Parks and Reserves
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Elephant Marsh
In the south of Malawi close to the Mozambique border there is a glorious wetland formed by the seasonal flooding of the River Shire that, depending on the river’s flow, can spread to over 1,000 square kilometres of waterways, lagoons,… Continue reading
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The Day of the Painted Wolves
South Luangwa National Park is one of a handful of locations in Africa where there is an excellent chance of seeing Painted Wolves or African Wild Dogs so we headed into Zambia from Malawi to stay at Robin Pope’s Safari… Continue reading
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Last Chance to See: African Wild Dogs
The predator with many names; Mbwa mwilu, painted dog, painted wolf, Budzatje, African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, Hlolwa, ornate wolf, hyena dog, Nkentshane, painted hunting dog, Lycaon pictus and African wild dog. The horrible truth is that despite being… Continue reading
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The Christmas Hyenas
Despite visiting parks and wildlife reserves across four African countries hyenas have remained somewhat elusive. We’ve seen the occasional loner in the distance but until South Luangwa National Park our only worthwhile encounter was two spotted hyenas lying in a… Continue reading
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Last Chance to See: Luangwa Giraffe
With as few as 550 living in an isolated population in South Luangwa, Zambia Luangwa giraffe (previously know as Thornicroft’s giraffe) is classified by the IUCN as vulnerable. This places it in the IUCN’s overall “Threatened with Extinction” category. In… Continue reading
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Last Chance to See: Cheetahs
This is the story of a day my daughter and I spent in Liwonde National Park in April 2023 hoping to find cheetahs, perhaps the mother and cubs we had been hearing about, or a lone cheetah hunting on the… Continue reading
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Liwonde National Park Map
We have struggled to find a map of Liwonde NP so I’ve created this sketch map based on the picture on the wall at the main gate, a very faded photocopy kindly given to us by a ranger, Google Earth… Continue reading
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Liwonde National Park: Malawi’s Hidden Jewel
Malawi, the “Warm Heart of Africa” has set aside 11% of the country for the conservation of wildlife having established four national parks and four game reserves. Liwonde National Park is the smallest but arguably the most exciting. Lake Malawi… Continue reading
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Origins & History of Liwonde National Park
The Liwonde National Park was established in 1973 but its origins are entwined with a story of exploration, exploitation and finally conservation. A story that starts with Doctor Livingstone and ends with the revitalisation of one of Africa’s finest parks.… Continue reading
Travelogues and Other Memories 