Malawi · Southern Africa
Liwonde and Majete.
Liwonde and Majete are the two parks that have been most transformed by reintroduction, and both now hold the Big Five.
Photo Ismail Abubakar / Unsplash
Majete was effectively empty of large game by the early 2000s and has been restocked to the point of holding lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard. Liwonde, on the Shire River, offers boat safaris alongside drives and has had cheetah and lion returned to it.
Neither is Kruger, and neither pretends to be. They are quiet, well-managed and increasingly rewarding.
How do you get to Liwonde and Majete?
Both are in the south of Malawi, a few hours by road from Blantyre and further from Lilongwe. Light aircraft charters use airstrips near both parks for travellers short of time.
Who manages Liwonde and Majete?
Both are managed by the conservation organisation African Parks in partnership with Malawi's Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Majete since 2003 and Liwonde since 2015. That partnership is behind the fencing, the anti-poaching work and the reintroductions that restored their wildlife.
What is a boat safari on the Shire River like?
The Shire River runs along Liwonde's western side, and boats move slowly past hippos, crocodiles, elephants at the water's edge and a very rich birdlife. It is the park's signature, and most stays mix boat trips with game drives and walks.
What was the 500 Elephants project?
One of the largest elephant translocations ever carried out, in which around 500 elephants were moved from Liwonde and Majete to Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in central Malawi in 2016 and 2017, to ease pressure on the southern parks and restock the northern one.
How long should you spend in Liwonde or Majete?
Two or three nights in each. They are usually combined with Lake Malawi, and sometimes with South Luangwa across the border in Zambia.
What is there to see in Liwonde and Majete?
What does Liwonde and Majete pair well with?
- Lake MalawiLake Malawi holds more species of fish than any other lake on earth, and the clear water makes them visible from the surface.
- Nyika and the northern highlandsThe Nyika Plateau is high, rolling grassland that looks more like the Scottish Highlands than Africa.
- South Luangwa, ZambiaSouth Luangwa is the home of the walking safari and one of the most concentrated wildlife areas in Africa.
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