Zimparks booking nightmare.

**Terryc** · 2019/11/21, 05:15 PM

Hi Members,
My wife & I have a trip planned for May/June next year taking us via Botswana, Nata, Pandamatenga border to Hwange for 5 nights and then across to Mana Pools for 4 nights. We leave Zim via Kariba border. There seem to be a number of bad reports of crossing at Chirundu border. We plan to spend time in Lower Zambezi, camping at Mvuu for 4 nights. From there we head via Lusaka to Mfuwe & South Luanga for 4 nights. The plan is then to cross over into Malawi via Chipata border to visit a few camps along the western side of Lake Malawi.
We hit a stumbling block trying to make bookings for Hwange and Mana Pools. Zimparks web site booking did not work and we tried sending emails directly to them and they are not delivered. I suspect their network must be out of order.
I then came across manapools.com and emailed Anthony Brown at ([email protected]). Bookings were all done in no time at a small fee not unlike Botswana Footprints. What was also convenient was that they have a SA bank account which made paying for our Hwange & Mana Pools camp sites a cinch. Another interesting thing about them is that they have a guesthouse in Harare (www.sunbirdguesthouse.net) which caters specifically to self-Drivers and they can supply fuel, currency & catering solutions for Self-Drivers from their Harare & Vic Falls 4x4 Rental depots. He suggested we contact him again a fortnight before our trip and he should be able to advise us on the fuel situation.
I know this sound like advertising but for members having the same problem we had trying to book with Zimparks, this seems to be a reliable option and they are on the ball when responding to emails.

**RobH** · 2019/11/21, 05:22 PM

Great reference, thank you. I assume he did your Hwange booking as well?

**Stan Weakley** · 2019/11/21, 05:31 PM

Thanks Terry.

**Hylton** · 2019/11/21, 05:31 PM

Thanks. Very useful

**Rudy Roodbol** · 2019/11/21, 05:45 PM

Thank you very much for this info. Highly appreciated.

**MikevR** · 2019/11/21, 07:10 PM

Thank You TerryC, This s great input to the forum. Well done. It is to be noted that a few parks are starting to be come independent of the central booking office and you can book direct, notably Gonarezhou

**Terryc** · 2019/11/21, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by RobH

Great reference, thank you. I assume he did your Hwange booking as well?

Yes Rob, I gather that his mother runs the B&B in Harare and goes into Zimparks office 2 -3 times a week to sort out bookings and it is also correct that a number of camps that fell under Zimparks have now been privatized. Robin's Camp is one of them and you need to book with the new owners.
Terry

**apfac** · 2019/11/23, 12:31 AM

Thank you TerryC for this very useful info.

AP

**bobhof** · 2019/11/23, 06:45 AM

I used their service a few years back and was really happy with it. We flew into Harare and rented a car (not from Ant) then drove to the guest house and collected our shopping order, extra fuel in jerry cans, plus some camping gear we hired, and some pre-cooked frozen meals (which were delicious) and we were in Mana Pools the same day. It saved us a lot of hassle.