Holidays to Liwonde National Park in Malawi

As a Malawi travel expert, Jules can put together the perfect itinerary for you including a stay at Mvuu in Liwonde! 

Liwonde National Park sits to the south of Lake Malawi and Mvuu Lodge and Camp offer Malawi’s most varied wildlife habitat with the permanent water of the Shire River and the range of habitats - head to Liwonde for the most amazing boat safaris where you will see pods of hippos, elephants coming to drink and the largest crocodiles I think I’ve seen anywhere in Africa! Easily combined with Mumbo Island to make a 'bush and beach' holiday.

Accommodation at Mvuu would typically be at the Lodge for international guests, with a high standard of luxury safari accommodation in tented rooms, raised on platforms around a quiet, palm fringed lagoon on the Shire River. Sumputous bathrooms with large outdoor showers and deep round bath tubs offer relaxation to wash off the safari dust!  Enjoy the large deck platform of your safari room with a G&T watching the wildlife around the lagoon. There are eight tents for a maximum of 16 guests, each with en-suite bathroom facilities and a private viewing platform looking out on the lagoon. Lodge facilities include a dining room, pub, lounge area, wildlife library and a swimming pool.

River safaris - Superb river cruises take in the languid Shire River, where guests may get close to hippo pods, bathing elephant, crocodile and a host of colourful bird life. Along the river, you will always see plenty of hippos (Mvuu mean hippo in the local language!) and crocodiles along with Monitor Lizards and a host of bird life, many species are not easily found anywhere else.  Bee Eaters and Kingfishers line the banks and a pair of swallows have been nesting inside the roof of one of the boats at Mvuu for years ... they don't seem to mind that they follow their floating home up and down the river, following it wherever it goes!

Nature walks - A morning or afternoon walk with an experienced guide means that you may find a porcupine, Dickinson’s kestrel or inquisitive impala on foot and away from the confines of a safari vehicle.

Game drives - Named after Chief Liwonde who had championed its protection, the Park harbours very diverse landscapes. Travel through these in search of equally diverse wildlife.

Night drives - After a sundowner stop at some idyllic location, return to camp after dark, when a different wildlife component comes to life.

Game drives into the Rhino Sanctuary - There is a black rhino conservation programme and it is possible (with special permission) to visit the Rhino Sanctuary in the Park, which also contains other game and different bird species.

Birding - Liwonde National Park offers some of the best birding in Malawi. Specials include brown-breasted barbet, Böhm's bee-eater, African skimmer and Livingstone's flycatcher to mention just a few. Over 400 of Malawi's 650 bird species live here.

Transfers - Access to Mvuu is best enjoyed arriving by boat safari from the main Blantyre road, but you can also access it by 'pontoon' on an interesting drive from the lake shore road through rural villages to the Shire River - giving you a unique insight to the villages of the area.

CONSERVATION IN LIWONDE WITH CENTRAL AFRICAN WILDERNESS SAFARIS.

About 1200 people living outside the park benefit financially from the existence of Mvuu Lodge and Mvuu Camp. CAWS is also involved in logistical support for Liwonde National Park game scouts, helps with infrastructure development, and assists in wildlife translocations and an annual wildlife census.

Nanthomba School A derelict building with no furniture, Nanthomba School just outside Liwonde National Park has been transformed into a well-run school for 400 kids. Its construction is the brainchild of Mvuu employees who were motivated by the Children in the Wilderness programme and backed financially by an inspired Mvuu guest who created an NH for this purpose: HELP Malawi

Community Interaction - Mvuu hosts over 2 000 schoolchildren annually from all over Malawi on day visits to Liwonde National Park, encouraging a sense of appreciation and responsibility for Malawi's threatened natural heritage. Children are taught about the importance of conservation.

Children in the Wilderness Malawi began in 2002, since then running camp programmes at Mvuu Camp, as well as Eco-Clubs in the nearby villages, and providing scholarships for a number of children in secondary school.