

THE CAMP WELCOMES FAMILIES. PLEASE ASK US FOR THE LATEST CHILD POLICY WHEN PLANNING YOUR HOLIDAY.