HOW TO SELL MALAWI
MALAWI
BY JO AUSTIN Seeing a T-shirt at Lilongwe Airport emblazoned with 'Please Adopt Me' underlined how Malawi can thank Madonna for putting the country into the public consciousness in recent years. But this stunning, friendly, land-locked country has more than enough attractions to merit a celebrity status of its own. Sculptured by the Great Rift Valley,
Malawi is a mountainous, fertile country dominated by Africa's second biggest lake. Measuring 365 miles (600km) from north to south, Lake Malawi’s crystal- clear waters and sand-fringed shores attract divers, fishermen and yachtsmen. Malawi has nine national parks and
game reserves and is set to become a ‘Big Five’ safari destination in 2012, following a massive game-stocking project in the Majete Reserve. In addition to the award-winning Kawa
Mawa property on the eastern edge of the Lake, Malawi offers a fabulous new range of upmarket lodges including Tongole Wilderness Lodge, the first- ever lodge in Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve and Njati in the Mwabvi Reserve. Robin Pope Safaris has opened Mukulumadzi Lodge in the Majete Reserve. Getting around Malawi has recently become a whole lot easier following the launch of two new airlines. Swift Air and Ulendo Airlink now operate
General Information TIME ZONE: GMT + 2 VISA: Not required for UK citizens.
CLIMATE: May to October is often described as the ideal time to travel in Malawi but the rainy season from November to April is attractive for orchids on Nyika plateau, birdwatching and for seeing Malawi’s vegetation at its most lush. The main drawback of the wet season is driving the dirt roads. Game viewing is best towards the end of the dry season.
CONTACTS: Malawi Travel Marketing Consortium, Email: enquiries@
malawitourism.com www.malawitourism.com www.malawihighcommission.co.uk www.ulendo.net
The Warm Heart of Africa
regular air services between Blantyre and Lilongwe. Ulendo Airlink also flies into Likoma Island and Monkey Bay on the southern lakeshore.
Getting There Kenya Airways has daily flights between London and Lilongwe, connecting through Nairobi. South African Airways has four flights a week between London and Lilongwe through Johannesburg; with an additional two a week between London and Blantyre. Ethiopian Airlines has six flights a week between London and Lilongwe via Addis Ababa.
A Fly-Drive Safari A six-day air and road safari arranged through Ulendo Safaris covers the entire country and shows the enormous diversity of product and landscape: DAY ONE: Fly from Lilongwe to high- altitude Nyika National Park where WIlderness Safaris has re-opened Chelinda Camp. Here you can expect to see antelope and zebra, enjoy some great trekking and even spot a leopard. DAY TWO: Fly over Lake Malawi to Likoma Island on the Mozambique
MALAWI
Top Selling Tips... • Make sure that any itinerary includes the opportunity to see something of daily life in Malawi. It's the Malawians themselves who make the country so special and it is encounters with the Malawi people that visitors remember most. KELLY WHITE, Malawi Travel Marketing Consortium
• Malawi may not have the massive animal herds of the Serengeti, or the predators of South Luangwa, but it does offer a genuinely exclusive safari experience but without the prohibitive price tag. Parks and reserves only have one or two lodges, so each safari feels like a private and intimate encounter KELLY WHITE, Malawi Travel Marketing Consortium
border. This tiny, sandy island is home to Kaya Mawa, often cited as one of the 10 most romantic lodges in the world. DAY THREE: Fly to Monkey Bay on the south of the Lake and take a luxury catamaran cruise. Overnight at Robin Pope Safaris' Pumulani and go star-gazing. DAY FOUR: Stop off at Makokola Retreat for a lakeside lunch and drive south to Mvuu Lodge, accessible only by boat. Enjoy an evening hippo, croc and bird river safari. DAY FIVE: Drive to Malawi's tea-growing region and stay in Huntingdon Lodge. Enjoy a quintessentially colonial evening in very elegant surrounds. DAY SIX: Drive to the ‘top of the world’ on Zomba Plateau and enjoy the view from Ku Chawe Inn after a walk in the forest. Drive back to Lilongwe Airport.
www.ulendo.net
Where To Book It RAINBOW TOURS – 0845 277 3330
www.rainbowtours.co.uk A 13-day safari by road and boat takes in Heuglin’s Lodge, Luwawa Forest Lodge, Chelinda Camp, Chintheche Inn, Mvuu Camp and Mumbo Island. Prices from £3890pp sharing including air fares. •
www.sellinglonghaul.com • September 2011 57
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