Chipinda Pools Tented Camp
Self-catering en-suite tents · On the Runde River, ten minutes from the Chipinda Pools gate · Gonarezhou Conservation Trust
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Budget
Inside the park
Park-run (Gonarezhou Conservation Trust)
The practical base camp: real beds and a kitchenette just inside the northern gate, so you can arrive late from Chiredzi and still be deep in the park by mid-morning the next day. A shared attendant looks after the small camp.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Ten minutes from the main northern gate
- Riverside position on the Runde, close to the gate
- Real beds and a kitchenette, not a tent you pitch yourself
- King-size or twin beds in an en-suite tent
- The easiest first or last night in the park
Cons
- No charging facilities and no fans in the tents
- Self-catering only; bring your own food and drinking water
- Just four tents, so it books out fast in season
- No published open or closed season; confirm dates when booking
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Gonarezhou National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryThe rate for guests staying in a park camp.
- $15per person, per day
- VehicleRoughly $5 to $10 a day depending on the vehicle.
- $8per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $114 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
Sleeping inside the boundary is what keeps that low. $15 if you sleep in a park camp, against $25 a day for anyone driving in from outside.
The full fee schedule for Gonarezhou National ParkRates at Chipinda Pools Tented Camp
From $130 per tent (Local). Local $130, SADC $140, International $150 per tent per night for two; children on stretchers extra. En-suite tents with kitchenette, 90-litre fridge and braai.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Rates are the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust's own published figures and operators' rate cards, gathered July 2026, quoted Local / SADC / International where the Trust publishes all three tiers. Accommodation rates generally exclude the daily conservation fee; confirm the total with the Trust when you book. Two names you may still find elsewhere, Mahenye Lodge and Senuko, could not be verified as currently operating: their websites no longer resolve and neither appears on any current operator list.
Questions about Chipinda Pools Tented Camp
Is Chipinda Pools Tented Camp good for families?
We found no published minimum age for this camp. Each tent sleeps up to four on king-size or twin beds, and extra guests on a stretcher bed are charged per person, which points to children being accepted, so confirm ages and bedding when you book with reservations@gonarezhou.org.
Can you self-drive to Chipinda Pools Tented Camp?
Yes. The camp sits about ten minutes from the park's main northern gate on the Runde River, which the Trust itself recommends as a practical first or last night for self-drivers arriving late from Chiredzi. Its own airstrip is also Chipinda Pools, for those who prefer to fly in.
What does the rate at Chipinda Pools Tented Camp include?
The nightly rate of $130 to $150, Local to International, is a minimum charge covering the en-suite tent, a kitchenette with a camping fridge, and cutlery, crockery, linen and towels for up to four guests. It is self-catering, so you bring and cook your own food; there is a shared camp attendant.
When is Chipinda Pools Tented Camp open?
The Gonarezhou Conservation Trust does not publish fixed open months for this camp, so confirm dates when you book. The wider park is closed to visitors from 10 January to 1 March each year, which is the one firm date to plan around.
How do you book Chipinda Pools Tented Camp?
Book with the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust at reservations@gonarezhou.org or +263 779 788 811. There are only four tents, each taking up to four guests with a maximum of two vehicles, so the camp is small and worth booking well ahead.