You reach Mkulumadzi Lodge on foot via a suspension bridge over the Mkulumadzi River. Awesome. The lodge is situated on its own 7.000-hectare private concession within Majete Wildlife Reserve, right where the Mkulumadzi and the Shire meet. That means plenty of room for wildlife and a lot more exclusivity during your game drives than on the regular routes through Majete. The eight chalets are spacious and open-plan, with large windows and terraces overlooking the river. Mkulumadzi is part of Robin Pope Safaris, a Zambian safari family that has been organizing safaris in Zambia and Malawi, among other places, since 1986.

Majete is a reserve that was once virtually stripped bare. Thanks to intensive conservation, the Big Five have been reintroduced. So here, you can not only look for elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes, and rhinos, but you also sleep right in the middle of one of Africa's most impressive conservation stories. For a honeymoon in Malawi, Mkulumadzi is the bucket list spot!

That bucket list spot does come with a price tag: between 460 and 630 dollars per person per night, depending on the season, including accommodation, activities, meals, and drinks at the bar, but excluding admission to Majete Wildlife Reserve.

Mkulumadzi

Another beautiful national park is Liwonde. You park your car at the jetty and travel the last few kilometers by boat across the Shire to Mvuu LodgeNow that’s an entrance: past hippos sinking until only their ears are above water and crocodiles on the bank. By the time you dock, you’ve already completed a safari.

Mvuu It means hippopotamus in Chichewa, and that is no exaggeration: they lie in the lagoon in front of your tent, and you hear them snorting and grunting all night long. The tents are spacious and open to the water, with a bed under a mosquito net and an outdoor shower. From your own terrace, the view changes throughout the day: birds in the morning, hippos during the day, and with a bit of luck, elephants on the other side towards evening. You eat on the deck above the water, after which a ranger escorts you back to your tent.

Next to the lodge lies Mvuu Camp, owned by the same person but simpler and considerably cheaper. Ideally, for a honeymoon, you want to be at the Lodge.

Mvuu Lodge (prices on request)

If a place in Malawi was built for honeymoons, it is this one. Ten villas are scattered across a wooded hillside, connected by wooden walkways to an infinity pool overlooking the lake. There is a separate honeymoon villa with a view of the water and a private outdoor shower, and every bathroom features a bathtub large enough for two.

Pumulani It means “rest well” in Chichewa. Sailing, kayaking, waterskiing, and snorkeling are usually included in the price, and at sunset you sail on a wooden dhow of over twelve meters, hand-built by local builders. Moreover, the lodge is located within Lake Malawi National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which means the snorkeling here is among the best in the lake.

Please note: it is a steep slope with many stairs. From 390 euros per person per night including meals and activities.

Pumulani

Nothing beats a good start and settling in in Malawi. Mitengo House in Area 43 is the handsome guesthouse of Dilo and Hessel, Dutch owners who know the country incredibly well. You will find a successful mix of modern design and traditional African accents there, with 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. The food is really very good.

They also have Africa House in Lilongwe, and they organize horseback safaris in Kuti Wildlife Reserve. Riding horses together among the zebras is also not a bad start to a honeymoon.

Mitengo House, Lilongwe