doFinding the best tree to climb is never easy, especially when your life depends on it. “That could be a good thing,” suggested Nelio Stewart, an experienced rhino tracker who assesses tree trunks the same way a security officer might determine emergency escape routes.
The stout, broad-branched tamarind tree in front of us certainly looked scaly, despite the tracks of army ants and bees. Smiling at me, Stewart added, “It won’t be a problem when you have a black rhino on your tail.”
According to the team of experienced trackers in Malawi’s Majete Game Reserve, 80 percent of tracking expeditions result in some form of tree churning. I’ve never wanted to be in the minority more.
Native to the area, black rhinos became local became extinct in the 1980s due to rampant poaching. But a successful reintroduction program started in 2003 has created a healthy new population, which is being carefully monitored by a team so attuned to the animals’ behavior that they can even recognize individuals from their spousals.
It’s one of many good news stories unfolding in Malawi’s protected areas, where restoration efforts are quietly turning the developing East African country into a respectable safari choice. Despite being landlocked, the sparkling beaches ring Lake Malawi – one of the deepest lakes in the world – presenting opportunities for beach and bush holidays.
A black rhinoceros in Malawi
ALAMY
Last month’s decision to waive visas for 79 countries, including the UK, is part of the government’s ambitious plan to bring tourism on par with countries such as neighboring Zambia and Tanzania. Malawi is less well known than these wildlife giants and safari holidays remain much cheaper at an average of £3,000 for seven nights – almost half the price of an equivalent trip elsewhere.
Several days earlier, I had flown to the business hub of Blantyre in southwest Malawi via Johannesburg. (There are no direct flights from the UK, although the Malawi government is in discussions with several airlines about the possibility of intercontinental flights.) Just 90 minutes by car, making it a popular weekend getaway for the city’s expats, the Majete is emerging as one of the country’s top wildlife destinations largely due to the efforts of African Parks, a conservation NGO that works in partnership with governments to manage their wildlife resources.
When he signed a mandate with the Malawi government for Majete in 2003, all the elephants, rhinos and large carnivores had disappeared. Not a single tourist had visited the park in three years. But the reintroduction of 17 species has transformed it over the past 21 years. According to a 2022 census there are 12,000 animals. Now elephants, rhinos, lions, giraffes, cheetahs and wild dogs can be seen, and the number of tourists exceeds 13,000 annually.
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“The story of utter devastation and hope is a story that has struck a chord with people time and time again,” said park manager John Adendorff, driving back from our early-morning rhino drive, which (somewhat thankfully) it was fruitless. Majete’s success as a project to re-spin and regenerate biodiversity has inspired many African governments, and the non-profit organization now manages 22 reserves in 12 countries across the continent, employing more than 5,000 staff.
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A hilly landscape of 270 square meters smothered in thick bushes and forests, with extreme rainfall and temperature, Majete was not an easy environment or climate to work. “We’re leaving Cambodia and going to the Sahara desert,” joked Adendorff. “It’s changing a lot.”
Although regular tourists cannot track the rhino, it is possible to see the endangered animals in game or from hides, including a rustic overnight option at Nakamba Hide, which guests can book directly through African Parks, although they will need to bring your own sleeping bags (one night self-catering from £79; africanparks.org).
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Thawale Lodge
AFRICAN PARKS/GAEL RUBONEKA VANDE WEGHE
Staying at Thawale Lodge, the eight-tent unfenced camp managed by African Parks, located in the reserve’s core release area known as the Sanctuary, I had many close encounters with wildlife. I woke up to impalas and nyalas nibbling on fruit from my terrace, ate a healthy lunch of salad and roast chicken, while a herd of elephants collapsed into a hole a few meters from my table and cooled off the afternoon by dipping my toes in an organic swimming pool with endemic cichlid fish. At £175 per night full board, including game guides, it’s less than half the price of a similar lodge in Kenya or Tanzania, and all profits made here are reinvested in the reserve.
At night, I saw shadows of lions slithering among the lead and ebony trees surrounding the camp, and I drifted off to hear distant roars. One evening these dreamy sightings became a startling reality when two male lions pounced on our sunset at a viewpoint overlooking the River Shire. Standing on a picnic table with only an iPhone flashlight for defense, I fought the instinct to run and did the only other thing I could think of in the situation — I hid behind someone else (in this case, the tourism director, Emmanuel Kandiero).
