This safari begins with 4 nights in the Liwonde National Park which borders Lake Malawi and is a hotspot for bird watching, and finishes with 3 nights on the fertile Zomba Plateau which is Malawi's oldest forest reserve and an ideal area to explore on foot.

Day 1

Depart London Heathrow on your scheduled overnight flight with South African Airways to Lilongwe, via Johannesburg.

Day 2 Liwonde National Park, Malawi

On arrival at Lilongwe Airport you will be met and transferred by road to Liwonde National Park, a journey of about 4 hours. Liwonde National Park encompasses the wide Shire River, as well as lagoons, open savanna and mopane woodland – all of which support a wide variety of plants, animals and birdlife. At roughly 580km², it is ideal for a few days of relaxing and gentle game viewing. It is home to numerous hippo, crocodile, elephant as well as waterbuck, bushbuck, impala and the beautiful sable antelope. It is also a bird-watchers paradise. Here you will spend 4 nights at…

Mvuu Wilderness Lodge (full board & activities)

This luxury tented lodge is situated in the north-west of this lush and tropical park. It offers boat trips and games drives both during the day and at night. Boat trips on the Shire River are the highlight and the best way to seeing the park's elephants as well as the huge crocodiles and the birdlife. Walks with qualified scouts are also possible.

Days 3-5 Liwonde National Park, Malawi

After a leisurely breakfast, your days will be spent relaxing on your private deck viewing the game that come to drink from the river or going for drives and walks with experienced guides. There are huge numbers of hippo and crocodile which are best viewed from the water during a morning or an afternoon boat trip. Watch them lazing on the banks of the river in the sunshine. Open savannah attracts antelope such as sable and bushbuck, while waterbuck take advantage of the lagoons and marshes. Along the banks of the Shire River are the plains and forests of the park which are home to herds of elephant and abundant birdlife, including species from both Eastern and Southern Africa. Amongst others, Boehm's bee-eater, the palmnut vulture and Pel's fishing owl have all been spotted in the park.

Mvuu Wilderness Lodge (full board & activities)

There are huge numbers of hippo and crocodile which are best viewed from the water during a morning or an afternoon boat trip. Watch them lazing on the banks of the river in the sunshine. Open savannah attracts antelope such as sable and bushbuck, while waterbuck take advantage of the lagoons and marshes.

Day 6 Malawi Interior, Malawi

This morning, you are driven south for about an hour and a half, to Zomba Plateau. This is Malawi's oldest forest reserve. There are pine and indigenous montane forests here which are dissected by flowing waterfalls, walking trails and trout dams. You spend the following 3 nights at…

Ku Chawe Inn (half board)

This scenic hotel sits in the middle of the forest and commands spectacular views of the valley below. It is a comfortable base from which to explore the surrounding areas. Gentle hiking is possible from here and is one of the best ways to view the scenery and the varied wildlife and birdlife.

Days 7-8 Malawi Interior, Malawi

Your time here can be spent relaxing at the hotel or exploring the Zomba Plateau, which is home to the occasional antelope and beautiful flowers such as wild orchids and a variety of birds, for example the augur buzzard and the long-crested eagle. On its lower slopes, monkeys and baboons can also be found. It is however, most well known for it's spectrum of butterflies.

Ku Chawe Inn (half board)

The Mulunguzi River flows to the north of the inn, is home to rainbow trout and is a wonderful spot for fly-fishing during the months of September to April. Why not take a picnic with you and enjoy an al fresco lunch on the banks of the river?

Day 9

On your final morning you will be transferred by road to Lilongwe airport to connect onto your overnight South African Airways flight to London via Johannesburg. Alternatively you may wish to spend some additional time on Lake Malawi. See our selection of beach add-on trips.

Day 10

After a superb trip, you arrive at London Heathrow early in the morning with enough time to make any connections for your onward journey home.

Cost of this trip
From	To	Cost
1-Jan-2012	15-Jun-2012	£2,693
16-Jun-2012	10-Oct-2012	£2,890
11-Oct-2012	31-Oct-2012	£3,010
1-Nov-2012	15-Nov-2012	£2,890
16-Nov-2012	7-Dec-2012	£2,693
Notes: The prices shown are per person sharing; call us for single person supplements.

This itinerary includes:

• Economy flights, as above, plus international airport departure taxes.
  
• All transfers in Africa.
  
• A comprehensive pack of information covering the places that you'll be visiting.
  
• Current park fees for Liwonde National Park

This itinerary excludes:

• Drinks are not included at Mvuu Lodge and Ku Chawe Inn.
  
• Tips and gratuities, which are optional.

^ Top of page