Malawi
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Malawi Highlights
Malawi's most impressive feature is Lake Malawi. Lake Malawi is the third largest lake in Africa and 20% of the surface of Malawi is taken up by the lake. Malawi is known for their extremely friendly people and warm personalities. The country offers remarkable natural beauty and visitors are overwhelmed by the generosity of the local people. Malawi offers a variety of magnificent safari game parks offering rare wildlife species.
Liwonde National Park is a truly remarkable safari experience and is home to the largest remaining elephant population in the country. The Shiree River is the country's largest river flowing south from Lake Malawi, the only outlet from the lake. Alongside the floodplains of the Shire River lie palm savannah and baobabs and thick riverine plants add a tropical feel. Malawi is a bird-watcher's haven and offers over 650 recorded bird species; 300 of these bird species can be found in Liwonde National Park.
Malawi is known to offer some of the best fresh water diving in the world as well as other popular water activities are available.
Top Destinations in Malawi
Lake Malawi is a popular honeymoon destination in Malawi with its spectacular variety of freshwater fish, a World Heritage Site known for its incredible underwater diversity and incredible scuba diving spots; also known to offer some of the most romantic places in the world.
Liwonde National Park is known as one of Malawi’s pristine safari destinations with 548km2 of diverse and magnificent landscapes and natural beauty. Liwonde National Park offers some of the best game viewing in Malawi and some of the best bird watching in Southern Africa.
Malawi Game Viewing
Malawi is renowned for their water sports and outdoor activities. Activities at the camps and lodges vary and include walking, hiking and biking around the island. Malawi also offers a cultural experience and visitors can enjoy a visit to some of the local cathedrals as well as traditional markets; meet the friendly local people and enjoy a drink and local dishes.
The lodges on Lake Malawi offers a haven for water sport enthusiasts and offers safe swimming in the crystal clear waters as well as snorkelling; some of the best snorkelling on the island as well as scuba diving. Some lodges have their own NAUI accredited instructors. Other activities include waterskiing, tube riding and wake snaking as well as fishing trips. Guests can also enjoy sailing around the island.
Malawi How to Get there
By Air:
SUNSAFARIS can arrange scheduled flights for visitors to Malawi. There are a number of airports in Malawi, however most guests arrive at Lilongwe and most business guests arrive at Blantyre. Lilongwe is Malawi's largest International airport and guests can fly from most major airports into either Lilongwe or Blantyre. All major airlines fly into Malawi including British Airways, KLM South African Airways, Air Malawi and many other airlines. Once guests arrive at the various airports, SUNSAFARIS will arrange road transfers for guests to their hotel, camp or lodge.
By Land:
Visitors can self-drive around Malawi, however we recommend flying into Malawi and allowing us to tailor-make your safari in Malawi. The main highways in Malawi are tarred and in good condition however most roads are gravel. Visitors should be aware and drive with caution; 4x4 vehicles are required during the rainy season.
Malawi Seasons and Climate
The summer months in Malawi are from December to March and the winter months are from June to July. From December to March it is usually hot and humid and it is also the start of the rainy season. Average temperatures are between 25°C and 30°C.
The wet season or rainy season in Malawi makes access and getting around fairly difficult, especially in the parks and 4x4 vehicles are recommended for guests wanting to self-drive around Malawi. During the rainy season, the parks are green and lush and offer spectacular scenery; however with thicker bush and vegetation it is more difficult to find animals. April is a great month to travel to Malawi, the roads open up and the weather is fantastic with clear blue skies and warm sunny days; the evenings are cool though. The winter months, June and July are still pleasant with average daytime temperature around 21°C.
The early mornings and evenings do get cold. The winter months offer the best game viewing. From September the days become hotter, however the nights are still fairly cool. The month of October is dry and very hot, with warm pleasant evenings.
