Specialist Bird Watching Tour visiting the top spots in Malawi with the additional bonus of ending off the safari with relaxation on the shores of Lake Malawi
Day 1- Lilongwe Arrive in Malawi and transfer to the Sanctuary Lodge.A walk in the adjacent Lilongwe Wildlife Centre is available for those who wish. Overnight Lilongwe Sanctuary Lodge on BB basis.Our main target birds will include African Finfoot, White-backed Night Heron, Schalow’s, Half-collared Kingfisher, African Broadbill, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Mountain Wagtail, Giolden Weaver and Pied Mannikin.
Day 2 - Liwonde National Park. After breakfast we head south, to the escarpment beyod Dedza, then drop down into the hot, steamy Rift valley. We enter Liwonde National Park - a 548 sq. km wilderness of swamps, grasslands and mopane wodlands in the upper Shire River valley. We will be staying at Mvuu Camp, a tented camp set beautifully overlooking the Shire river. Overnight Mvuu Camp on Full board basis.The afternoon game activity should add many waterbirds to the list, possibly including specials like White-backed Night-Heron, White-backed Duck, African Pygmy Goose, Lesser Jacana, White-headed Lapwing, Long-toed Lapwing, Gull-biled Tern, African Skimmer, Black Coucal and Southern Brown-throated Weaver.
Day 3 - Liwonde National Park. A day of river safaris, drives and bush walks should reveal a good diversity of wood and riverine forest birds. Overnight Mvuu Camp on Full board basis including game activities.Our main target birds will be Boehm’s Bee-eater, Brown-breasted Barbet, Lilian’s Lovebird and Livingstone’s Flycatcher, with other specials including Bat Hawk, African Cuckoo Falcon, Red-necked Falcon, Dickinson’s Kestrel, Red-necked Spurfowl, Yellowbill [Green Coucal], African Barred Owlet, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Mottled Spinetail, Eastern Nicator, Meve’s Long-tailed Starling and Broad-tailed Paradise-Whydah. Among these will be more typical woodland species such as Brown-headed Parrot, Purple-crested Turaco, Green-capped Eremomela, Pale Flycatcher, Southern Black Flycatcher, Black-crowned Tchagra, Grey-headed Bush Shrike and White Helmetshrike.
Day 4: Thyolo It’s a 4 hr drive to Thyolo through Zomba and Limbe. On arrival at Satemwa we check in the delightful old colonial house on the estate, with the afternoon free to explore this rich habitat. We will spend the remainder of the day walking in the forest. Thyolo mountain [1462 m] is the most prominent feature of the Shire Highlands. The mountain extends north and south in long ridges, dropping sharply to the Shire River in the west, and undulating gently down to the Thuchila and Ruo Rivers in the east. Isolated pockets of a once-extensive forest mosaic remain, but are becoming increasingly threatened by illegal felling. We will be staying in the delightful, well positioned colonial houses of a big tea estate on an all meals inclusive basis. For those that wish a visit to the working tea factory is possible. A number of highly range-restricted species occur here and our targets will include Green Barbet, near-endemic Thyolo Alethe and White-winged Apalis. Other montane forest specials could include Green-headed Oriole, Spotted Ground Thrush, Esatern Bronze-naped Pigeon, Moustached Green Tinkerbird, Cabanis’ Greenbul, Grey-olive Greenbul, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Black-headed Apalis, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Bar-tailed Trogon, White-eared Barbet, Bertrand’s Weaver, Green-backed Twinspot and African Citril.
Day 5 – Lengwe National Park. A drive down into the Lower Shire offers splendid views of the vast plains below. Lengwe National Park is an 887 sq km wilderness of dense thickets and mixed open woodland. Our overnight chalets are comfortable and spacious all with en suite facilities. Here we stay in Nyala Lodge on an all inclusive basis.A wide variety of typical woodland species occur here and the list should grow considerably. Apart from Lengwe’s special birds [see tomorrow], a good variety of more widespread species should include [Western Banded Snake Eagle, Brown-headed Parrot, Crowned Hornbill, African Golden Oriole, African Paradise Flycatcher, Retz’s [Red-billed] Helmetshrike, Southern [Miombo] Blue-eared Starling, Variable [ Yellow-bellied] Sunbird, African Yellow White-eye, Southern Grey-headed Sparrow and Red-headed Weaver.
Day 6: Lengwe Full day spent birding in the thickets and woodlands. Overnight Nyala lodge on Full board basis.Lengwe’s special birds are found in the dense, low-lying thickets and include Crested Guineafowl, Tambourine Dove, Barred Long-tailed Cuckoo, Boehm’s Bee-eater, Green-backed [Little Spotted] Wodpecker, Square-tailed Drongo, Cabanis’ and Grey-olive Greenbuls, Eastern [Yellow-spotted] Nicator, Rudd’s Apalis, Livingstone’s Flycatcher, Black-and-white Flycatcher, Woodward’s Batis and Grey Sunbird.
