
Elephants, dune forest and turtle beaches an hour from Maputo
Maputo Province, Mozambique
Maputo National Park lies about an hour south of the capital, where the Maputo Special Reserve and the Ponta do Ouro marine reserve were joined in 2021 into one park that runs from the elephant grasslands and dune forests of the reserve to the coral reefs and beaches of the coast. It has one of the few elephant populations on the continent that walk onto the beach, a growing wildlife population restocked from South Africa, and loggerhead and leatherback turtles nesting between November and January. Ponta do Ouro's diving and dolphin swims are inside the park. It is a malaria area, reached by 4x4 or by the road from Maputo.
May-Oct; turtle nesting Nov-Jan
Inside-park stays and nearby lodges, sorted by distance.
No stays are linked to Maputo National Park yet. These are the closest ones we have, by straight-line distance from the park, so check the drive before you book.
Maputo National Park is in Maputo Province, Mozambique.
The best time to visit Maputo National Park is May-Oct; turtle nesting Nov-Jan.
Popular activities at Maputo National Park include elephant viewing, beaches, snorkelling, turtle nesting walks, 4x4 trails.
Other parks and reserves that share something with Maputo National Park.
Why book here
Wild places survive when the communities around them earn more from protecting wildlife than from anything that would replace it. Every stay you book through Spekboom carries a conservation contribution built into the price, never added on top, so choosing where you sleep becomes a way to fund the people and projects keeping this landscape intact.

64 km away
Kosi Forest Lodge is an intimate 20-bed wilderness lodge in the Kosi Bay Nature Reserve, within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa's first World Heritage Site, just south of the Mozambique border. Eight rooms of wood, thatch and canvas are raised on wooden decks and nestled into the sand forest under giant Natal fig and milkwood trees, each with a private veranda, an indoor shower, and a romantic reed-enclosed outdoor boma bathroom where you can bath beneath the forest canopy and the stars. There is limited electricity, and candlelight in the evenings creates a warm, wild-Africa atmosphere. The rate is full board: breakfast, lunch and dinner, with water, tea and coffee, plus a guided canoe trail through the lakes (for guests over 6) and a guided walk through the ancient Raphia palm forest. The lodge is a birdwatcher's paradise, home to the Palm-nut Vulture, the world's only fruit-eating vulture, and the elusive Pel's Fishing Owl. Mornings begin with a chorus of birds, fish eagles call over the lakes, and a sand-forest bird hide lets you tick off lesser-known species at your leisure. Beyond the lodge, explore the 18 km lake system and estuarine waterways by guided canoe or motor boat, watch hippos, crocodiles and flocks of flamingoes at sunset, and visit the magnificent Kosi Bay Mouth with its fascinating 700-year-old Thonga fish traps. The warm water offers fabulous snorkelling year round, turtle tracking runs from November to January, and the lodge offers rich interaction with the local Thonga people and their culture. The area is low-risk malaria. The last 9 km to the lodge are dune roads accessible only by 4x4. Guests in two-wheel-drive vehicles park at a secure 24-hour garage in Manguzi (KwaNgwanase) and are transferred by lodge vehicle (twice daily at 12:00 and 16:00, booked with your reservation, at an additional charge). A conservation Foundation levy is charged per person aged 13 and over per night, excluded from the rates.

74 km away
Ndumo Game Reserve, near the Mozambique border, is a birding paradise of pans, fever-tree forests and floodplains along the Pongola and Usuthu rivers — over 400 bird species, plus hippo, crocodile and rhino. Guided walks and game drives explore the wetlands; self-catering chalets and a campsite overlook the bush. Operated by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. Rates are per unit (Standard season) with an additional-person supplement.

98 km away
Thonga Beach Lodge stands in coastal dune forest above Mabibi beach, one of the most remote and least developed shorelines in South Africa, deep inside the iSimangaliso Wetland Park World Heritage Site. There is no village, no road noise and no other lodge in sight: just a long arc of empty sand, the Indian Ocean, and a lake system behind the dunes. Rooms are thatched and open, connected by raised boardwalks through the forest. Forest View Rooms sit among the trees, Ocean View Rooms open to sea views from a secluded balcony, and there are two Forest View Family Rooms with two en-suite bedrooms each. Set well apart from everything else are the Deluxe Ocean View Family Room, effectively a private lodge of its own, and the Deluxe Ocean View Honeymoon Suite with a private plunge pool. Almost everything is included: all meals, guided snorkelling with equipment on the offshore reefs, guided forest walks, kayaking, a sundowner excursion to Lake Sibaya, the Tsonga cultural tour, and turtle-tracking walks from November to February when loggerhead and leatherback turtles come ashore to nest. Diving, the Open Ocean Experience and 4x4 turtle-tracking drives are available at extra cost. The lodge is Fair Trade Tourism certified and a long-standing partner of the local Mabibi community.

