9-day Wild Dog Delights, From $5,400

Day 1-Beira

On your arrival in Beira, you will be met by your Pictus Safaris representative and transferred to your comfortable local hotel. There will be a pre-tour briefing in the hotel this evening, with the remainder of your day at leisure to catch up on rest after a long inbound flight.

Day 2- Gorongosa National Park

Today we will transfer from Beira in closed vehicles, taking around three hours to arrive at our lodge in Gorongosa. Once settled into the lovely surrounds of Gorongosa Wild Camp, we will head out into the reserve in a private, open vehicle to take in this incredibly varied and beautiful national park.

Our key focus will be locating the park’s famous population of lions, as well as the large herds of bush elephants that roam the fever-tree forests. In recent years, Gorongosa has been the site of a stirring conservation effort, and now boasts a population of over one hundred African wild dogs. This tour is specifically designed to maximise our chances of encountering these dogs whilst they have young pups—a real treat!

We may not be able to find the dogs on our first evening, but there is plenty of wildlife to keep us entertained. In particular, the extraordinarily large herds of waterbucks that congregate on the floodplains of Lake Urema must be seen to be believed.

Day 3- 8 Gorongosa National park

We have the luxury of six full days in this magical national park, allowing us to experience the rich diversity of wildlife and landscapes for which Gorongosa is famous. Big game species, including lions and elephants, are often seen here, and we will be sure to spend plenty of time with them. Leopards and servals are occasionally seen on the floodplains, and we will very likely encounter a wide range of antelope species, including impala, bushbuck, nyala, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, southern reedbuck and more.

Birding here is also incredible and rarely does a drive go by without a new and exciting species being seen. Short night drives after sundowners regularly reveal civets, Cape porcupines and occasionally, leopards. Our main focus, though, will be on tracking the iconic wild dog as they stalk the plains and woodland – we have a 100% track record in locating this special predator here.

Day 9- Beira

Transfer back to Beira for your homeward flights.