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Situated north
west of Beira, travelers should take the EN6 to Inchope and from
there follow signs to the park which is accessed by dirt road. After
heavy rain this road is inaccessible.
The park was first set up as a nature reserve in 1921 and gained
national park status in 1967. From then until the outbreak of civil
war in 1983 the Gorongosa National Park was one of the premier tourist
destinations in Southern Africa. It was known as “the”
place to see lion and attracted as many as 10000 tourists a year.
The park was
used as a Renamo camp during the war. The entire area was decimated,
the flora and fauna all but wiped out and the infrastructure destroyed.
The European Union has invested a large amount of money in it’s
rehabilitation. Roads have been improved, facilities provided for
campers, 60 park wardens employed and animals reintroduced. There
is even a land rover to take guests on game drives.
There are three main ecological zones - the Rift zone, Zambezi valley
and Indian Ocean coastal plains. There is thought to be more than
500 species present in the park including more than 300 large mammals.
The rest camp has running water but no restaurant so guests must
take all their own food.
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