Sofala
Gorongosa National Park
One of Africa's most ambitious wildlife restoration projects, at the southern end of the Great Rift Valley.
Gorongosa sits where the Great Rift Valley reaches its southern end, and the geography is exceptional: floodplain, fever-tree forest, palm savanna and, rising above it, the rainforest of Mount Gorongosa.
The park lost the great majority of its large mammals during Mozambique's civil war. Since 2004, a long-term partnership between the Mozambican government and the Gorongosa Restoration Project has rebuilt wildlife populations — waterbuck, buffalo, elephant, lion, and more recently reintroduced wild dogs — while investing heavily in health, education and agriculture in the surrounding communities. It is one of the most studied and most watched conservation projects on the continent.
Game drives, guided walks, birding and a coffee project on Mount Gorongosa all run from the park's main camp.
Things to do
- Rift Valley floodplain game drives
- Mount Gorongosa rainforest and waterfalls
- Lion and wild dog research
- Community coffee project
- Exceptional birdlife