Day 7,8,9 - Dzalanyama Forest Reserve From Lengwe is a long drive back through Lilongwe then an hour and half to Dzalanyama forest reserve. Arrival at Dzalanyama will be late afternoon. The days here are spent exploring various locations to spot the specialties of the area. Overnight Dzalanyama forest Lodge on all meals inclusive basis. Days birding the rich miombo woodlands. Some of the many target birgs will include Pale-billed Hoenbill, Whyte’s Barbet, Miombo Pied Stierlng’s Woodpecker, Miombo [Central Bearded] Scrub-robin, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Rufous-bellied Tit, Boehm’s Flycatcher, White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Souza’s Shirke, Anchieta’s [Red and blue] Sunbird, Shelly’s Sunbird, and the rare Olive-headed Weaver. Along with these should be a number of typical miombo birds such as Green-backed Honeybird, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Spottede Creeper, Miombo Grey Tit, Retz’s [ Red-billed] Helmetshrike, Wood Pipit, Miombo Rock Thrush, Southern [ Mashona] Hyliota, Peters’ [Red-throated] Twinspot, Breaod-tailed Paradise Whydah, Miombo Double-collared Sunbird, Western Violet-backed Sunbird, Black-eared Seedeater and Cabanis’ Bunting.
Day 10 – Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve An early morning drive northwards on the M1, over the Viphya Plateau through Mzuzu to Vwaza Marsh. Arrival at Vwaza will be late afternoon. Overnight Vwaza Tented camp on all meals included basis. Viphya will hopefully produce a number of endemics like White-tailed Blue Flycatcher, Miombo Rock Thrush, African Spotted Creeper, Trilling Cisticola, Brown Parisoma, Rufous-bellied Tit, Miombo [ Northern Grey] Tit, Anchieta’s [ Red and Bule] Sunbird, Miombo Double-collared Sunbird and Reichard’s [Stripe-breasted] Seedeater.
Day 11 & 12 : Nyika A 3 hr birding walk, returning for breakfast, then we continue to Nyika. A short stop will be made to search riparian forest at Thazima Gate [entrance to Nyika National Park ] for the highly localised Black-backed Barbet. Two days birding the mountain grasslands and forests of the Nyika Plateau. We will overnight at Chelinda Camp in the chalets, with commanding views of the surrounding grasslands. Overnight Chalets with all meals provided. Nyika and Viphya Plateau have a host of birds that are scarce or absent elsewhere in Malawi. Some of our target birds will be Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk, Red-winged Francolin, Denham’s [Stanley’s] Bustard, Rwenzori [Mountain] Nightjar, Angola Swallow, Jackson’s Pipit, Black-lored [ Mountain ] Cisticola, Churring Cisticola, Mountain Yellow Warbler, Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Red-tufted Malachite Sunbird, Mountain Marsh Widow and Streaky Canary. Aside from these, we could also find Shelley’s Francolin, Common Quail, Blue Swallow, Wattled Crane, Augus Buzzard, Malachite Sunbird, and a number of common grassland birds. Hopefully some of the monatne evergreen forests near the Zambian border and the forests on the eastern rim of the plateau. A bewildering array of new birds await, hopefully including Dusky [Pink-breasted] Turtle Dove, Waller’s Starling, Slender-billed Red-winged Starling, Olived-flanked Robin-chat, White-chested Alethe, Brown-headed Apalis, Chestnut-throated Apalis, African Hill Babbler, shape’s Greenbul, Green-headed Sunbird, Baglafecht Weaver, and a number of more widespread forest specialists such as Schalow’s Turaco, Bar-tailed Trogon, Moustached Green Tinkerbird, Fuelleborn’s Boubou, Malawi batis, White-starred Robin, [ Olive-breasted] Mountain Greenbul, Orange Ground Thrush, Evergreen Forest Warbler, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, and others. The eastern forests have several birds not found elsewhere on Nyika, namely Mountain Illadopsis, Sharpe’s Akalat and Oriole Finch.
Day 13 – Chintheche After an early morning’s birding walk and breakfast we pack our things and head off to the shores of Lake Malawi. We arrive in the early afternoon at Makuzi Beach, south of Chintheche. Our comfortable chalets are on the beach overlooking the lake. Overnight Makuzi Beach Lodge on Dinner, bed and breakfast. Remnants of Lowland evergreen forest en route support East Coast Akalat, Red-capped Robin-chat, Green-backed [Little Spotted] Woodpecker, Eastern Sawwing, Grey-olive Greenbul, Purple-banded Sunbird, Yellowbill [Green Coucal] Yellow-spotted Nicator, African Broadbill and Eastern Olive Sunbird. If time permits we will also search for Lemon-breasted Canary on the floodplain.
Day 14 – At Chintheche at leisure and exploring the surroundings.
Day 15: Transfer 4 hrs along the lakeshore to Lilongwe in time to catch your return flight.
Logistics –Vehicle used – Toyota Land Cruiser specially built to seat 7 or 9 people comfortably – trailer taken for luggage Accom Used – varied accom used according to the area – generally 1 to 2 star accom. (In some forest lodges we provide our own provisions however there is a chef to do the preparation)
Guides – 1 driver / guide – He is a keen and enthusiastic birder and is fully trained.Renowned local area guides usually join us in their area of operations.
