Gorongosa National Park Mozambique

Parc Nacional de Gorongosa

Gorongosa National Park is located north of Beira in a beautiful remote area with Mount Gorongosa, a 1,800-metre high massif whose rivers and streams sustain the park’s wildlife guarding the park. There are guided trails up Mount Gorongosa where you will see many different kinds of forest and rare plants, wonderful birdlife, gorgeous waterfalls and the view from the top is breathtaking !

Gorongosa National Park is approx 3,770 square kilometres of savannah, woodlands, and rainforest in central Mozambique, Southern Africa.

There are lions, elephants, buffalos, and many kinds of antelope, with frequent sightings of sable, impala, oribi, bushbuck, reedbuck, kudu, nyala, waterbuck, and (less frequently) zebra, hartebeest and eland. On night drives, you can see porcupines, genets, civets and servals.

Lake Urema and its waterways support healthy populations of crocodiles and hippos.

The park’s birdlife is fantastic! About 400 species have been sighted in recent years. Many are endemics or near-endemics prized by birders. The Green-headed Oriole, for example, is found in southern Africa only on Mount Gorongosa, and the Moustached Warbler has been sighted at Chitengo safari camp and on Gorongosa mountain.

Gorongosa National Park is mostly wilderness surrounded by rural areas with only a few small, scattered villages, so remember to bring supplies with you !

Gorongosa National Park does not sell fuel.
The closest reliable stations are in Beira, Dondo, Nhamatanda, Chimoio and Caia.

Gorongosa Park Accommodation

Accommodation is available at Chitengo Safari Camp, in the heart of Gorongosa Park. The cozy newcabanas have hot showers and air-conditioning and the camp site is newly renovated.

Chitengo Safari Camp also has a restaurant featuring delicious local fare at reasonable prices. It’s a perfect home base for exploring Gorongosa's many wonders.

Chitengo Safari Camp

First constructed in 1941, Chitengo hosted thousands of visitors from all over the world until 1983, when Mozambique’s civil war shut it down. It was mostly destroyed during the war, but re-opened in 1995. We are now restoring and rebuilding it with many modern conveniences.
As part of our continuing effort to improve and expand our facilities and accommodations at Chitengo Camp, we are undertaking some construction activities that may, during some daytime hours, interrupt the normal tranquility of some parts of Chitengo. Please bear with us as we work to make Chitengo an even better place from which to base your Gorongosa experience.

Chitengo Safari Camp Cabanas

There are 9 modern and comfortable double cabanas located in a tranquil area of Chitengo, for a total of 18 separate rooms, each with 2 single beds or 1 double bed. All have mosquito netting, en-suite toilets, air-conditioning, and thatch chairs. Maximum occupancy: 2 persons.

Chitengo Safari Camping

The newly renovated campsite is now open! The campsite has everything you will need for a comfortable stay including bathrooms and showers with hot water, a grill area, firepit, an area to wash clothes, and a covered gazebo.

Conferences

By 2009 the Gorongosa conference centre wil be open, seating 75 people as well as a new restaurant and kitchen that seats 150 people.

Restaurant

Chitengo Safari Camp has a reasonably priced bar and restaurant serving authentic Mozambican breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Breakfast is included in the price of the cabanas.

We are proud to feature many locally grown organic vegetables on our menu to provide you with fresher, healthier foods and to help support the local communities near Chitengo.
Breakfast: 06:00 am - 09:30 am
Lunch: 12:30 pm - 14:30 pm
Dinner: 19:30 pm - 21:30 pm

Meals Price Range - MT (USD)
Breakfast Buffet MT220 ($9.50)
Sandwiches MT85 ($3.70) - MT170 ($7.40)
Starters MT120 ($5.20) - MT180 ($7.80)
Soups MT50 ($2.20)
Salads MT85 ($3.70) - MT110 ($4.80)
Seafood MT160 ($7.00) - MT450 ($19.50)
Beef/Chicken MT160 ($7.00) - MT360 ($16.80)
Dessert MT45 ($2.00) - MT90 ($3.60)
Note: Prices are subject to change

Other Chitengo Amenities
· Beverages: bottled water, soft drinks, and juice
· Alcoholic Beverages: beer, wine, and spirits

Gorongosa Activities

There is a variety of activities availabel from Chitengo including wildlife game drives, birding safaris, and community walks guided by local experts on the Park’s flora and fauna. Drive out across the miombo to look for lions, elephants, and antelope. Or walk to a nearby community to visit the new school and health clinic that was recently built.

