Malawi – Majete on the mend

March 30-April 1

Hello everyone!

Having at least a week off work allows me the opportunity to get to more distant places in Malawi. There has been one place I’ve been itching to experience since shortly after arriving in the Warm Heart of Africa: its only ‘Big Five’ national park.

Hippos lurking in the river behind the humans

Elephants from many generations eating by the Shire

Majete is a long slog from Lilongwe, taking us a little over 7 hours to reach even with limited traffic and stops. It is about two hours to the southwest of Blantyre. The road upon which you drive meanders and swerves spectacularly along the Thyolo escarpment, resulting in some stunning views and sharp corners. A goat also decided to run into the side of the car in the town of Chikwawa, such is life here.

Long drive!

A beautiful view on the way down to Majete

Majete is about 180 metres above sea level, making it 1000 metres lower than Lilongwe. The difference in climate soon becomes very clear. As you drive down the mountain, steamy air starts to smack you in the face and makes sweat drip from every pore.  

The glistening Shire (SHEE-ray) river

The pool at Ngona Lodge is a necessity during the day!

Majete National Park is in a transitional process, recovering from poachers hunting most species to local extinction up until the end of the 1990s to become the only park in the country which has lion, leopard, buffalo, black rhino and elephant.

Elephants visible from the river

Hippos have been present throughout Majete's history

African Parks, a private company which look after parks across the continent, took control of the park in 2003 and have overseen a renaissance, leading to the reintegration of many species and the introduction of many more.

The last individual elephant was killed by poachers in 1992;
now there are hundreds again.

Zebra were one of many animals reintroduced after
the African Parks takeover

Many of the usual suspects can be found in the park. Majete is known for its variety of antelope, with many different species easily spotted.

Our guide called impala 'McDonald's' - if you look at
their rears, you may see why...

Mother and baby waterbuck relaxing by the river

One particularly lovely antelope is called the nyala. Quite large, its white vertical streaks and orange ‘socks’ give the males quite a striking appearance.

We were told the nyala is endemic to southern Malawi,
however it can be found in many countries in southern Africa

These are female nyala, with the dark-skinned picture
being a male

Spotting any of the ‘Big Five’ is a much trickier task. On our game drive, we only saw a sole elephant munching on fruit from the marula tree (what Amarula is made from) near the airfield. The rest of our drive was fruitless, even after spending time tracking fresh lion tracks.

Apparently it is common for animals such as elephants
and baboons to eat the marula fruit, then become quite tipsy

A lioness' footprint

More success was had on our boat ride the previous day. In addition to the expected volume of hippo and crocodile (our campsite was at Ngona Lodge – Ngona is the Chichewa word for crocodile), we were regularly spotting elephant in the distance. The baby was particularly photogenic as it desperately tried to pull leaves from branches, at one point crashing into the bush.

A hippo glistening in the heat

A baby elephant looking for food

The river we were travelling on was the Shire, Malawi’s main river and one which feeds into the Zambezi. The boat started just above Kapichira Falls, where David Livingstone’s expedition had to stop and dismantle their boat, transporting it up to Blantyre and on to Lake Malawi before reassembling and continuing their journey. It’s also close to where Bishop Mackenzie, name provider of my current employers, succumbed to malaria.

The Shire meets the Zambezi in Mozambique

As well as malaria, there are more visible threats...

Majete is often said to be Malawi’s premier wildlife destination. It has competition for that title, and I have to admit that I was underwhelmed a bit with Majete when compared to Liwonde National Park in the east of the country. Maybe, having been spoilt by the plethora of animals in the Masai Mara the previous week, my expectations are a bit too high.

On the search for animals in Majete

Some eagles were flying over the park

Nonetheless, seeing any of these animals in the wild is always a thrill and always something I need to remember to cherish. The day I’m on safari and say, “Oh, it’s just another elephant,” is the day I need to be removed from this Earth.

It also reflects the fact that Majete is still a work in progress. Considering the state of the park twenty years ago, it is a great achievement and great for Malawi that there is a national park here at all, let alone one which contains such a variety of animals. We didn't see the big names here but still had a wonderful time in some fabulous surroundings.

Love you all

Matt