12 Days Unique Malawi Safari & Beach Vacation

When you arrive at Chileka International Airport in Blantyre, you will be met by your private driver for the 30-minute drive to Leslie Lodge, for your overnight. You will be staying here on a full-board basis and you will enjoy a great home-cooked meal for tonight before resting up for your journey tomorrow.

This morning, take a hearty breakfast before meeting your private driver for the 1.5-hour trip to the Majete Wildlife Reserve, which is situated at the foot of Africa’s Great Rift Valley. Despite having a robust wildlife population (due to a significant conservation initiative), the reserve is still an off-the-grid vacation spot with pristine environment and top-notch guiding. You’ll drive to the Mkulumadzi River and continue your journey on foot via a hanging rope bridge to Mkulumadzi Lodge. You’ll be met and checked in before enjoying a delicious meal overlooking the Shire River. After lunch, hop in your 4×4 or boat for the first time of your safaris and grab your binoculars. This evening, unwind with a sundowner while watching the Shire River flow by. Then, savor your three-course candle-lit supper. You will stay in a quiet hut overlooking the river for two nights on an all-inclusive basis.

Following breakfast and a morning game drive, meet your driver guide for the 3.5-hour journey to Kuthengo Camp in Liwonde National Park. You will check in when you arrive and then eat a delicious lunch before retiring to your room. Despite being very tiny, Liwonde has one of the most diversified environments in all of Africa, including cathedral mopane forests, miombo woodland, and rocky outcrops with unusual succulents.

You’ll join your first boat safari on the magnificent Shire River this evening. Elephants, crocodiles, and more than 400 different bird species, including fish eagles, weaver birds, and Pel’s fishing owl, can all year long find refuge in Malawi’s greatest river. Return to your lodge for a beverage overlooking the river before eating into a traditional communal supper. Join your guide around the campfire and listen to their tales of spotting wildlife in the wild, then go to your tent to drift off to sleep while listening to Malawi’s nocturnal animals.

This morning, get up early to go on a safari walk around Liwonde National Park. The park’s elusive big cats, such as lions and cheetah, have lately been reintroduced, so if you’re lucky, you might see one of them. An armed ranger and a knowledgeable local guide will be with you at all times to share their expertise on animal tracking, behavior, and species identification. After breakfast, head back to your lodge to unwind in these pristine, peaceful surroundings before setting out on your evening wildlife drive. Liwonde offers top-notch, entirely personalized advising. This means that you can choose to go on a 4×4, boat, or walking safari, and your local guide is happy to accommodate. In the evening, unwind in the bar area on the soft sofas with a refreshing drink or beverage.

Following breakfast and your morning activity, you’ll check out and ride a boat across the Shire River to the other side of the river, where your private vehicle transfer will be waiting for you. After that, it would take you around 3.5 hours to drive to Cape Maclear. When you arrive, you will be brought to the Kayak Africa home where you may unwind while waiting for your dhow transfer to the far-flung Mumbo Island. Approximately an hour will pass during the dhow transfer across Lake Malawi. When you arrive at Mumbo Island, you’ll experience serene barefoot luxury. The camp is set on high rocks with a view of the water and is made of reeds, wood, thatch, and canvas. Mumbo is the ideal eco-retreat because it uses solar lights and recyclable water.

The following two nights will be spent here in complete seclusion in an en-suite hut. Enjoy exploring the island by kayak to discover hidden coves, trekking along nature trails, and swimming and snorkeling in the bio diverse protected seas of the National Park.

Today you will check out and board the dhow that will take you back to the mainland. You’ll be met at Pumulani, which is located on a peaceful side of Cape Maclear, about a 30-minute drive from Kayak Africa. After settling into your hotel, you can unwind on the glistening beach of Lake Malawi while lounging in a hammock beneath the baobab trees to recover from your exhausting travel. The following four nights will be spent in a villa with full board.

Take a sunrise cruise or a romantic sunset cruise to spend your days taking in Lake Malawi’s tranquility. Take a trip into the hills with your guide to witness rare birds and take in the never-ending views of Lake Malawi. There are also guided tours around the nearby villages where you can discover more about Lake life as well as Malawian customs and ceremonies.

Enjoy breakfast and your last morning on Lake Malawi’s shores, before checking in and meeting your private driver for the three-hour ride to Kamazu International Airport. You will be escorted at the airport to catch your flight back home.