Mvuu Lodge

Accommodation at Mvuu Lodge is comprised of eight luxury tents, including one honeymoon suite. In a beautiful blend of rustic woods with modern comforts, you can stay in a king-sized bed and enjoy an en suite bathroom, all within the wild greenery of the Liwonde National Park. Each tent has a private deck that looks out over the water’s edge, perfect for an evening cocktail or a relaxed morning. Filled with antique furniture, with a seating area and plenty of space to relax, you can enjoy the wonderful mix of splendour and simplicity you’ll have all to yourself.

Dine on fantastic meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner as you look out over the pods of hippos and crocodiles in the river. Choose from the dining room, lounge area or the bar, for the perfect spot to tuck in and enjoy delicious dishes prepared freshly everyday.

Travel the waters of the Shire River and explore the abundant nature all around Mvuu Lodge. From the water you can truly appreciate the fantastic greenery that thrives along the banks of the river, especially in the golden shine of sunset. As you move peacefully along you can catch sight of elephants as they amble towards the banks to quench their thirst. Or perhaps spot some of the thriving birdlife, like the red feet of the black crake as it paddles the water’s edge. There are plenty of unmissable sights to see and calls to hear along this magical stretch of the Shire River.

If you fancy getting to know the many elements that make up the Liwonde National Park ecosystem then take part in one of the guided nature walks. As you walk amongst the plant and animal life, you can learn how each interacts as integral features of the park. Also incredibly powerful is the success of the park’s translocation and reintegration programs that have seen predators return to the park for the first time in two decades. Only by being on the ground and getting up close and personal with the abundant nature around you can you experience the true wild of Liwonde.

Spend your days out in the safari vehicles spotting the wonderful wildlife across the park, including elephants, antelopes, black rhino, buffalo, impala and much more. Venture the dry savannah and wetlands they call home, respectfully watching from a distance as you spot these fantastic creatures in their natural habitat. Night game drives offer an even more magical experience as you find fantastic nocturnal creatures under the plentiful starry sky.

A true success story that makes any trip to Liwonde that little bit sweeter is the progress of the Liwonde Black Rhino Project. By the 1980s, Malawi’s black rhino population was sitting at terrifyingly low levels, after the species had suffered vast habitat destruction and poaching threats.

In 1992, a coalition between South African and Malawian National Parks allowed a breeding pair of black rhinos to be moved to Liwonde where a sanctuary had been built. From there, more pairs have bred, more species have been included in the project and now Liwonde National Park is the sight of an incredibly successful repopulation project. However, the animals are still at constant threat of poaching, and the project have lost many rhinos to the violence.

A visit to the project can show you how the team are working to protect the different species they breed, as well as how they research and monitor population levels at a time of mass extinction.

Situated just outside Liwonde National Park, Nanthomba School and Health Centre is the result of three Mvuu employees’ desire to provide education and healthcare to rural communities surrounding the park. Inspired by the Children in the Wilderness programme and the work of H.E.L.P. Malawi, Mvuu employees Matthews, Dinara and Mike set up the school – later expanding it in 2006 after a generous donation from the Wolstein family.

Along with the school, the health centre was built to empower the community. It provides a wide range of treatments from general practice checks, maternity care, HIV/ART treatment, nutritional services and immunisation services. The creation of the health centre here has alleviated the long distances families have previously had to travel in order to reach even basic medical care. The school and health centre have both provided vital services to rural and isolated communities who would have otherwise gone without these basic facilities.

Central African Wilderness Safaris has partnered with Wilderness Safaris’ Children in the Wilderness, a far-reaching programme in Malawi and across the continent that seeks to help sustainable growth through leadership development and education of children across Africa.

The idea is that in order to protect the unspoilt, rural areas of Africa, and all the habitats that includes, it is vital to include the next generation of children who grew up living there. By helping the children understand the importance of conservation, wildlife monitoring and eco-friendly practices, the team hope that sustainable growth and environmental protection can be ensured.

Mvuu Lodge and all Central African Wilderness Safaris properties recently teamed up with ‘Clean & Proud’, a non-profit organisation that promotes recycling and waste solutions. Since the partnership, all waste from both Mvuu Lodge and Camp have been transferred to Clean & Proud’s recycling centre.

The organisation was founded to tackle the growing problem of plastic pollution that has paralleled the country’s economic growth, as well as provide employment opportunities. All waste is cleaned, shredded, moulded and formed into new products, like fashionable bags or baskets!