127 km away
Welcome to your perfect safari in Eswatini! This peaceful & private retreat is easy-to-access, and you're welcome to explore our game drive roads & beautiful network of walking trails at your own pace. Herds of wildlife often visit the Lodges and there is a wildlife watering hole within a 5 min stroll. Dombeya Game Reserve is a beautiful & unique place to enjoy nature up-close. Guests can hike on our trails and take their own game drives, stop to watch a herd of zebra or giraffe, or bring a picnic & bottle of wine to enjoy sunset at a wildlife watering hole. It is an amazing chance to slow down and enjoy the sights & sounds of nature in Africa, at your own pace. Our location is convenient and easy-to-access. We are about 30 minutes from the Skhuphe International Airport, 45 minutes from the Malkerns tourist route, and 1 hour from Mbabane, off of a good tar road (MR 5). Our entrance gate is 1 km off the tar road. We have lots of wildlife in the Reserve - giraffe, kudu, nyala, waterbuck, zebra, impala, warthog, wildebeest, bushbuck, duiker, steenbok, caracal, jackal and lots more. Without the Big 5, Dombeya is a gorgeous place to explore on your own (no guides needed or provided). We purchased Dombeya in 2014 and spent several years re-establishing its ecological integrity, launching an active alien and invasive plant control programme. We have a 100% self-check-in policy (no front-desk, no forms to fill), and there are no daily visits from indoor cleaning staff, unless requested. Our staff are fully trained on best hygiene practices, and we maintain excellent standards so you can relax and enjoy your holiday!

133 km away
Phophonyane Falls Ecolodge is nestled in the dramatic mountain landscape of north-west Swaziland, amid tumbling waterfalls and lush natural forests. It is a favourite destination for discerning travellers and nature lovers seeking a romantic and revitalising hideaway in a setting of stunning natural beauty. The Ecolodge is designed to maximize the experience of our special environment, and to ensure that we fully live up to our motto of "Peace, Privacy, Paradise".

143 km away
Tandweni Villa is an exclusive-use, ultra-luxurious private villa in the Pongola Game Reserve on the banks of Jozini Dam, in the Pongola Biosphere Reserve of northern KwaZulu-Natal. A bush setting with a breathtaking view of the dam and the Ubombo mountains from every room, it is a place to relax and breathe in the fresh air away from busy, stressful lives. Game viewing in the reserve offers sightings of four of the Big 5, and the camp is very much a birder's setting: around 300 bird species have been recorded in the area, with resident hornbills, bushshrikes, swallows and francolins in the garden and the forest below the house, and a bird hide overlooking a small dam. The large villa offers expansive open spaces with large glass doors and windows welcoming the outside in: five bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms sleeping 10 adults, a well-stocked private gym, a large pool with outdoor living area, a boma for fires under the stars, and endless views over the dam and up the Jozini Gorge from the veranda. With its own grass airstrip, access by small plane is convenient. The villa is child friendly, with a jungle gym in the fenced garden, kids' bush scavenger hunts and, on hot summer days, a slip-and-slide on the lawn. A fully catered package includes all meals and activities; on a self-catering basis activities are booked at an extra cost. Tandweni offers some of the best tiger fishing in South Africa: the villa comes with a skipper and guide and a fully equipped boat seating 10 for full or half-day trips, and a highlight is finding the large herd of elephant frolicking in the water on hot summer days. Game drives and guided bush walks run with the resident guides, whose knowledge of how indigenous plants play a role in Zulu culture and beliefs makes every outing richer, and afternoon sundowners with barbel fishing on the banks of the dam are a favourite for the whole family. The villa is 20 km from Mkuze Game Reserve in Northern Zululand, world renowned for its birding. Boat cruises run at sunrise and sunset and to the river mouth, and the property also hosts weddings.