Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
camping area at Kiboko, on the Lugenda River by the park gate. Bring all food, drinking
water and supplies with you.
TENTED CAMP
Lugenda Bush Camp $$$
( 21-301618;
www.lugenda.com
;
per person with full board from US$500; Jun-
Nov)
This lovely place on the Lugenda River near the eastern edge of the park caters
primarily to fly-in guests, and offers a unique safari experience that's likely to appeal to
well-heeled safari connoisseurs seeking an 'unpackaged' adventure experience with all
the amenities. There's a set of maintained roads around the camp to facilitate wildlife
tracking.
Information
Reserve headquarters are about 40km southwest of Mecula at Mbatamila.
Wildlife in Niassa Reserve is spread relatively thinly over a vast area, with dense fo-
liage and only a skeleton network of bush tracks. As a result, most tourism to date has
been exclusively for the well-heeled, with the most feasible way to visit by charter plane
from Pemba. With the gradual upgrading of road connections linking Cabo Delgado and
Niassa provinces, this is beginning to change, although the reserve's main market is likely
to remain top end for the foreseeable future.
For self-drivers it is possible in theory to do drive-in visits. However, given the lack of
a developed network of tracks, this is only recommended for the adventure and the wilder-
ness, rather than for the safari or 'Big Five' aspects. Note that Niassa's tsetse flies are very
aggressive and very numerous. Any activity in a vehicle will need to be done with win-
dows up.
At the time of research, fees were not being collected at the reserve entrance, but rather
are payable in advance - in person or via cheque - through the Maputo office of the
So-
ciedade para a Gestão e Desinvolvimento da Reserva do Niassa
(SGN; 21-329807;
sgdrn.map@tvcabo.co.mz; 1031 Avenida Mao Tse Tung)
, the entity charged with man-
aging the reserve. The receipt should then be presented when you reach the reserve. That
said, the entire reserve infrastructure is still in very early stages, and we haven't heard of
anyone being turned away at the gate for lack of a receipt.
