Chances are that you, When If you book a holiday to Malawi, you arrive in Lilongwe. The capital is not a city where you are likely to linger for days, but after a long journey with a layover, you want to land comfortably. Mitengo House in Area 43, about a 45-minute drive from the airport, is such a lovely place. The guesthouse is owned by Dutch owners who know the country extremely well. You receive a warm welcome there, and everything is well organized.

The house itself is a successful blend of modern design and traditional African accents. Concrete and wooden surfaces, local handicrafts on the walls, large windows, and a garden with a swimming pool where you can sit among the birds with your coffee in the morning. We found the food really delicious. In addition to Mitengo, Dilo and Hessel also own Africa House in Lilongwe, and they organize amazing horseback riding safaris in Kuti Wildlife Reserve.

We are hopping from highlight to highlight in Malawi, and Lake Malawi is one of them. Upstream from the Shire River lies a 560-kilometer-long lake that fills pretty much the entire eastern border of the country. It feels like a sea, but with fresh water and without waves. That is actually a bit crazy. But it is nice here. We start our journey gently: first the lake, then the bush. Chilling to the max So with occasional kayaking, drinks during sunset cruises, and stand-up paddleboarding. In the evening, the water turns pink and orange, and silhouettes of hollowed-out fishing boats glide across the scene.

Also interesting: hundreds of species of cichlids live in Lake Malawi, brightly colored fish found nowhere else in the world. Put on a snorkel at a rock formation and within a minute you will be swimming in a cloud of blue, yellow, and orange. Above, sea eagles and hammerkops fly. Swimming is possible, but watch out for the parasite that causes bilharzia. Seek advice from a recognized travel vaccination provider before departure.

We found the fishing villages further along here at least as interesting. Wooden boats are pushed into the water, nets are laid out on the beach, and dried usipa, small silver fish, lie in the sun on racks. Children come running and men pull in nets in groups while the women wash their beautifully colored clothes in the lake.

The safari begins here. Waving to the kids, we drive through the villages to the Shire River, which cuts the park in two. The guide for the coming days is already waiting at the jetty, as going up the river by boat is the easiest way to reach our lodge. We watch out for a crocodile on the left, and on the right we see something that looks suspiciously like a hippopotamus. Aha, bingo. We haven't even been underway for a minute.

Upstream, hippos lie like wet pebbles in the shallows. They hiss loudly as we pass, sink until only their ears and eyes are above water, and emerge again a little further on as a surprise. On the bank, three elephants are violently pulling leaves from a tree. Two large crocodiles lie with their mouths open in the last rays of the sun. Bald eagles keep a watchful eye from the branches. The boat ride to the lodge is the beginning of what we will see in the coming days. And what a start. Never before have we seen so many hippos together.

The days in Liwonde are filled with game drives in the early morning and late afternoon and with boat safaris. Out of bed at five in the morning, a cup of coffee in the dark, and then into the car as the light slowly returns and the bush wakes up. Without other safari vehicles around us, we see a lot of wildlife. At the end of the game drive, the guide stops somewhere with a view, flips open the tailgate, and pours coffee as the sun rises. During the afternoon safari, the coffee is swapped for a gin and tonic as the sun sets.

Further south, the road climbs the Zomba Plateau, about 900 meters above the town of Zomba. Zomba was the country's capital until 1975. At the foot of the mountain, colonial buildings line the road, and the plateau itself is Malawi's oldest forest reserve. The scent of pine forest greets you in this hiking paradise. Those with the time will walk here for hours, perhaps even several days in a row. After all, it is nice to stretch your legs during all that sitting in the safari vehicles and chilling by the lake.

You can hike along the Mulunguzi Dam and the Mandala and Williams Falls, through old forest with tree ferns and Mulanje cedars, or to Chingwe's Hole, a hole over 450 meters deep where stories circulate that local chieftains threw their enemies into it. The two most famous viewpoints are Emperor's View and Queen's View, named after Emperor Haile Selassie and the British Queen Mother, who both stood here gazing. On a clear day, you can see Lake Chilwa and Mount Mulanje.

You have lunch at Sunbird Ku Chawe, right on the edge of the plateau.

And then Majete, one of Malawi's most beautiful and extraordinary safari destinations. Over the past twenty years, the reserve has comeback created thanks to large-scale nature conservation: elephants, lions, rhinos, and wild dogs, among others, have been reintroduced. Nowadays, you can even spot the Big Five here.

When African Parks took over management in 2003, the reserve was virtually empty. Poaching had left no elephants, lions, or rhinos. What followed was one of Africa's largest rewilding operations, in which thousands of animals were reintroduced. The surrounding villages gained schools, clinics, and jobs in return, and with them a reason to protect the park rather than strip it bare.

“Seeing that elephant from so close was only possible because you respect nature and animals,” says Kenneth, who has been a guide at Majete for more than five years now.

To fly. There is no direct flight from Amsterdam, so you will arrive with a layover regardless. The most common routes go via Nairobi (KLM to Nairobi, then Kenya Airways), via Addis Ababa with Ethiopian Airlines, or via Johannesburg. Fly to Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe and return from Blantyre. This way, you travel through the country from north to south without ever having to drive back. From Lilongwe, you are quickly at the lake, and from Blantyre, you can easily reach Liwonde, Zomba, and Majete.

Travel time Ten to 21 days is comfortable, especially if you also want to see the north.

When. The dry season from May to October is strongest for wildlife: the vegetation is low and animals gather near the water. November to April is green, warm, and wetter.

Visa and vaccinations. Arrange it in advance. Check the current rules with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and your travel doctor.

Books. You can go alone, but we think it's better with a tour operator. Dutch tour operators offering Malawi include Untamed Travel, Makoke Tours, Better Places, ITG Experience Travel, Fair Mundo Travel, Africa Wildlife Safaris, and BMS Travellers. Additionally, you can of course also book through independent travel agents (Face2Face, Personal Touch Travel, Travel Counsellors, The Travel Club).