2008 Price Guide

The current pricing for 2008, subject to possible alterations, is shown below.
Accomodation Occupancy

Low Season: Feb 1st - Mar 31st MT (USD)
Cabana Single MT2,250 ($90)
Double MT2,690 ($108)
Extra Occupant (Mattress) MT420 ($18)
Camping (2008) Per Person MT150 ($6)

High Season Apr 1st - Dec 15th MT (USD)
Cabana Single MT2,500 ($100)
Double MT2,990 ($120)
Extra Occupant (Mattress) MT580 ($25)
Camping (2008) Per Person MT210 ($8.70)

Park Entry Fee (payable only in meticais)
Foreign Visitor Fee: MT200 ($8) per person
Mozambique Nationals: MT100 per person ($4)
Per Car: MT200 ($8)
Per Trailer: MT50 ($2)
Please note: The Park gate is open from 6am - 6pm

Payment
· Please note that the US$ prices are subject to change. The exchange rate will be evaluated at the end of each month and prices changed accordingly.
· Breakfast is included in the price of chalets and cabanas. No other meals are included in the price of accommodations.
· We accept US dollars, Euros and Rand for the restaurant, but NOT for park entry fees. Only Mozambican Meticais are accepted for park entry fee.
· We gladly accept major credit cards in the park: VISA / MASTERCARD / MAESTRO / MILLENNIUM BIM.
· Rates are subject to exchange rate fluctuations.
· If you pay with a foreign currency, you may receive change in Mozambican currency.

Getting to Gorongosa

Air Travel

For private air charters there is a licensed airstrip at Chitengo Safari Camp, with a landing length of 1200 meters of hard earth. Advanced notification and authorization by the aeronautical authorities is required (from December to April the airstrip is closed due to the rains).

Gorongosa National Park’s Chitengo Safari Camp is 200 km (about a 3-hour drive) from the airport in Beira.
Flights from Johannesburg to Beira on LAM depart daily (most flights are via Maputo).
Transfer (max - 3 people) Beira - Chitengo One Way - Per Person MT1,820 ($80)
Minibus Transfer (max - 20 people) Beira - Chitengo One Way - Per Transfer MT8,000 ($347)

Chitengo is 135 km (about a 2-hour drive) from Chimoio.
Flights from Johannesburg to Chimoio on LAM are all via Maputo and you may need to overnight in Maputo in one direction.
Transfer (max - 3 people) Chimoio - Chitengo One Way - Per Person MT1300 ($57)
Minibus Transfer (max - 20 people) Chimoio - Chitengo One Way - Per Transfer MT5,000 ($217)

Rental Cars and Driving in the Park

Maputo and Beira both have car rental car. Rates vary, depending on the agency, the car you rent, and if you need a driver, but typically they are about $125 per day.

You can drive to the Park on the EN1 highway from Maputo or via the EN6 highway from Beira, which intersects the EN1 highway at Inchope. Both are tar roads. The 40 kilometers of EN1 from Inchope to the turn-off to the Park is high-quality tar. From there it’s another 11 kilometers east on a graded dirt road to the park gate. The 18-kilometer dirt road from the gate to Chitengo is drivable in a two-wheel drive vehicle with good clearance. Be advised that during the rainy season (November–April) the road is only passable using a four-wheel drive vehicle, and in particularly heavy rains may not be passable.

Even during the dry season, it is recommended drive a 4x4 vehicle on the Park's roads and Game Drive Network. Driving a 2x2 sedan is not recommended for game drives because of the risk of getting stuck or damaging your vehicle. Four-wheel drive is essential for driving to the base of Mount Gorongosa or exploring any other rugged terrain.

Bus (“Chapa”) from Beira

Buses leave Beira hourly for Chimoio or Inchope, but they do not come all the way to the Park. You will need to get off at Inchope and take the bus to Vila Gorongosa. Ask the driver to let you off at the turn-off to the Park, about 40 kilometers north of Inchope. From there, you will need transportation to Chitengo, a distance of about 29 kilometers. You will need to call the Park (preferably from Beira or Chimoio) to request a ride.

The entire trip from Beira to Chitengo usually takes about half a day by chapa, but we suggest leaving extra time for unexpected delays. We recommend traveling during the day, for safety reasons and because the Park gate is open from 6am - 6pm.

Transfer (max - 3 people)
   Inchope - Chitengo One Way - Per Person MT520 ($23)
   Turn-off from EN1 - Chitengo One Way - Per Person MT 260 ($11)
   Park Entry Gate - Chitengo One Way - Per Person 180 ($8)
Minibus Transfer (max - 20 people)
   Inchope - Chitengo One Way - Per Transfer 2,200 ($96)
   Turn-off from EN1 - Chitengo One Way - Per Transfer 750 ($33)
   Park Entry Gate - Chitengo One Way - Per Transfer 500 ($22)