John's Camp
Semi-permanent classic tented camp · Eastern side of the park, on the Zambezi facing the escarpment · Robin Pope Safaris
High-end
Inside the park
Safari company
A seasonal camp in the classic mould: walk-in tents, reading lights, flush loos, bush dining under the trees, and the emphasis firmly on foot safaris. The eastern floodplain it sits on sees far less traffic than the central stretch.
Pros and cons
Pros
- A notably quiet corner of the floodplain, looking to the escarpment
- Rebuilt fresh each season in the classic walking-safari style
- Exclusive-use booking available if you want the whole camp
- A long-stay discount for bookings of seven nights or more
Cons
- Children under 12 are not accepted, unless the whole camp is booked
- Park entry costs are extra, on top of the camp rate
- Rates unpublished; contact Robin Pope Safaris for a current quote
- Fly-in only, via the Mana Pools airstrip
What's here
- Swimming pool
- Wi-Fi
- Bar
- Campsite
- En-suite bathrooms
- Laundry
Arranged from the lodge:
- Game drives
- Guided walks
- Birding
- Fishing
- Community visits
Read from John's Camp's own website in July 2026. Anything not listed we could not confirm, which is not the same as it being absent.
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Mana Pools National Park charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryVAT and the tourism levy are included.
- $24per person, per day
- VehicleForeign-registered vehicle, if you are staying inside.
- $3per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $153 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
The full fee schedule for Mana Pools National ParkRates at John's Camp
Enquire. Rates unpublished; upper-middle of the park's private-camp range.
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.
Very few Mana Pools camps publish rates, so treat all dollar figures as indicative and confirm with the lodge. ZimParks accommodation is priced per site or unit, not per person, from the February 2026 tariff. Private camp bands reflect operator and agent data gathered July 2026; check whether park fees are included when you compare.
Questions about John's Camp
Is John's Camp good for families?
Only children over 12 are welcome at John's Camp, unless you book the whole camp exclusively, in which case a younger child can come too. This comes directly from the camp's own site, so plan around it rather than assuming a general exception.
What does the rate at John's Camp include?
Rates are inclusive of accommodation, activities, meals and the bar, but park entry costs are extra, according to the camp's own site. Guests staying more than seven nights at Robin Pope properties qualify for a long-stay discount.
Can you self-drive to John's Camp?
No separate self-drive route is given; the camp lists the Mana Pools airstrip as its access point, so plan to fly in. It sits on the eastern floodplain, a quieter stretch of the park than the central area around Nyamepi.
When is John's Camp open?
It operates from 1 May to 15 November, confirmed on the camp's own site, the shorter end of Mana's private-camp season. Outside those dates the camp is taken down, in keeping with its semi-permanent, rebuilt-each-season style.