The 700 000 ha Banhine National Park is situated in central southern Mozambique, midway between Pafuri in the west and Vilanculos in the east. The Park features extensive plains and flood areas, which form crystal clear lagoons that are an important passage point for migratory birds that flock there in unknown mass during the rainy season.

Banhine is a critically important component of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area as it lies within the wildlife corridor between the Zinave and Limpopo National Parks.

Banhine National Park was established in 1973 to conserve the giraffe and ostrich populations found there. Unfortunately, these, as well as other wildlife populations once found here, were nearly eradicated during the war and commercial poaching activities.

Size of Banhine national park Mozambique

The park is 7,250 square kilometers (2,800 sq mi) in the area and holds extensive inland wetlands, acting as an important source of water to the drylands that surround it. The park is in an area that has an annual rainfall of only 430 millimeters (17 in).

Location of Banhine national park Mozambique

Banhine National Park is a protected area in northern Gaza Province, Mozambique. The park was established on 26 June 1973. In 2013 the limits of the Park were updated to better reflect the realities on the ground, particularly the human presence in the area.

How to get to Banhine national park Mozambique

The park is located northeast of Limpopo National Park. The distance from Maputo is about 800km/500mi. Access to the park is by 4×4 only. Even in a 4×4, it is not advised to visit the park in the rainy season, from November to May, as the roads deteriorate badly in the rains.

Things to do in Banhine national park Mozambique

There is little wildlife left in Banhine. Elephants, zebra, eland, and giraffe have become extinct. Results of an aerial survey in 2004 showed that the park had healthy populations of ostrich, impala, greater Kudu, reedbuck, duicker, steenbok, oribi, porcupine, and warthog Predators such as leopard, serval, spotted hyena and even cheetah might still be found in small numbers.

There are plans to incorporate this remote national park into the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP). However, currently, the park has little to no infrastructure for tourists. Heavy poaching has depleted the wildlife and most large animals have become locally extinct. The north has beautiful wetland areas and offers spectacular birding. Of specific interest is the high concentration of the endangered wattled crane. Unfortunately, the wetland area is hard to reach in the rainy season, when the birding is at its best.

When to visit Banhine national park

Banhine national park is best visited in the dry winter months from June to October. The roads might be very difficult to navigate in the wet summer months.

Where to stay in Banhine national park

There is no formal accommodation in the national park however travelers may camp at the research center or it might be possible to stay at a research camp.