Majete Wildlife Reserve
The Majete Game Reserve is known as one of Malawi’s best kept secrets. Over 2000 animals have been reintroduced into the park including elephant, black rhino, buffalo, zebra, sable antelope, eland, waterbuck, nyala, hartebeest, kudu and many more species. Visitors can enjoy a diverse and abundance of wildlife as well as a variety of exciting game viewing activities. Accommodation options include the luxurious Thawale Camp or guests can opt for a more adventurous option and camp in the Majete Campsite. The vegetation is diverse, ranging from wet miombo woodland in the western hills, to dry savannah in the east with prominent thickets along the riverbanks. Majete Game Reserve offers a variety of wildlife activities and the reserve is teeming with game. Guests can enjoy activities such as bush walks accompanied by experienced guides, game drives in open vehicles accompanied by a guide exploring the magnificent Majete Game Reserve; Elephant tracking is a highlight and a unique experience, for many a once in a lifetime event.
Shire Highlands
The Shire Highlands offer beautiful scenery, magnificent sunsets as well as offer visitors the opportunity to experience a working tea estate and taste some of the best teas in Malawi. The Thyolo Mountain approximately 1462 m high is the most prominent feature of the Shire Highlands. The Thyolo district is without a doubt the most scenic region in Malawi and forms the heart of Malawi's tea producing region. The area is characterized by rolling hills of beautiful lush green plantations and some of the oldest estates in the country are situated here including the Satemwa Tea Estate. Guests can choose between comfortable and luxury accommodation in the Satemwa Tea Estate and choose between a wide variety of activities. The area is renowned to offer magnificent birding and activities include Horse Riding, Quad Biking, Mountain Biking, Guided Birding walks through Thyolo Forest, Bass Fishing, Croquet and lawn bowls, Village tours, Tea and Coffee tasting as well as Golf (9 hole course).
Nyika National Park
Established in 1965; Nyika National Park offers incredible fauna and flora including unique species. Nyika National Park offers beautiful scenery and a remarkable diversity of wildlife. The park is characterized by scenic mountain landscapes which offers the ideal terrain for Horse riding, Game drives, Walking safaris, Fly-fishing, Mountain biking, Birding and forest walks. The summer months offer a vibrant display of wild flowers, orchid species as well as incredible bird-watching with almost 400 recorded species including the wattled crane, Denham’s bustard, bar-tailed trogon and Auber buzzard. Wildlife that can be seen in Nyika National Park includes eland, roan, other antelope, zebra, warthog, hyena, leopard, jackal and serval cats. The Juniper Forest and the Jalawe rock are two highlights in the park and not to be missed.
Liwonde Park
Liwonde National Park offers visitors an incredible wildlife experience; regarded by many as the best Malawi has to offer, a pristine wildlife destination with fantastic bird and animal life. The Shire River plays host to a large variety of wildlife as well as approximately 1000 hippo. Activities at the camps vary but most include boat trips, guided nature walks, day and night game drives, bike rides as well as prolific bird-life. All scheduled game activities are accompanied by expert guides. A variety of accommodation options are available from rustic camps to luxurious lodges. Liwonde National Park offers a multitude of wildlife and is home to the largest remaining elephant population in the country. Other wildlife in the park includes large numbers of impala, reedbuck, waterbuck, warthog and majestic sable. Kudu, impala, sable, yellow baboon, buffalo, Lichtenstein's hartebeest, zebra, roan and eland can all be found in the area.
Lake Malawi
Lake Malawi is a World Heritage site and offers a larger variety of freshwater fish species than all of Europe and North America combined. Lake Malawi occupies one fifth of the country’s total area and its approximate dimensions are 365 miles (590 km) north to south and 52 miles (85 km) broad. Lake Malawi has been rated by many visitors to offer some of the best freshwater scuba diving in the world as well as superb snorkelling spots. Much of this incredible underwater diversity is protected within the Lake Malawi National Park, the first in the world set aside for the protection of freshwater fish. Lake Malawi is also a very popular honeymoon destination and some of the most romantic places in the world can be found here. Lake Malawi offers a haven for water sport fanatics and is famous for its wide range of water sports and water activities including swimming, diving and snorkelling.
