Malawi National Parks, Safaris and Wildlife Reserves

(Malawi, MW, South-East Africa)



Lake Malawi National Park coastal viewVisitors have plenty of choice when it comes to big game viewing in Malawi. There are a number of national parks and wildlife reserves in all. Together, they are able to offer tourists a wide range of safari experiences, from open game drives to guided wilderness trek on foot.

Some national parks in Malawi even offer visitors the opportunity to visit to an archaeological site or enjoy a sunset cruise. Compared to safari destinations in other African countries, Malawi's parks and reserves tend to be less crowded, with a greater sense of visiting a wilderness area as a consequence.


Further photo taken at the Lake Malawi National Park

Lake Malawi National Park

Lake Malawi, its islands and the area of land around Cape Maclear make up this unique freshwater national park. Boat rides and fish-feeding trips give visitors an opportunity to get close to a myriad of tropical fish species and other aquatic life. On the area of land around the lake can be found baboons and antelope, as well as a rich diversity of African bird life.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

Kasungu National Park picture of hippos

Kasungu National Park

As the second-largest of Malawi's big game reserves, Kasungu is worthy of consideration when it comes to planning your itinerary. Woodland areas and a network of rivers make up the park's landscape, attracting elephants, impala, buffalo and zebra, as well as hippos and hyenas. For game viewing, it's best to head to the westernmost parts of the park, particularly at the end of the dry season, when the park's resident animals tend to concentrate their numbers around its watering holes. It is worth bearing in mind that Kasungu National Park is not so easy to access during the rainy season - on occasion it has been known for it to close completely during March.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

Liwonde National Park image of elephants

Liwonde National Park

Perhaps the country's most popular national park, Liwonde offers a taste of every sort of landscape, from swamps and lagoons to dense woodland and baobab-dotted grassland. The northernmost part of the park borders on the shores of Lake Malombe. Home to one of Malawi's largest resident elephant populations, visitors to Liwonde National Park also stand a good chance of spotting hippos, along with sable antelope and duiker (a medium-sized antelope species). Bird lovers won't be disappointed either, with fish eagle and white-bellied cormorants among the many bird species that have made the park their home.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

Nyika National Park photograph

Nyika National Park

Nyika National Park was the first such park to be set up in the country. Located in the north of Malawi, the park covers a vast area, with terrain that includes the highland moors of the Nyika Plateau. The park's altitude offers great views and has the added bonus of allowing visitors to escape the heat of lowland Malawi. Amidst the park's stunning scenery can be found hundreds of bird species, including the Denham's bustard, as well as populations of hartebeest (a grassland antelope), duiker, hyena, aardvark, leopard and zebra.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

Majete Wildlife Reserve warthog photo

Majete Wildlife Reserve

Situated in the south-west of Malawi, the Majete Wildlife Reserve has seen quite a few changes in recent years. These include the introduction of several thousand new residents, such as elephants, hippos, buffalo, waterbuck, impala and warthog. The Kapichira Falls can be found on the eastern boundary of the reserve, being home to a large power station, reservoir and dam.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve antelope picture

Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve

Mwabvi may be the smallest of Malawi's national parks, and arguably the least accessible but it's nevertheless still worth visiting, particularly if you prefer to head of the beaten track and have a penchant for spectacular scenery. Animals found are the Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve include antelope (such as impala, kudu and sable), leopards, lions and baboons, although due to a reduction in the woodland areas and past poaching problems, the previous Black Rhino population has sadly died out.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge

Vwasa Wildlife Reserve

The main entrance to this reserve is situated near Lake Kazuni, in the north-west of Malawi, and only a short journey from the nearby Nyika National Park. Best known for its marshy terrain, this relatively small reserve attracts a wide of range of birdlife. Visitors to Vwasa may be fortunate to spot the reserve's population of buffalo, although they're more likely to get a good view of its hippos. Herds of up to 40 elephants may also be spotted, along with more than 300 different species of birdlife.
Open hours: daily
Admission: charge