Luxury Malawi Safaris & Beach Holiday | A Beginner’s Guide

Malawi offers an intimate, “bush-and-beach” safari experience, featuring Big Five viewing in refurbished parks like Liwonde and Majete, combined with relaxation on Lake Malawi. Best visited from May to October, the country provides top-tier boat safaris, walking tours, and diverse landscapes from highlands to tropical lakeshores.

Private & Luxury Malawi Safaris and Beach holiday: Incredible Tailor-made Luxury Tours For Travelers. Malawi offers a truly Sensational luxury safari experience. Plan a bespoke holiday with The Bespoke African Safari Co. and visit Malawi’s most famous destinations.

Lake Malawi, a large, sparkling body of warm pure water surrounded by kilometers of sandy beaches and offering sports like kayaking, diving, snorkeling, sailing, and fishing, dominates the small country of Malawi. Malawi has all you need for a relaxing beach vacation with palm trees.

The lake is beautiful, but Malawi is so much more. You can always count on a friendly local to greet you with a warm welcome when you visit their tall mountain peaks and tranquil, rarely-visited nature sanctuaries. We offer a wide variety of excursions that include a stop in Malawi; we recommend combining your visit to Malawi with a journey to the Indian Ocean islands off the coast of Mozambique or a safari in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

“Malawi: Country Profile”

Nestled between some of East Africa’s blockbuster destinations is Malawi, a country small in geography but large in appeal.

Luxury Malawi Safaris

Malawi Safari Destinations & Activities Highlights

  • A unique vacation spot that draws you in with its stunning landscapes
  • Lake Malawi is Africa’s third largest lake, and it is home to many different species of cichlid fish.
  • The zebra and leopard of Africa call the pristine wildness of Nyika National Park home.
  • Large herds of elephants, buffalo, and antelope congregate in the humid flat forests and marshes of Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve.
  • Liwonde National Park: Malawi’s premier park for river safaris on the Shire River, known for high densities of elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and rehabilitated cheetahs and lions.
  • Majete Wildlife Reserve: A successful big five reserve offering rugged wilderness, rhinos, elephants, and leopards.
  • Lake Malawi National Park: A UNESCO World Heritage site known for snorkeling, kayaking, and relaxing on clear water, sandy beaches, specifically at Cape Maclear or Mumbo Island.
  • Nyika National Park: High-altitude, rolling grasslands ideal for walking safaris, mountain biking, and spotting leopards, zebras, and roan antelope.
  • Mount Mulanje & Zomba Plateau: Excellent for hiking, trekking, and exploring tea plantations.

Luxury Malawi Safari Packages

Malawi is a relatively tiny country when compared to others in Africa, but its size conceals the diversity of its topography. It stretches from the sandy shores and barren islands of the middle region to the mist-shrouded mountains of the south and the highlands and swamps teeming with hippos in the far north. Country wildlife, beautiful lakes, and exciting local traditions draw people to this off-the-beaten-path destination.

A glittering body of clean water, Lake Malawi is Africa’s third largest lake and fills the trough formed by the Great Rift Valley. Kayak over its placid surface or dive down to where schools of bright fish swim. Golden sands and secluded coves border the northern coast, as if plucked from a Caribbean fantasy. Mount Mulanje and the Zomba Plateau, surrounded by emerald-green tea fields, are often regarded as the pinnacle of hiking destinations due to their dense, misty forests and intriguing animals.

Nyika National Park, a mystical environment of bare plateaus and pine forests that is home to zebra and leopard, straddles the Zambian border. Large herds of elephants, buffalo, and antelope roam the flat, humid forests and wetlands of Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve. Livingstonia, on the edge of Nyika National Park, is home to historic missionary structures and an eerily tranquil vibe.

Don’t know where to begin? Get began with one of our top-rated safari packages in Malawi.

Malawi Southern Circuit

Malawi Southern Circuit Adventure
Days: 12 | Nights: 11
Come on a one-of-a-kind 12-night adventure through the southern jewels of Malawi: Thyolo District, Majete Wildlife Reserve, Liwonde National Park, and Lake Malawi. Everyone from lone travelers to couples and families will find what they’re looking for in Southern Malawi.

