Tashinga | Established Campground

We didn’t end camping here but wanted to post about how helpful the staff and how great matusadona park is! We were greeted by the tourism officer who was happy to help us get fuel, firewood and recommend a great camping spot for us in the park. We like to camp exclusively and so ended up staying at Mhukadzapera. African parks is doing a great job and unlike some of the comments further down about matusadona we were told of a pride of 23 lion in the area which we should go and see. We saw 13 of the 23 plus an extra later! Game has pulled into the bush with rain but still so much to see! The tourism officer mentioned a ferry planned in future from forthergill to Kariba. The road is rough - it took us 6+ hours from Tashinga to Karoi. We did take it slow. The ferry is welcome. There is a private ferry but it is expensive. Glad to have stayed at matusadona!

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Road is slow, but good to drive in 4wd. From Karoi turnoff (Take the road 8 km north of Karoi!), it takes 2,5 hrs to the Matusadona turnoff, then another 2,5 hrs to reach the campsite. Well maintained, nice views over the lake.

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Stunning location
Great to be back here again. What a huge improvement since AP took over.
Brilliant staff
Thanks to Chris and the team

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Very beautiful and clean place (entire park and campside). Chris and his staff are very professional and friendly. We saw many animals, even a lion (male)!

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Camped 2 nights at Tashinga, lovely spot. Ablutions recently renovated, very nice. The staff here are super friendly and professional. IMPORTANT NOTE: There is an elephant that has learned vehicles sometimes have food. The week before someone came in with vegetables in a box on their roof rack and he found them and ate them all. We had our plastic trash (it is a pack in/pack out park) on the roof, no food, and he came and broke our awning while investigating our roof rack.

To the many comments re: poor game viewing - we had excellent wildlife viewing in the NE of the park. Take the lakeshore road out towards Fothergill and Spurwing island and you'll see many wonderful elephant, hippo, zebra, impala, birds and if you're lucky lions. That is where the lodges in the park do most of their gamedrives.

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The road down from the Binga Karoi Road was an adventure. Over 3 hours for 80km. Make sure you get to the top gate before 3pm. The trip down is however worth it but stay at least 2 nights. Ablutions were 1st class. Modern and clean with solar hot water. We arrived there when a big crowd was there and could use the overflow ablution. Just sitting in the camp one day we had elephants as company all day. Game drives were not that rewarding but the scenery is stunning. African Parks are doing an amazing job revitalising this beautiful park. The roads are an ongoing project for them and when we were there, they had just started with a new grader. Prices are as reported in recent posts.

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A fantastic place to camp. Very good ablutions. No need to do a drive as animals come to you. Very friendly staff. 15USD conservation fee and 5USD camping for locals.

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If you can afford to stay at least 2 nights then the long & hard drive through the park is worth it. It’s expensive for non USD earning people.
PARK FEES:
SADC - $20pppn
Locals - $15pppn
Local Pensioner - $7.50pppn

CAMPING FEES - $5pppn
VEHICLE FEE - $2per day per car

They have new managers, Mike & Tracy, who arrived a month ago, so the camp is well maintained. There’s also tented chalets.

We stayed one night, as didn’t think R910 for 2people was worth another night

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What an amazing campsite. Solar in the bathrooms which are fully supplied with loo roll hand soap and paper towel. Beautiful setting on the lake. Very friendly and helpful staff. Locals pay 5pppn camping and others 10pppn. All pay 15pppn for conservation fees. Road in is hard driving but very picturesque. Highly recommended.

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We don't think the park is worth it, and also don't recommend Tashinga if going anyway.

