Have an unguided adventure at Mana Pools National Park

ZIMBABWE // You've hardly driven through the gates of this 2200-sq- km (850-sq-mile) reserve before you spot a herd of elephants, just casually stomping by - nothing to see here! It's like that in Mana Pools National Park, a place so rich in wildlife you'll almost - almost - stop being amazed every time you lay eyes on a zebra or hyena. Herds of buffalo roam the savannah, hippos and crocodiles wallow in the pools, cheetahs and Cape wild dogs slake their thirst on the banks of the Zambezi, and rare birds flit through forests of ebony and wild fig. And almost unbelievably, you're allowed to walk through all of this without a guide. A canoe safari means drifting past baobabs and baby elephants and dodging hippos.