Warm Heart Safari in Malawi

Malawi Warm Heart Safari
Days: 8 | Nights: 7
Malawi Warm Heart Safari Itinerary to Majete, Liwonde & Lake Malawi. Experience the ideal blend of forest and beach on this 8-night Malawi Warm Heart Safari Itinerary that visits three of Malawi’s most popular destinations: Majete Wildlife Reserve, Liwonde National Park, and Lake Malawi.

Conservation Malawi safari

Conservation Malawi Safari
Days: 11 | Nights: 10
A 11 Days Complete Conservation Malawi Safari Itinerary Guide. In a span of ten nights, you can learn about Malawi’s conservation history at three of its most remarkable parks and reserves: Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, Liwonde National Park, and Majete Wildlife Reserve.

12-Day Malawi Safari & Beach

12-Day Malawi Safari & Beach
Days: 12 | Nights: 11
After that, you’ll start your 12-Day Malawi Safari & Beach holiday through colonial times in the breathtaking Satemwa Tea Estates. Enjoy lawn games, tea tastings, a tour of the coffee factory, and beautiful views while staying at the exclusive Huntingdon House, which is like a home away from home. Although there may not be any opportunities for safari-style wildlife viewing, your stay is sure to be filled with glimpses of flourishing aviaries.

Majete Game Reserve

Mulanje, Malawi & Majete
Days: 11 | Nights: 10
Afterwards, take on a scenic journey south through the Thyolo region to the stately Huntingdon House, set amid the verdant hills of tea plantations. Picnics in the estate’s picturesque gardens and guided birding hikes with breathtaking views of Mount Mulanje are sure to be enjoyable. From picking the leaves to brewing the final cup, you have a front-row seat at Satemwa’s tea plant, where some of Malawi’s best export teas are made.

Malawi Southern Circuit

Liwonde Safari & Likomo Island
Days: 9 | Nights: 8
A Nine-day combination of Liwonde National Park and Likoma Island offers a premier Malawi experience, blending premier river-based wildlife safaris with tranquil lake relaxation. Guests typically spend four days viewing elephants, hippos, and rare black rhino on the Shire River before taking a scenic flight to Likoma Island for snorkeling, scuba diving, and history at Kaya Mawa.

Zambia and Malawi's Bush & Beach

10-Day Zambia & Malawi
Days: 10 | Nights: 9
Join us on an off-the-beaten-path safari that combines the thrills of Victoria Falls with the solitude of South Luangwa and the beauty of Lake Malawi’s islands. Indulge in breathtaking scenery, unforgettable wildlife encounters, and activities that will fill a lifetime of dreams for ten days. Enjoy a two-night stay at Tongabezi property while striking a balance between active days visiting Africa’s adventure capital and relaxing at the property.

Majete Game Reserve

Mulanje, Malawi & Majete
Days: 11 | Nights: 10
Afterwards, take on a scenic journey south through the Thyolo region to the stately Huntingdon House, set amid the verdant hills of tea plantations. Picnics in the estate’s picturesque gardens and guided birding hikes with breathtaking views of Mount Mulanje are sure to be enjoyable. From picking the leaves to brewing the final cup, you have a front-row seat at Satemwa’s tea plant, where some of Malawi’s best export teas are made.

9-Day Family Zambia & Malawi

Malawi Fly-in Safari And Beach
Days: 9 | Nights: 8
Continue your 9-Day Malawi Fly-in safari and beach holiday from Lilongwe to Monkey Bay by air, and then take a road transfer to Pumulani Lake Lodge, a picturesque resort on the Nankumba Peninsula with a view of Lake Malawi. As the days pass, you can do nothing more than relax by the pool with a good book or lay out on the beach, taking advantage of the many water activities available, such as sailing, kayaking, snorkelling, and water skiing.

Malawi Travel News, Stories & Articles

Malawi tourism

Malawi Tourism
Malawi, or the Republic of Malawi as it is formally known, is a landlocked country in southeast Africa. The inhabitants of this country are so welcoming that they’ve earned the nickname “The Warm Heart of Africa.”