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Since their reintroduction to Majete in 2012, lion numbers have increased from seven to over 70, illustrating the challenges of managing a closed wildlife area. With 80,000 people living within three miles of the park’s boundaries at risk of losing crops and livestock to livestock, the fence was a key factor in gaining the communities’ trust and crucial to Majete’s success.
It’s a similar situation in Liwonde National Park, also managed by African Parks, six hours north by car. Sliced alongside the Shire, palm floodplains and mopane woodlands provide a backdrop for reintroduced rhinos, lions and cheetahs.
![A cheetah in Malawi](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2Fbdea2e16-1493-49c6-846b-7bae89f9a671.jpg?crop=5000%2C2866%2C0%2C0&resize=400&quality=3)
![A cheetah in Malawi](https://www.thetimes.co.uk/imageserver/image/%2Fmethode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2Fbdea2e16-1493-49c6-846b-7bae89f9a671.jpg?crop=5000%2C2866%2C0%2C0&resize=400&quality=3)
A cheetah in Malawi
GETTY IMAGES
When I arrived, the scene was dramatically different from the predator-free park I’d visited seven years ago, where hippos lazed in the water and horses contentedly confined themselves to grass. However, there were even fewer tourists than I would expect to find in a prime safari destination.
“Our cats keep us busy,” joked my guide, David Owen, of Mvuu Camp, a seaside retreat with a mix of 14 luxury stone or canvas chalets with polished wooden interiors and bright kitenge fabrics framed by inflated baobab trees. At £219 a night on a full board basis, with above-average meals such as homemade pizzas and plates packed with fresh vegetables, it’s a relative bargain. Even more affordable is African Parks’ self-catering Chimwala Bush Camp on the other side of the park (easily accessible from a separate gate), with en-suite tented self-catering rates from £60 per night. Bring your own food and two in-house chefs will store and prepare it for you.
However, there is nothing discounted about the safari experience. I watched a coalition of five cheetahs fade into a purple sunset, observed lions stalking antelopes, and heard tracking lizards noisily mating like woodpeckers pounding trees.
“You can go to the Serengeti and stay in places that make other people rich, but in these parks, every last cent you spend goes back into conservation,” Andendorf had told me. “If more people knew where their money was going and how they were supporting this incredible recovery, Malawi could be one of the top destinations in Africa.”
He is right. Finding an affordable safari destination without the crowds is almost as difficult as tracking down a black rhino.
Sarah Marshall was a guest of Natural World Safaris, which has 7 nights all inclusive from £4,600, including transport, maintenance and park fees, scheduled shared game viewing activities and flights (naturalworldsafaris.com)
Two great sand and safari trips in Malawi
Blue Zebra Island Lodge
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Family friendly accommodation with thatched cottage
The southern part of Lake Malawi, designated by Unesco to protect its rare aquatic life, is a national park. Snorkel to find some of the colorful cichlids in the deep water from Blue Zebra Island Lodge on Nankoma Island, where cottages and tents are ideal for families. With the water so clear, it’s even possible to spot the aquarium-loving fish from a kayak, paddling along the shallow, rocky shoreline as eagles of fish swoop overhead. Pick up the pace with a selection of speedboat activities or dial it all in by relaxing at a spa in the shade of a fig tree.
Details Nine-night full-board safari and swim in Lake Malawi from £2,699 (yellowwoodadventures.com). Fly Blantyre via Johannesburg
Pumulani
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Hillside shelter with a view
Pumulani Beach Lodge is located on the western side of the Nankumba Peninsula at the southern end of Lake Malawi with a backdrop of forest-covered hills. Ten large, air-conditioned villas climb the slopes, overlooking the sparkling waters. Wander a private beach with hammocks spread among the trees and sunbeds, or relax on a floating platform. Hike and kayak back to the lodge or take a picnic on a traditional wooden, handcrafted dhow. Two sailboats are also available for use by experienced hands. A western-facing bar and dining room is perfect for admiring the crimson sunsets of Africa.
Details Seven-night Red Zebra Cichlid Safari full board from £2,690 (expertafrica.com). Fly to Blantyre via Johannesburg
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