The unsung budget safari destination that’s getting easier to reach

Fierce and glassy, with a power to penetrate the thickest blanket of darkness, a lion’s eyes have always terrified me – even more so when I found myself staring directly into them one night on safari.

I’d been on a game drive in Majete, a wildlife reserve in the south-west of Malawi. Distracted by a herd of feasting elephants, I thought I’d missed the opportunity for a snack and a sundowner. But with the slimmest glimmer of light remaining in the sky, my guide and I had decided to park our 4WD and hike to a viewpoint above the Shire River.

Midway through a mouthful of popcorn, Emmanuel Kandiero – a conservation officer for NGO African Parks – paused. “I think I can hear lions…”

Seconds later we were standing on a picnic bench, aiming our iPhone torches either side of an enormous shaggy mane.

“Stay still and don’t run,” he calmly instructed, putting into practice a childhood of experience growing up in the bush. I duly obeyed. Although, to be honest, there was nowhere to run, and our only ammunition was two plastic beakers of gin and tonic.

Confused by the Apple-generated light beams ahead of him, the burly big cat panted heavily, metres from my feet, and eventually sauntered off into the night.

Three lions were moved to Majete from South Africa in 2012, and have now spawned a population estimated to be above 70, joining dozens of other species in a park once denuded of wildlife. During my stay last year, I stumbled upon black rhino tracks, ran into a pack of wild dogs, and woke to find a family of elephants nibbling on a marula tree outside my tent.

Majete is only one chapter in a success story of resurgence and regeneration. Yet, while the Mara’s plains heave with crowds and prices in the Serengeti continue to rise, Malawi’s parks remain largely under the radar.

That could be about to change, however, with news that visa requirements have been dropped for British visitors – alongside those from 77 other countries, including the US, Canada, Australia and Ireland. It means a saving of £65 per person and less time spent queuing at the airport.

The move is part of a bigger campaign to give “the warm heart of Africa”, as Malawi is sometimes called, the international attention it deserves.

“This monumental decision isn’t just about visas – it’s about unleashing the untapped potential of our beloved Malawi and inviting the world to experience its wonders first-hand,” says Minister of Tourism Vera Kamtukule, who is already in discussions with airlines about launching direct flights. (Currently, the best route from London is via Johannesburg or Addis Ababa.)

Much of Malawi’s impressive transformation is down to African Parks, a non-governmental organisation responsible for restoring some of the most depleted wildlife areas in Africa.

Starting with Majete in 2003, they’ve since taken over management of several other reserves and parks in the country. Between 2016 and 2017, they masterminded one of the largest elephant relocations in history, moving 500 to Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve where ivory poaching had previously decimated a 1,500 population by 90 per cent.

The changes they’ve made in Liwonde, Malawi’s other flagship park, have also been remarkable. Back in 2017, when I first visited, hippos yawned on the peaceful section of the Shire River and antelopes bounded blissfully across plains. Seven years later, the arrival of lions and cheetahs has added some drama to the idyllic scene.

Wildlife in Malawi isn’t only terrestrial. Large enough to qualify as an inland sea, Lake Malawi has more species of fish than all the lakes and rivers of Europe and North America put together. Beyond opportunities for diving and snorkelling, its sandy shores also make bush and beach combos possible in a landlocked country.

Operated by Green Safaris, Kaya Mawa on Likoma island – close to the border with Mozambique – is the top-end choice. But barefoot, rustic, hammock-swinging lodges like Mumbo Island ($100pppn) and Makuzi Beach Lodge ($95pppn) provide more affordable alternatives.

In fact, the total cost of a twin-centre holiday is around half the price of what you’d pay in neighbouring Tanzania and Zanzibar.

“Now is the absolutely perfect time to visit Malawi,” believes Sam McManus, Managing Director of YellowWood Adventures, who recently launched a tour to the destination.

“The game viewing in the country is now on a par with some of Africa’s greatest safari destinations – at a lower cost, without the crowds and still with the authentic feeling of being on the path less travelled, which we love.”

Shaped by beginning-of-time landscapes, it’s a place which still feels relatively raw and untouched. Plateaus and highlands rise from the Great Rift Valley and swollen baobabs thrive in fiery red soils.

Off the back of conservation successes, community projects and a progressive government approach to tourism, Malawi is upping its game. It’s time for travellers to give it the attention it deserves.

A 10-day Safari & Swimming at Lake Malawi holiday costs from £2,699pp, excluding flights (yellowwoodadventures.com).