Mozambique safari holiday

Planet

CARBON REDUCTION

Solar-powered camps — Both Gorongosa camps, Muzimu Lodge and Chicari Camp, run on solar power. That covers five of the trip's ten nights.

Travelling on foot and by bike — Walking or cycling features on three of the five days in Gorongosa. The community day travels partly on foot and partly by bicycle. Pangolin Guardians involves daily foraging walks. Guests can also choose a morning walk on the final park day.

Fewer moves — The trip uses two regions and three properties over ten nights. The transfer between Muzimu and Chicari is a game drive across the park, not a flight. Guests then stay five nights at one hotel on the coast.

ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE

Restoring a landscape — By the end of Mozambique's civil war, Gorongosa's wildlife had fallen to a fraction of historic levels. Three decades of active management have rebuilt populations of waterbuck, elephant, buffalo, lion and wild dog. Tourism revenue directly funds that recovery.

Science on the ground — Guests visit the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Laboratory. Mozambican scientists there are cataloguing an ecosystem estimated to hold around 75,000 species. The five nights in Gorongosa qualify guests to join Pangolin Guardians. On daily foraging walks, they shadow vet Mιrcia Angela as she rehabilitates rescued pangolins for release.

People

LOCAL ECONOMY

Community partnership — A full day of the itinerary goes to community partners in the park's buffer zone. Guests travel between them on foot and by bicycle. Visits take in schools, Girls' Clubs, and sustainable farming and beekeeping projects. Each links conservation funding to local livelihoods, giving neighbours a direct stake in the park's recovery.

On the coast — Bahia Mar is a small, privately run hotel in Vilanculos. It books its excursions into the Bazaruto Archipelago through local boat operators, dive centres and guides. Guests can sail on a traditional dhow. Tuk-tuk tours take guests into Vilanculos town, where they eat and shop in local markets and restaurants.

EMPLOYMENT, INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY

Local guiding — Self-drive isn't permitted in Gorongosa. Park guides lead every game drive and walk. That keeps guiding roles and local knowledge in Mozambican hands.

Mozambican expertise — Mozambicans staff the conservation work guests see, from park guides to scientists at the biodiversity laboratory.