Camp Mana, located on the banks of the Zambezi River in Mana Pools National Park is one of several seasonal safari camps specifically designated by the ZimParks Authority as tourism facilities with a low-impact environmental footprint.
'Seasonal' not only means that the camp operates solely during the safari season (during the southern hemisphere's dry winter between April and November), but it also means that the camp has to be erected in its entirety before the start of the safari season and completely dismantled at the end of the safari season every year.
This is a considerable undertaking, involving an enormous amount of work. Firstly, the management and staff have to unpack the entire contents of the camp from the storage trailer, load, move (always over bad roads and sometimes through the mud after several months of summer rain), and then unpack again on arrival.
Vegetation has almost always grown to cover the site during the rains and so there is great deal of clearing that needs to be done first in order to erect the main living/dining/bar gazebo tent, the individual bedroom tents, the kitchen, furniture, water and electrical systems.
Then there are the inevitable challenges after equipment has stood unused in high temperatures and humidity for more than four months. The kitchen trailer needs a lick of fresh paint. The WiFi systems and solar power systems often require special attention in order to get them working again. All the while, the team is working to a deadline.
And at the end of the safari season, they must do this all in reverse when they pack everything up again and remove the whole camp back into storage.
Despite the challenges, Steve Bolnick, who runs Camp Mana, considers that there are enormous rewards to doing this repeated hard work for a 'seasonal camp' rather than establishing a permanent camp.
Most importantly, he says, it is extremely environmentally friendly. It reminds us that we are only borrowing this wild space on a temporary basis for a short while. Ultimately it belongs to all the creatures that make Mana Pools their home.
Camp Mana keeps its tourism footprint to a minimum during the period that it operates, and whatever impact the camp has had on the environment during the safari season is eradicated as the bush is allowed to return to its natural state, and to recover and reclaim itself during the months of the summer rains.
The fact that we have to store every item that we use is a fantastic handbrake on over-acquiring unnecessary equipment and keeps us mindful of why we are here in the first place, says Steve.
With our seasonal camp, we try to recreate the romance and immediacy with the bush that is associated with traditional mobile canvas safari camps of old (think Hemingway, Blixen, Finch Hatton) and we believe that this creates a deeper connection with the surroundings.
Our camp is extremely comfortable and has all the necessary creature comforts - yet it remains wild.
Wilderness-friendly tourism facilities like Camp Mana operate according to the principle that 'it's not necessary to destroy the environment in order to enjoy it'.
Mana Pools is not only a magnificent National Park, but it is also the core area of a World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve. Maintaining its wilderness value is vital to its future.
The fact that places like Camp Mana are prepared to take the harder route and go that extra mile to genuinely minimise their footprint and safeguard their wild environment is commendable. Hats off to them!
For more info and booking contact details check out Camp Mana's Listing on our website.