Manapools.com - Glamping + Self-Drive Zim Safaris
Mana Pools Tourism Services
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2015)
- Member Of:
- Wild Zambezi & Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $90 to $400 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Oli Morgan | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Amazing service from start to finish providing an epic adventure
Manapools.com delivered a unique "holiday" experience for us that i will remember for the rest of my life. From our first enquiry they provided an excellent service giving invaluable insight into what was possible in the time we had and understanding what we wanted to get out of the trip. Ant came up with a great itinerary that was challenging but rewarding in the most amazing way. The vehicles were great and dealt with everything we did without missing a beat. The roads are as bad as they say, don't underestimate that part! The B&B at the end was the perfect place to de-compress and get ready for our flight home. All in all an amazing trip that i'd like to again only with more time. Great value for money too.
Reply from Mana Pools Tourism Services
Posted on Jun 16, 2024Thanks so much for taking time out to review us, we thoroughly enjoyed meeting you both and are so glad you enjoyed Zim.
Best Regards
Ant Bown
For the Manapools.com Team
Email Carol H | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An excellent tour provider - every effort made to ensure a wonderful and trouble-free holiday
We made a return trip to Zimbabwe 25 years after last going there. Our research suggested that this time we needed to partner with a tour company and Mana pools.com proved a good choice. A whatsapp call with Ant Bown established an itinerary which was refined with a further call and messages - 4 nights camping at Mana Pools and a further 2 days sailing on Lake Kariba. Ant provided us with a fully equipped 4x4 vehicle and linked us with a driver who would also manage the logisitics of travel, setting up camp and catering and generally trouble shooting. This worked very well. We were able to relax and watch the countryside roll by while our driver negotiated the potholes and traffic. At Mana Pools we camped by the Zambezi in a comfortable tent with basic but adequate amenities near by. The camp is unfenced and we were visited by an elephant investigated our dinner table on the first night and every night by grazing hippos. We also had to watch out for monkeys stealing our food and belongings. We woke at dawn each day to go for a game drive and we would go out again at the end of the day. The game was plentiful and we saw most of the larger animals in the park, inluding many elephant, a pride of lions, and a pack of rarely see wild (painted) dogs. During the middle of the day we relaxed in camp, watching birds and the life of the river. As we visited in early March, we were ahead of the main safari season and had the camp almost to ourselves. It would have been more crowded in subsequent months. We also had hotter weather than during the winter months, with temperatures well into the 30sC during the day. For the last part of our trip we transferred to Kariba to spend 2 days sailing on the lake in Greg Hall's catamaran Biriwiri. Being on the water was cooler but we had to watch out for sunburn from above and below (reflected off the water). Highlights of the trip included camping on an island with dinner on the beach and barefoot walks, game spotting from the boat with wonderful sightings of a baby elephant with it's family group and a parade of bull elephants crossing from an island to the mainland ahead of us, a swim in the lake (well away from the crocodiles) and sleeping under the stars on the deck of the boat. We spent a night at each end of the trip in the Sunbird Guesthouse in Harare, headquarters of Manapools.com, the first night incuding an alfresco dinner with Ant and our driver to run through the itinerary. Manapools.com did a great job for us.
CH
Email Andrea | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Mana Pools 4x4 carhire the top-notch car rental service in Zimbabwe
In September this year we planned a self-driving trip to Zimbabwe. For this occasion we were looking for a carhire in Zimbabwe and came accross Ant Bown and his Mana Pools Care Hire in Harare and we must say, the experience exceeded all expectations. From the first contact Mana Pools is dedicated to providing a seamless and enjoyable car rental experience.
Ant supported us with lots of insights to Zimbabwe, that helped to plan our jurney accordingly. Besides „orinary“ 4x4 car hire with rooftop tent, Mana Pools offers also full planned and accopanied self drive experiences – so you do not have to wory about anything and don’t need to hassle around with trip itinery and planning. For whatever option you decide, they provide excellent support for route planning and offering valuable insights and recommendations, helping you to make the most out of your journey and discover hidden gems along the way.
Mana Pools also provides accomodation in Harare, the Sunbird Guesthouse, so that you can smoolthly arrive in Harare and enjoy a easy going morning before leaving back home. For both, car hire and guesthouse, we can confim that the team goes beyond the ordinary to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. They are all professional but also genuinely sympathetic to the needs of their guests. This creates a familiar and friendly environment, making the rental process not just a transaction but a pleasant interaction.
We encountered some difficulties during our holidays as the luggage did not arrive from europe. We went on with our trip and Ant and his team organised to get the luggage out from customs and send it via bus to the next bigger town. This great service saved us a lot of hassle and we were able to continue our trip without the need of going back to Harare just to get the luggage.
In conclusion, our experience with Mana Pools was nothing short of perfect. The combination of perfect organization, reliability, sympathetic contact, familiar atmosphere, effective problem-solving, and support for route planning makes them stand out. We wholeheartedly recommend Mana Pools to anyone seeking a top-notch car rental service in Zimbabwe.
