Safari in Malawi

safari, mountains, forests and beaches

Encircled by Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, Malawi is a beautiful and very authentic little country, a quiet backwater renowned for its beautiful lake and beaches, as well as some interesting safari areas.

The country is dominated by the enormous and scenic Lake Malawi, remarkably over 600 km in length. The lakeshore and islands are home to a number of good quality beach lodges. A wide range of water-based activities are available, including sailing and kite-surfing. Diving and snorkelling are particularly interesting due to the high numbers of endemic cichlid fish in the lake.

Safari in Malawi is not as strong as in neighbouring Zimbabwe and Zambia. The reserves here are relatively small but contain some wonderful scenery, however predator numbers are relatively low. For this reason, we often combine safari in the prime South Luangwa area of Zambia with time down here on the lake.

Wherever you go in Malawi, cultural visits to local villages are a real highlight and much appreciated by the locals. Another highlight is to stay on one of the famous tea plantations.

Guest accommodation is in fewer than 30 good quality camps and lodges, which are generally owner-operated, simpler and lower cost than in more countries where tourism is more established.

Malawi is generally best visited during the May-Sep dry season. Oct-Nov is also possible, but rather hot. Dec-Apr is the rainy season and can be quite a challenging time to travel.

Getting around

Visiting and travelling around Malawi is relatively straightforward.

The top locations are connected by light aircraft services, which is certainly the most convenient, but also the most expensive way to get around.

Most connections can also be made by means of private road transfers, which are rarely more than 2-3 hours duration in this relatively small country.

There are two main hubs. In the north the airport at Lilongwe is used to connect to Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam and the safari areas of South Luangwa in Zambia. In the south the airport at Blantyre is mainly used to connect to Johannesburg.

Where to stay

Malawi contains a very limited range of lodges, probably less than a dozen good options, generally just one or two in each location. In fact, choosing which lodges to include can come ahead of which areas to visit.

locations are easily connected by road