Melanie is a travel photojournalist and guidebook author based in Johannesburg. A qualified field guide, scuba diver and budding birdwatcher, she is an expert contributor on Southern Africa and has written for Lonely Planet, Travel+Leisure, Condé Nast Traveller and Fodor's, and photographed some of the continent's beloved travel lodges.
Watch migrating elephants
Bwabwata National Park has limited accessibility and few self-drive routes, but the wildlife is no less dramatic than other popular parks.
My favourite area is Horseshoe Bend in the Mayuni Conservancy zone, with its abundant plains animals. Elephants congregate here in their hundreds on their migration route between May and September, and it's where I snapped my first magazine cover shot. Nambwa Campsite and Nambwa Lodge (a treetop stay with high walkways for elephants to wander freely below) are the nearest accommodations.
The park can get busy in peak seasons, impacting the sense of wilderness. Also, consider exploring the less-visited Nkasa Rupara National Park nearby.
At a glance
Destinations
Bwabwata National Park
Activity
Safari, Adventure, Active
