Picture this: you sip your morning coffee to the singsong of a Sombre Greenbul, dawn light sneaking through the forest canopy. After polishing off a rusk, you skip down to the nearby, pristine beach for a relaxed stroll, and there’s not another soul in sight. The heat of the day is rising now, and you are looking forward to taking a dip in the little plunge pool next to your campsite when you return from your walk before breakfast.
Well, dream no more. This is the itinerary of Laika Visser and Nico Gründlingh, members of Peace Park Foundation’s GIS team, who are visiting the new 4×4 Wilderness Camp at Membene, in Maputo National Park.
Maputo National Park was officially declared in 2021 and is a combination of two conservation areas: Maputo Special Reserve and Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve. This makes the park an especially diverse terrestrial and marine conservation area, protecting this part of southern Mozambique.
The park, co-managed by Mozambique’s National Administration for Conservation Areas (ANAC) and Peace Parks Foundation, falls within the Lubombo Transfrontier Conservation and Resource Area. It is one of the most biologically diverse and endangered ecoregions on Earth. It hosts unique ‘carbon sink’ habitats, connecting fresh inland water systems, swamp forests, and grasslands with mangrove forests, healthy seagrass beds, and a kaleidoscope of coral reefs.
Thanks to the support of Hansjörg Wyss and the Reinet Foundation, the park already boasts a vibrant tourism portfolio, from five-star accommodations to more affordable eco- and family-friendly chalets at Membene Lodge and, of course, the 4×4 campsites.
The 4×4 campsites at Membene are perfect for rugged eco-travellers, like Nico and Laika, who want to explore the unique habitats and wildlife of Maputo National Park. By visiting this beautiful park, you support Peace Park Foundation’s efforts to conserve and restore vital habitats and sustain employment prospects for local communities, which brings regional economic growth that uplifts local livelihoods.
