Mozambique safari, 7 day private safari

Planet

Gorongosa is a hugely impressive wilderness destination with a troubled past. With this in mind, we are doubly determined to protect the wildlife and varied ecosystems found within the national park. We know the species found in Gorongosa intimately, and guests may be lucky enough to see lion, elephant, leopard, wild dog, sable, bushpig, serval, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, waterbuck, zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, hippo, fantastic birdlife and much more. Because of the history of unrest in Gorongosa - now thankfully long gone - many animals, and in particular elephants, are uneasy around vehicles. We are therefore committed to responsible game drive practices, including only approaching an animal if it is clear we are not disturbing it. We will never crowd a sighting, nor will we ever pursue an animal when it has made a choice to move away from us. This itinerary includes brief night drives, and we will never spotlight a diurnal animal, nor will we ever spotlight a young, injured or otherwise distressed animal.

It is important that ecotourism minimises its impact on sensitive environments such as Gorongosa. We therefore ask guests to be conscious of their water usage during their stay, including limited the length of showers and limiting superfluous use of water. We also ask guests to limit their use of single-use plastics during their vacation.

People

Ecotourism, when done effectively and properly, only serves to benefit local people, local communities, wildlife and ecosystems. It is vitally important that our visit benefits local people, and indeed the communities of which they are a part, which in turn ensures that as much value as possible is placed by local people on wildlife and important ecosystems. To this end, we insist that all suppliers we use employ local people and, with this in mind, guests should expect all drivers, guides, cooks and housekeeping staff throughout this tour to be Mozambican. The US-based NGO that has led the turnaround of fortunes in Gorongosa has done so with significant community buy-in, and this partnership has led the development of a number of local projects, including those that advocate for girls' education, as well as coffee plantations. All of these projects can be visited during your stay and the local teams will be happy to tell you more about them.

We always ask clients to be hugely respectful of local people, their culture and their traditions during our visit. With this in mind, we politely request that guests dress modestly and never photograph someone without their permission. We also ask that guests are open, honest and polite in all of their interactions with local people, even if the standards of service fall below that which is expected in more developed tourist destinations on the continent.