TASHINGA CAMPSITE OFFERS KARIBA SUNRISES AND SUNSETS FROM A SINGLE SPOT IN MATUSADONA

For visitors seeking a retreat on Lake Kariba, Tashinga Campsite offers something few places can: the chance to watch both sunrise and sunset over the lake from the same spot.

Set on a peninsula in the northwest of Matusadona National Park, Tashinga is the park’s main campsite and sits close to reception and the shop. The recently refurbished site now has the comforts of a modern campsite, including solar-powered electricity, fridges and freezers, flush toilets, and hot and cold running water.

Even so, Tashinga has kept the charm it has had since the campsite was first founded. The site is entirely unfenced, and wildlife wanders through freely. Elephant, bushbuck, impala, squirrels, baboons and a resident leopard share the space, along with numerous bird species. That creates a sense of reverence and respect: the site belongs as much to its resident animals as to the humans lucky enough to call it home for a night or two.

Accommodation suits a range of camping styles. Self-equipped campers can pitch on the main site, while Albida and Fig Tree campsites each come with a private kitchen. Albida adds private ablutions and a sheltered veranda, and Fig Tree includes a central living tented area. Fully serviced tents are available for hire, firewood can be bought at reception, and fishing worms are available on request. When in season, fresh green vegetables are sold from the Tashinga gardens.

Activities are built around the park’s landscape and the lake. Birders can look for around 400 species, including Taita falcon, African pitta and Pel’s fishing-owl, and the island heronry, reached by boat, is described as a must. Visitors can self-drive through the park from sunrise to sunset, or join guided morning and afternoon game drives.

Guided walking safaris run from two to three hours up to half a day. For fit, healthy adults, the multi-day Matusadona Trails take hikers along the rugged escarpment, with advance booking essential. On the water, guests can bring their own boat or book a guided trip through submerged forests, while fishing is offered on Lake Kariba, the Ume River and the Sanyati Gorge.

Getting there takes some effort. Tashinga is an hour by speedboat from Kariba, weather permitting, or a ten-hour drive from Harare. By road, it is three hours from the Chifudzi entrance gate or a 15-minute drive from the Ume ferry drop-off point.

The park is managed by African Parks, and shop purchases support the development of the Tashinga Staff Village and Primary School grounds.