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FROM US$4,280-US$5,310

Orange Cap Cichlid Safari

Combine a safari in the lush and resurgent Liwonde National Park with down time at an island eco-retreat in the middle of Lake Malawi. A great way to explore Malawi.

Orange Cap Cichlid Safari: Summary

Orange Cap Cichlid Safari in a nutshell

Start your Malawian adventure with a boat ride along the Shire River to the comfortable Mvuu Wilderness Lodge, perhaps getting an introduction to elephants, crocodiles and hippos as you go. Lush and tropical, with palm-dotted floodplains and towering mopane woodlands, Liwonde National Park has a wonderfully wild ambience, which you’ll explore on day and night game drives, walks and river excursions.

Liwonde’s natural beauty is timeless, but its wildlife struggled against poaching in recent decades until NGO African Parks stepped in at the request of the Malawian government in 2015 to turn things around. Thousands of snares were removed, rangers were trained, and advanced technology was introduced to protect the area’s wildlife. Hundreds of elephants have been reintroduced, as have black rhino, lion and cheetah. The park also grew in size and now people living on Liwonde’s borders benefit from the park and development programmes. While a safari here isn’t up to Zambian standards in terms of sightings, it is improving annually and by being here you are supporting its resurgence. The birding is world class.

Following your safari, you’ll then be driven along roads following the Shire River to its source in Lake Malawi, where you’ll hop aboard a boat to Mumbo Island, your eco-retreat home for the next three nights. Uninhabited except for the small hand-built lodge, the island offers snorkelling and diving in clear fresh water, where colourful cichlid fish dart between giant boulders, along with kayaking from the beach and spotting varied birdlife on the island. It’s also a great place simply to relax in the warmth of the sun and take in the views.

At a glance

Starts: Lilongwe International Airport
4 nights Mvuu Lodge - Liwonde National Park, Malawi Full Board
3 nights Mumbo Island - Shore of Lake Malawi, Malawi Full Board
Ends: Lilongwe International Airport

Mvuu Wilderness Lodge

Days 1-5

Mvuu Wilderness Lodge is a comfortable tented lodge set back from the banks of the Shire River in Malawi's Liwonde National Park. It overlooks a lily-covered lagoon (an old oxbow lake) where game can very often be seen coming down to drink.

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Mumbo Island

Days 5-8

Mumbo Island Camp is a small sustainable eco-camp located on Mumbo Island - ten kilometres off Cape Maclear on Lake Malawi. It is located within the Lake Malawi National Park and is reached by a gentle 45-minute boat ride in a traditional wooden fishing boat. The island is small, only one kilometre in diameter, and uninhabited so is in its natural state. The camp is hand built with timber, thatch and canvas and perched high on large boulders overlooking the lake.

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Mvuu Wilderness Lodge

Mvuu Lodge

Liwonde National Park, Malawi

Mumbo Island

Mumbo Island

Shore of Lake Malawi, Malawi

About image

Highlights

Our thoughts on five of the top experiences of this Orange Cap Cichlid Safari.

  • Exploring Lake Malawi by kayak
  • Experience a safari mix of drives, walks and boat trips
  • Support an inspiring conservation story
  • Absorb Liwonde National Park’s wild atmosphere
  • Amazing snorkelling around a rustic island retreat

Activities

Some activities which can be included in the Orange Cap Cichlid Safari: talk to us about those which interest you.

  • 4WD Safari

  • Birdwatching

  • Boat trip

  • Cultural excursion

  • Fishing

  • Guided walking safari

  • Night drive

  • Scuba-diving

  • Snorkelling

  • Watersports

About image

Key species to see on the Orange Cap Cichlid Safari

Based on our travellers' observations, we’ve estimated the likelihood of seeing these species during the Orange Cap Cichlid Safari. Click on the animals and our wildlife surveys page for more info.


Buffalo

100% chance

Elephant

100% chance

Hippo

100% chance

Sable antelope

100% chance

Lion

73% chance

Eland

73% chance

Zebra

55% chance

Cheetah

39% chance

Spotted Hyena

39% chance

Aardvark

0% chance

Black Rhino

0% chance

Pangolin

0% chance

Roan antelope

0% chance

Wildebeest

0% chance

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