Liwonde National Park Travel Guide: Top Sights in Malawi, Tours &

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Liwonde National Park- Travel Tips What to See, How to Plan & Tours: Natural Scenery; Malawi; 5 Reviews

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Suggested Duration: 48 hours

Liwonde National Park, located in southern Malawi near the Mozambique border, spans 548 square kilometers of woodlands and savannah. Established in 1973, the park has seen remarkable improvements since African Parks took over management in 2015, including the installation of an electric fence that has significantly curbed poaching and bolstered security for its diverse wildlife, such as elephants, black rhinos, antelopes, and over 380 bird species. The park's varied landscape, which includes a section of the Shire River and part of Lake Malombe's shores, supports a rich array of flora and fauna. Under African Parks' stewardship, endangered species have been successfully translocated, and predators like cheetahs and lions have been reintroduced to restore ecological balance. The park's efforts to mitigate human-wildlife conflict and enhance biodiversity are evident in its complex ecosystem, supported by diverse vegetation like mopane woodlands and acacias. Tourism plays a crucial role in Liwonde's conservation, with activities such as boat safaris and exploration trips not only providing guests with immersive experiences but also contributing to the park's ongoing funding and preservation.

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Reviews of Liwonde National Park

Silvia Strangis

3
Reviewed: 2024-08-12

Good park. I would suggest that the park's organizers would be more organised. No information can be obtained on the park entrance and fees before getting to the park. Fees: Entrance to the park: - 15$ SADC - 30$ International SAFARI FEE: 25$ for everyone
Eglė Masevičiūtė

4
Reviewed: 2019-08-06

We went there just for a day in order to have boat trip and game ride. Before visiting the park I was trying to find some information, tips and prices but it was not easy to find it, so now I want to write all my experiences about it. The entrance to the National Park is 25$ per person (international), when next year the price is going to be 30$. Boat trips are for the mornings and evenings, the best for the boat trip is the morning when the boat departing at 8 a.m. Duration is 2,5 hours and price is 25$ per person. During this trip we saw many species of animals, buffalo, hippos, elephants, crocodiles, antelopes, birds and it is highly recommended to visit during the dry season, when all animals are coming to drink some water to the river. (We even saw how elephants were crossing the river just in front of us!) About game ride, the price is the same, 25$ per person while duration is 3,5 hours. Its departure is at 6am and 2pm. My personal experience for this ride was not so good, we went afternoon and we haven’t seen animals, probably all of them were close by the river or it was just the thing of luck.
Philipp Epp

1
Reviewed: 2019-04-12

A beautiful park. Great variety of animals. Amazing wildlife. But unfortunately no heart for the people who live next to the park. It is obvious that this park offers everything you can imagine for rich tourists. One sees regularly small airplanes landing in the park, there are expensive safari camps etc.. But unfortunately no safe fence that prevents the elephants from destroying the fields of the incredibly poor people who live next to the park. Animal welfare is important, but here it seems to be just an opportunity to make money. And this at the expense of the black population around it. It is not understandable why no proper elephant proof fence surrounds the park. Such a thing would be easy to accomplish with reasonable effort. It is a pity. The park earns so much money and does so much good for the animals in the park. But for the people in the direct neighbourhood it would be better if this park did not exist.
Thiran Udawatta

4
Reviewed: 2018-10-16

Liwonde national park is situated about 40 km north of zomba. This national park is a popular destination for tourists. There is a entry fee to the park which is about 14590 kwacha. They do accept us dollars as well as major credit cards. You must sign a waiver to gain entry to the park surrendering liability. Several safari companies operate through the liwonde national park but you can enter by yourself. If entering on your own accord a suv or all terrain vehicle is recommended. All of the roads through the national park at dirt roads. You will see plenty of wildlife including impalas, warthogs, many different birds, hippos, bucks, and water buffalo to name a few. Liwonde National Park does have cheetahs and I was fortunate to see one while I was there. Unfortunately, lions are much harder to spot and I didn't see any during my time. The national Park is beautiful and worth spending time there if you're visit Malawi.
Kudzai Cleopatra Kandiero

5
Reviewed: 2017-12-31

Lovely place with really friendly staff. I loved the boat safari and safari drive. You can hire a guide for as little as ten dollars. And boat safaris for 35 buck a person. Beautiful.