Liwonde National Park

Liwonde National Park is a 54,800-hectare (548km2) protected area on the banks of the Shire River in Malawi - just south of Lake Malombe and Lake Malawi.

Scenic landscapes include riverine floodplains, woodlands, and arid savannas. This is a great comeback story - how a sustainable Big-5 safari destination was reclaimed from a poached wasteland under the expert guidance of African Parks.

Liwonde wildlife

Your Liwonde safari will include searching for the Big 5 - black rhino, elephant, lion, leopard and buffalo - although leopards are seldom seen.

Other species include cheetah, African wild dog (painted wolf), hyena, sable and roan antelope, hippopotamus, crocodile, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest and eland and commonly seen species such as warthog, impala, zebra, wildebeest, waterbuck, common duiker, kudu and bushbuck. Smaller species include side-striped jackal, honey badger, aardvark, pangolin and several species of mongoose.

Over 460 species of birds have been recorded, including Lillian’s lovebird, Pel’s fishing owl, Boehm’s bee-eater, and Livingstone’s flycatcher.

Liwonde is a great conservation comeback story

When African Parks assumed management with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife in 2015, the park had more poaching snares than large animals and amongst the highest human-wildlife conflict levels in the region.

Since then, Liwonde has established one of the most effective conservation law enforcement measures and training in southern Africa, integrating advanced technology to protect and monitor wildlife and historic animal reintroductions.

With wildlife populations on the rise and the number of people who visit the park to witness its revival, Liwonde National Park has been restored, transforming it into a safe haven to benefit both the wildlife and the people who live here.