Includes: meals as indicated, accom per person sharing, entrance fees to parks and centres, Land and Lake Guide, bird checklists, game walks, game drives, boat safaris etc. Excludes: Flights to and from Malawi, departure taxes, bottled and alcoholic drinks.
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We did indeed have a terrific safari. To sum it up:
They provided excellent service for the three of us- myself, my husband Jim, and our niece Renee. When our luggage did not show up in time for the trip, they offered to pick it up at the Malawi airport and transport it all the way to our camp in South Luangwa, no problem!
Our guide Henry was talented, funny, and very genuine, reveling not only his knowledge of Africa, but a thoughtful interest in our views as well. Raphael really impressed us with his cooking skills, we weren't expecting such creative fare every day. They book a bush camp in North Luangwa at Chifunda and I would highly recommend this to everyone.
We visited the village aligned with the camp and met the chief, had a typical native lunch (after helping grind the peanuts!) and had a chance to talk to many local people. The bush camp itself is welcoming after a long drive getting there, with very friendly folk and comfortable accommodation in their bandas - open air showers and a view of the river right outside the windows. Our guided walks there were spectacular, especially seeing the leopard in our path!
I would use the Africa Guide again when researching our next trip, and would tell my traveling friends to peruse the site, it has so much information.
We loved the Safari. They were able to offer the same safari as other operators at a substantial reduction.
The Lodge couldn't have been better. The drive to and from Lilongwe to the gamepark was seamless and easy. The driver was willing to make any stops that we wanted.
Our 4-day trek on Mulanje Massif, was excellent from start to finish. We were warmly welcomed and well briefed.
Our guide was first class, very knowledgeable and sensitive to our individual needs. Arrangements for porterage and cooking were good too and the meals were excellent (and copious).
Weather conditions, in July, were perfect for walking. We will go again and stay longer!!
Briefly I arranged everything from South Africa and it was wonderful having such easy access to the internet and instant e-mail responses from the Lilongwe office.
My son, his girlfriend and I had traveled all the way up from Johannesburg to Vic Falls in my Renault. On the 28th December we arrived at the pick-up point in Chipata.
Henry drove like a Dakar rally driver and apart from splashing a few hapless bystanders with muddy rain water, took us safely into Luangwa Valley.
From then on, he was busy organizing a cook which seemed a problem only because, like lions, cooks are hard to find! But we always had good food and watched the different men struggling with the height of the cooker, standing on the boxes to reach - and struggling to wash the dishes squeezed in between the ladder to the upstairs floor, and the kitchen sink - clearly a design flaw in the architecture. But it didn't bother us.
We ate and slept in the beautiful lodge and wondered in our sleep what the funny growling and other weird noises were that we heard in the night.
Fred our guide was very keen to look after all our animal-sighting needs. We saw buffalo, a giraffe with two heads or so it seemed at first! - and hippos a-plenty - ugly beasts really!
Luckily I had seen lions in the Serengeti game parks so I wouldn't have been too unhappy if we'd left Luangwa Valley without seeing any. But my son and his girlfriend were longing for a glimpse of the Kings of the Jungle. Two night drives brought sightings of hyena and the smaller cats, but because of the rain, the lions stayed away.
We had just about given up when on the last hour of the last day we saw a lioness AND -the cream on the cake for me too,- the leopard. Fred's determination to pursue every tip and trail had paid off! We were so elated!
Thank You for a great experience and please share the photos and thanks with Henry and Fred! Love also to Patience.
I must say that normally I would make all the arrangements myself once I arrive at a destination so I was reluctant at first to use your services; with that said, your team did a fantastic job making our trip fun and trouble free.
We had the best time at the Safari Lodge in South Luangwa. The people there were terrific and it wasnt crowded.
Please tell everyone that Janelle and I had the best time! I would recommend you to anyone planning a trip to Africa.
I actually spent the time with the Lodge staff and guides I stayed at. The operator did a very good job of arranging my stay there and ensuring all the details such as airport transfers were covered. The Lodge is an excellent place with well-trained professionals, a superb chef, and very comfortable accomodations.
I would recommend this tour operator without qualification to anyone travelling in that area who wants to see South Luangua National Park.
Mme and my friend were picked up on time by the operator before the safari. They took us to their office, where we were offered tea and biscuits whilst filling some forms. We then set out on a 5 hour drive to our safari destination.
Our driver was very friendly, we had sufficient time for lunch and we could stop for toilet or photos when we wanted. At the end of the safari, the operator kindly agreed to leave 1 hour later than planned so that I could enjoy a last morning drive. I should also mention that they had arranged for a visa waiver for entry into Zambia and that border crossings were dealt with quickly and efficiently. All in all, I would say that they were excellent agents for the organisers of the safari.
As for the safari itself, it was also a very positive experience. All the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. The accommodation was very comfortable: the main lodge has very nice chalets with en suite bathroom, a great dining area and a swimming pool; the bush camp, whilst less luxurious, is also very comfortable and even has flushing toilets. We really felt all the staff were trying to make our stay as good as possible. Oh, and the food was excellent and served with panache every night.
