Gorongosa & the Islands
Four nights in Gorongosa, the park that lost most of its wildlife to war and is getting it back, then four on the Bazaruto islands — a Mozambique journey with a story in the first half and the Indian Ocean in the second.
- Ideal length: 9 days, 8 nights — 4 in Gorongosa, 4 in the Bazaruto Archipelago
- Best time: May to October; Gorongosa's camp opens mid-March to December
- Beira to Gorongosa by charter (about 35 minutes), then a short flight to Vilanculos
- From around US$1,000 per person, per night — tailored to the camps you choose
- Designed one-to-one by a Forest Travel advisor
Four nights in Gorongosa, the park that lost most of its wildlife to war and is getting it back, then four on the Bazaruto islands — a Mozambique journey with a story in the first half and the Indian Ocean in the second.
What makes Gorongosa different from Kruger?
Kruger shows you an ecosystem that has been protected for over a century. Gorongosa shows you one returning. When research began in 2012 there were thought to be 30–40 lions in the park; by 2019 at least 146 had been documented, with roughly 800 elephants. Painted wolves were reintroduced in 2018 — the first wild dogs released in Mozambique in 25 years — and leopards followed from 2020. You come for the wildlife and leave having seen how a park is rebuilt.
Where do you stay in Gorongosa?
At Muzimu, the park's flagship camp: six tents on the banks of the Mussicadzi River, each with its own deck, and a pool for the hot middle of the day. It opens from mid-March to December. Game drives and guided walks leave from camp, and your advisor can arrange time with the park's scientists and conservation teams — the part of the trip most guests remember longest.
How do the two halves connect?
Through Beira. A charter of about 35 minutes links Beira with Gorongosa's Chitengo airstrip, and a short flight from Beira reaches Vilanculos on the coast — a route that now joins Mozambique's safari and its islands without a detour through Johannesburg. From Vilanculos, a helicopter or boat takes you to Benguerra or Bazaruto island. Soft bags and a per-person weight limit apply on every light aircraft; your advisor confirms each one.
What does the island half add?
The marine side of the same country. The Bazaruto Archipelago has been a national park since 1971, and its reefs, seagrass and channels hold turtles, rays, the region's last dugongs and, from about June to October, passing humpback whales. Days run on the tide: a dhow under sail, snorkelling on protected reefs, and evenings with nothing on the horizon but the mainland's lights.
When should you go?
May to October gives the driest weather in both halves: thinner bush in Gorongosa and calm, clear water on the islands. August and September add humpback whales. Because Muzimu has only six tents, the best weeks fill early — your advisor holds the dates as soon as you decide.
Related journeys
Everything this route touches — the lodges, the seasons and the transfers — is set out in our Mozambique safari guide. Another private journey there:
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Questions, answered.
Eight or nine nights: four in Gorongosa to see the park properly, then four on the islands. Fewer than three in Gorongosa leaves too little time for walks and the conservation visits.
Fly into Beira, then take a charter of about 35 minutes to the Chitengo airstrip inside the park. Muzimu, the flagship camp, is a short drive from there.
Yes. A short flight from Beira reaches Vilanculos, and a helicopter or boat completes the transfer to Benguerra or Bazaruto island.
Lions, elephants, painted wolves reintroduced in 2018 and leopards reintroduced from 2020, alongside large herds of waterbuck, sable and other antelope in a park that is still recovering.
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