It's a hell of a drive in. We came from Chizarira NP and it took us 8 hours to get here, with a very bad road between Chizarira NP and the Mashonaland West Province Border. The offroad after that towards Siakobvu was actually better (despite locals telling us it was the worst road we would drive). The road after Siakobvu to the park is really fun, with the seasonal Ume river crossing, a proper 4x4 challenge. However, the bush in the park is dead bush all the way up till the lake, no animals at all, barely even birds, and eventually it is often mostly Mopani. The multiple small river crossings are fun, but unsure if it is worth the 8h drive for dead bush, a long drive, Mopani and lots of fuel (not quite the 'cheap Mana Pools replacement' we got recommended...) Once you get to Kariba there are elephant, but we don't think that's necessarily worth the long drive in, unless you take the ferry to Kariba from Spurwing once in the park (but no one could tell us if the ferry went, of what it would cost ...) and do the drive only once if you're heading to Kariba anyway.

The campsite itself is simply not maintained, and completely overgrown with pioneer bush, even on the camp plots, so not very comfortable to sit/camp in. Hundreds of seeds in socks and pants. The ablutions are shared with the staff, whose tents are also in the campsite, which to us is quite strange. It makes it feel like a staff camp. The view onto Kariba is nice, but at night you will have see the lights of fishing trawlers (as anywhere at Kariba, which might not be your thing).

The staff is super kind and welcoming, as per nomal in lovely Zimbabwe. They said they are planning to renovate the camp sites, which got delayed due to Covid.

Unfortunately there is a lot of noise at night from people at the reception area (staff?). update: we were told in the morning this was because people got stuck in the Gubu river crossing and had to be dug out, which took until 3 am, so people were organizing that, but it sounded more like a party. Tip: don't drive off the tracks around stones to do the river crossing, follow the tracks and drive over the stones, your 4x4 will handle it just fine.

We would probably just do the drive do Siakobvu and back to the main road if you are looking for a fun 4x4 challenge and nice river drive, but skip the park itself. 50 USD per night is too expensive to camp in weeds, listen to noise and have little game. We ended up paying 20 dollars and not a cent more, but they were not too happy with that.

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The road in from the Karoi/Binga junction was a 5hr challenge in our 11T MAN. The campsite is terrific with new ablutions block as stated. Elephants Rome throughout the campsite. The sunset/sunrise are truly spectacular. The morning fishing trip was great fun and we saw plenty game from the pontoon.
The African Park staff were very welcoming. We were able to receive EcoNet 3G here.

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Stunning place! The new management is doing an amazing job. Clean and new ablutions. Large, shady places. Green grass and an amazing view of the lake.
Friendly elephants come to eat the figs near the campsite. Roads in the park are good. Roads To the park it self can be quite rough. Really recommend a visit to this park! (Also do some fishing or just for a boat ride)

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Campsite as already described by others. Main internal road to Sanyati West is repaired and in good condition, so entire park is really accessible.

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The Matusadona NP is under new management, now managed by African Parks.
Which means ablutions were repaired. Hot water (solar), light, toilet paper, soap, even a towel!
Access road is still about four hours from the Binga -Karoi road.
Nice place, lots of elephants around, some can get really close!
But beware, it can be very windy!
Camping 15 USD/night, park entry 10 USD/night.
Plus one time fees for the car and conversation, 10 USD each.

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Super spot on the lake shore.
Clean ablutions with hot water.One of only two here.
Caught the ferry across from chawara to fothergill to avoid a long rough drive in.
Lovely campsites with good breeze from the lake early morning and late evening.

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Access Road is still really bad, the last 70 km from Siakobvu will take you 4-5 Hours. Actually there are plenty of elephants around.
Ablutions are rundown, but the friendly staff members do there best to keep it clean.
Price for camping is now 15US$ p.P. , park entrance 8US$ p.P. and 10 US$ for the car (valid for 5 days).
From the registration book, we found out that only about 50 cars per year visit Matusadona Nationalpark. So you will probably be the only one if you are going.
Next year the will start to rebuild the road and the Campsites. Maybe then you are not alone anymore.

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Public campground with beautiful lake view. No one there. They made hot water and provider firewood. Hard to spot wild life in the park but the scenery and view from the camp are
beautiful. Terrible access road, spend at least 2 nights. $8pppn park fee + $17pppn for the camp.

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