Malawi

Malawi – Where Water Meets the Wild
Golden shores, glass-clear lakes, and endless skies —
here, safari meets serenity, and every day flows with quiet wonder.

Malawi

Malawi is Africa at its gentlest — a land of shimmering lakes, rolling highlands, and smiling faces. Along the shores of Lake Malawi, crystal waters meet golden beaches where fish eagles call and fishermen drift beneath fiery sunsets. Inland, wild reserves brim with elephants, leopards, and untamed beauty waiting quietly to be found. Malawi’s magic lies in its calm — a place where safaris, water, and warmth come together in perfect harmony.

Safaris

Malawi is located south of Tanzania and to the east of Zambia. One of its main attractions is the beautiful Lake Malawi. It is home to a huge number of fish species, which makes it a prime location for anglers. Lake Malawi also provides great opportunities for diving, kayaking and sailing which makes for a nice addition to a safari in Liwonde National Park. On the remote Nyika Plateau you will have the possibility to do some serious horse-riding. The people of Malawi are very friendly and welcoming and its wonderful climate and wildlife make it a very suitable safari destination.

Malawi is also good to combine with other destinations such as Zambia and South Africa.

Going on safari in Malawi wana is a unique experience. Wild Times specialty is organizing tailor-made safaris. Guided by your ideas and preferences we create an itinerary that suits you and your travel companions best! To give you an idea of the possibilities you will find some example safaris below, though it goes without saying that organizing tailor-made safaris is what we do best. Call us for advice or request a safari proposal here .

Unique safaris in Malawi


	Safari combination Zambia & Malawi – 15 days – Bush & Beach € 7,222 This safari guarantees an authentic nature experience. You experience this in the South Luangwa National Park, which is considered one of the finest wildlife sanctuaries in the world where you will sometimes need to keep a stop as a herd of elephants is approaching and during your stay on Likoma Island in Lake Malawi.

Highlights


	Zomba Plateau Malawi’s Zomba Plateau is unique. A great slab of a mountain standing at 1,800 m (6,000ft), and with peaks topping 2,000 m, it has vast tracts of cedar, pine and cypress but elsewhere the vegetation is wild and mixed. On three sides, the plateau has scarp-like edges descending from its outer rim of peaks that surround a central depression. As well as the forests, the plateau top is criss-crossed by streams and there are tumbling waterfalls and still lakes. There are roads right round the top which give access to viewpoints that offer vistas of such splendour that they were described in colonial times as “the best views in the British Empire”.
	Thyolo In South Malawi, between Blantyre and Mount Mulanje, are the Thyolo (pronounced “Cho’lo”) tea estates. Tea has been grown here since 1908 and the primly trimmed bushes (strictly, trees) give the whole area the appearance of a neatly kept but vast garden. Scenically beautiful, the estates are overlooked by the impressive Mount Mulanje to the east and itself overlooks the Lower Shire Valley, which descends to the west.
	Salima Set back from the shore of Lake Malawi is an important service and trading centre, the town of Salima. This is a very busy little town with an interesting market and all the usual services. To the east of Salima town is Senga Bay. This beautiful bay is the closest point on Lake Malawi to the country’s capital, just one and a half hours’ drive due east from Lilongwe. A broad stretch of sandy beach is host to a range of hotels, extending from luxurious to small lodges and campsites. Longest established of them all is the colonial Sunbird Livingstonia Beach and newest is Kumbali Lake Retreat – a rustic eco lodge.
	Majete Wildlife Reserve Majete Wildlife Reserve is a unique conservation and tourist destination for all visitors. The amazing success story of recovery and restoration and the continued protection of endangered species have led Majete to become one of the most popular reserves in Malawi for wildlife and safaris. Majete lies in the Lower Shire Valley in the South West of Malawi. Majete was once a prolific wildlife refuge but by the late 1990’s most species of large game, including elephant, had been eradicated. Remnant populations of a few resilient species remained but they had been reduced to very low, and in some cases critical numbers.
	Liwonde National Park Liwonde National Park is the home of incredible wildlife translocations and reintroductions, which has seen predators restored to the park for the first time in two decades. Situated in southern Malawi, ancient baobabs and lofty borassus palms preside over Liwonde’s small yet vibrant landscape of dense woodlands, lagoons and fertile floodplains. While having sustained high levels of poaching over the past few decades, this still productive ecosystem, sustaining over 400 species of birds, the largest elephant population in the country and a flourishing population of plains game mammals, is poised for the reintroduction of large predators. The restoration of key species and historic levels of biodiversity is re-establishing Liwonde as one of the country’s iconic wilderness areas.
	Lilongwe Lilongwe is the capital and most populated city of the African state of Malawi. It has a population of 989,318 as of the 2018 Census, up from a population of 674,448 in 2008. The city is located in the central region of Malawi, in the district of the same name, near the borders with Mozambique and Zambia. It is an important economic and transportation hub for central Malawi. The city is named after the Lilongwe River. It is often your starting point for visits to the Lake and reserves in Zambia.
	Lake Malawi Lake Malawi is an impressive lake that runs along the Great Rift Valley. It is Africa’s second largest lake, after Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika. Lake Malawi is a freshwater African lake shared by the nations of Malawi, Tanzania, and Mozambique. The lake occupies 20 percent of Malawi’s total area, and it has a surface area of 11,390 square miles. Lake Malawi’s mean depth is 264 meters, and its maximum depth is 706 meters, according to World Lakes. The lake’s water volume is 2015 cubic miles, and this water has an estimated residency time of 114 years. In Tanzania it’s called Lake Nyasa, and in Mozambique it is known as Lago Niassa. The lake invites you to swim and relax; it is an excellent place to finish your visit to Malawi.

Activities

Safaris are available in all shapes and sizes. Wild Times would like you to enjoy an authentic safari experience. Therefore, our preference goes to small-scale accommodation and game drives in open Land Cruisers or Land Rovers. Apart from great itineraries, it is also possible to include the following activities to your safarin in Malawi.


	Game walk in Malawi Take a walk on the wild side, do a game walk in Malawi! A game walk safari is special and a nice way to experience African nature and its fauna. During a game walk safari in Malawi you get closer than ever to the wild life, while under protection of armed and experienced rangers.
	Night game drive in Malawi Discover Malawi’s nocturnal animals on a night game drive. A night game drive is a completely different experience than a safari in broad day light in Malawi. While on night game drive in Malawi, predators come out to hunt, and the tential level raises significantly in Africa’s wildlife. Once the engine is turned off you will hear all the animal sounds and above you, you will see that enchanting starry African sky.
	Honeymoon safari in Malawi For an incredible honeymoon in Malawi, consider combining a Zambian safari with a short beach holiday at Lake Malawi. Create lovely and romantic memories right on the shore of Lake Malawi during your honeymoon in Malawi, while staying at a very stylish accommodation. A honeymoon in Malawi is something both of you love birds will remember for the rest of your lifes. Go for a honeymoon stroll on Lake Malawi together, it is comparable or even better than a honeymoon on any coral island.
	Horseback safari in Malawi A horseback safari in Malawi is a nice opportunity to see game and interact with wild animals from a close distance! Imagine herds of wildebeest and zebra extend as far as your eyes can see! Many different unique experiences come along with a horseback safari that you would not experience on a regular safari.

Best time to travel

The best time to travel to Malawi is during its dry season, between may and half november. During the Malawian winter months, between june and august it gets a bit cooler, but during day time temperatures are nice and around 23 degrees. At Lake Malawi, temperatures tend to be a bit higher, at Nyika Plateau they tend to be a bit lower because its height and at night regularly drop below zero. (2,300 meters).