Niassa National Reserve Safari Trips & Tours

A secluded reserve that offers one the most magical wilderness experiences of the 21st century.

From the Quirimbas Archipelago, it's a mere hop, skip and jump across to the mainland to visit Mozambique’s Niassa Reserve – one of Africa’s largest conservation areas, and one of its best kept secrets. Now, the Serengeti this is not; no antelope hordes stream across the plains, and no big cats lurk around every corner. But that’s not the point of Niassa. A safari here is about discovering endless, untouched landscapes and a feeling of remoteness unlike anywhere else in the world. That’s not to say you won’t add a few ticks to your wildlife list – at the last count, there were 12,000-plus elephant and 6,000 buffalo, plenty of lion, leopard and hunting dog and three intriguing subspecies, the Niassa wildebeest, Boehm’s zebra and Johnston’s impala.

Things to do

What to do in Niassa Reserve

Ever fancied having one of Africa's largest conservation areas practically to yourself? This rather extraordinary wilderness offers a properly different take on safari - one where solitude and space steal the show. While you won't find yourself in bumper-to-bumper wildlife traffic here, that's precisely the point. Instead, lose yourself in vast, untouched landscapes where 12,000 elephants roam free and 6,000 buffalo make their own rules. Lions pad silently through the bush, leopards drape themselves over branches and painted dogs lope across the horizon. Keep your eyes peeled for some rather special residents too - the local wildebeest, zebra and impala have evolved their own distinct style, showing off subtle differences that would have Darwin reaching for his notebook. It's massive, wonderfully wild, and refreshingly devoid of the usual safari circus - though do pack an extra dose of patience, the wildlife here plays rather hard to get.

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