EE
Email Rein K | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Hospitality at its best
I had thought about visiting Mana Pools for a long time, but self drive in Zimbabwe seemed to be difficult and risky. Contacting Ant (manapools.com) eliminated all my hesitations. Ant was very enthusiastic, friendly and encouraging from the very first contact on and answered all my questions. He also prepared an itinerary, booked the campsites and did shopping for the first half of the trip. When we arrived to his Sunbird Guesthouse, we had the opportunity to have a shower and rest before cars were handed over. The same happened when we came back from Mana Pools. This all, together with the wonderful experience in Mana Pools national park made our trip unforgettable experience. I will definitely repeat it soon!
CA
Email Marianne Deeks | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Incredible
We hired Mana Pools Tourism on the recommendation of a friend and we were so grateful! Mana Pools provided a safe, reliable and amazing opportunity to explore a part of Zimbabwe in a way that was unique to a regular safari camp. We hired a Bevan as our driver, who happened to also be a great cook. Once we arrived at our destination, Bevan was amazing at setting things up, providing delicious meals and graciously answering all our questions regarding Zim. Then, our family would take the truck and explore the park as we wanted. We had the freedom to spend time as a family, finding amazing animals, driving around the various areas, at our pace and then knowing that a great meal would be waiting when we arrived back. What more could you ask for!! Bevan made our trip even better than expected. With regards to the truck and gear; that was also so great. It was clean, we had everything we could possibly need and Ant and his team dealt with all the details such as the permits etc. We would highly recommend Mana Pools Tours. From start to finish, it was professional and worth the money spent!! Thank you Ant and team, and particularly Bevan for being such a great addition to our week!
US
Email George Rogers | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A fantastic team of Safari professionals dedicated to providing over-the-top service.
Ant and his team are a marvelous crew. They are incredibly welcoming and dedicated. They really listen to you and take the time to make you feel welcome. It's clear that they love what they do and are always ready to go above and beyond for their clients. Ant is a fantastic communicator and he takes the time to listen to his clients in order to give them a custom safari experience. We wanted a trip that was off the beaten path and wilder than we had experienced in our previous African travels. Ant and his team delivered. In our three-week itinerary, we saw--based on Antś advice--Mana Pools and Chitake as well as the entire Eastern edge of the country, as we started in the Nyanga Mountains and worked our way south, having some fantastic birding in the Vumbas before ultimately ending up in Gonorazhou, which was as wild and beautiful as promised. The campsites that Ant picked for us were outstanding. Many of them were wild sites where we were by ourselves. We had--at one time or another--almost every large animal you can think of outside our tent, including hippos, lions, hyenas, elephants, monkeys, baboons, and various antelope. It was a wild ride. We had no breakdowns or glitches, not that--with the state of the roads--that couldn't have happened, but the fact that it didn't is testimony to the care his crew takes in maintaining the vehicle and gear. We loved Zimbabwe and will likely return. When we do, it will no doubt be with Ant and Mana Pools Tourism.
Perfect organization, all essential information for a real adventure, safe
We went for a 5 nights 6 days tour to Mana Pools, 2 nights we spent at Chitake camp. We were a family of 5 people and had our children (17,19,21) with us , who were the first time in africa. The 4x4 car had a freezer , this made delicious food in the bush possible. The provided camping stuff is professional, as well as all the instructions. We had a real glamping experience in the bush. Already on our arrival in the Mana camp there were elefants just beside our camp site in the water. We saw most animals just from our chairs and still enjoyed the walking safaris. Walking in the daylight is safe, we had guides from the national park, which was good but to my opinion is not essential. Sitting in the bush with no electricity and internet and all the animals around was amazing and made our children talk to us much more than in everyday life. The sunsets on the Zambezi are great. Chitake is even more remote with lots of lions, what means that the days are quiet and most things happen in the night. Our driver made the remote adventure to a luxury safari.
The price value relation is very good, especially compared to the other Zim Tourism we experienced where one had the impression, that the few tourists here pay for everything. I only can recommend this organization.
Email Bruce Richards | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Exceptional customer service
From the initial point of contact right through to end of hire (& beyond) the personal service and customer service has been exceptional. The whole team throughout were friendly, enthusiastic and efficient with fantastic response times and engagement. The vehicle and equipment were as described and of good standard and everything worked and was demonstrated at a detailed handover. This company and team come very highly recommended. Thank you
Email Alastair Mackie | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Efficient and reliable
The collection was thorough, but the vehicle is well kitted out with all the safety and recovery items you may need. Everything worked. On return the deposit was refunded the same day which is awesome as this is often a sticking point with other operators.
We will definitely recommend them and will use them again.
Email Flora | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A once in a lifetime
We had the most fantastic 10 days in the Land Cruiser. There were three of us and we sat on the front seats the whole way. We drove from Vic Falls to Harare via Chizarira National Park and Mana Pools. Our campsites were breathtakingly beautiful and the roads not too bad!!! We couldn’t have been happier. Ant was absolutely fantastic the whole way through the trip and in organising everything before and after. It is fantastic value for money and we couldn’t recommend it more. Thank you!