Can Malawi edge into safari’s Big Five?

LILONGWE — Receptive tour operator Mike Varndell of Crafted Africa reaches into the past to talk about Malawi’s future. And in summarizing its appeal, he also hints at its challenges. “It’s like going back in time to 50 years ago,” he said.

But it may not take Malawi 50 years to catch up. The country is one year into a 20-year tourism investment and development master plan, following a successful, decadeslong effort to restore large animals, including the Big Five (lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape buffalo) to its parks. In April, the tourist board Visit Malawi organized a tourism industry fair and hosted a couple dozen international travel advisors, tour operators and journalists to attend as well as to tour the country.

The product

The international visitors were split into five groups that headed off to different parks and properties. My first stop was Mvuu Camp and Lodge in Liwonde National Park.

The ride there took six-and-a-half hours from Lilongwe on mostly good roads, though we (and, it seemed, every other vehicle heading in our direction) were detained at a speed trap/roadblock for 30 minutes. Unlike in some safari destinations, we did not see any large animals in the countryside from the road.

Our destination was on the Shire (pronounced SHEER-ah) River, which was still overflowing its banks more than a month after a devastating storm, Cyclone Freddy, tore through parts of Malawi.

Mvuu is considered to be one of the premier properties in the country and is in an area of the park populated by lions, elephants, black rhinoceros, cheetah, wild dogs and hyenas, among other animals.

My group, however, was not particularly lucky in big-animal viewing. Although we spoke to Mvuu guests who had recently seen elephants and lions close to their rooms, our two game drives — one at dusk and one the following morning — yielded mostly smaller animals (jackals, warthogs, hares, mongooses, baboons and bush babies) as well as common antelopes (impalas, kudus, waterbucks and bushbucks) and, in the water, hippos. The only trace of lions we saw were pugmarks on a dirt road.

But I have always depended upon the kindness of rangers, and the ones leading our drives did not disappoint. One was expert at spotting birds. We stopped frequently to look up into trees or down into the grasses, and what we saw ranged from the appropriately named little bee-eater to the majestic martial eagle. Even when we paused to watch the sunset along the banks of the Shire to sip gin and tonics (Malawi was a British colony), we saw a pied kingfisher in the reeds, flocks of Egyptian geese flying over the water and a fish eagle high in the sky.

The detached rooms of the lodge were comfortable and of generous size, with both indoor and outdoor showers, and there was even a small plunge pool on the deck. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were uniformly excellent.

While we were in Mvuu, a separate group of travel professionals visited Kutchire Lodge, also in Liwonde National Park. Mehdi Langanke, product manager for the German tour operator Lernidee Erlebnisreisen, has been on safari in five other African countries and told me that, although the accommodations at Kutchire were “basic and clean, quite budget,” he also felt it may have yielded his best safari experience yet.

“As we saw a family of hippos leaving an area, a group of six lions moved in and began hunting warthogs,” he said. “And there were lots of elephants. It was like being in a movie.”

His second stop was at Mumbo Island in Lake Malawi. Arriving in the dark, the group was led to their rooms, unimpressed by what they could see by the weak light of the portable lamps they were handed. (There is no electricity — or WiFi or cell service — on the island.) “We were a bit scared, to be honest,” Langanke said.

But when they awoke the next morning, a different story emerged. “The place is very special,” Langanke said. “It has a Robinson Crusoe feeling, it was just so beautifully and wonderfully decorated. And everything was sustainably done.”

There were no animal drives, but kayaking, snorkeling and laying in hammocks offered enough in the way of diversions. “It was a hideaway, a boutique hideaway. Beautiful scenery. It was one of the nicest places I’ve ever visited in my life.”

Langanke’s group and mine came together later in the week at the Makokola Retreat, on the shores of Lake Malawi, for our final stay. Makokola is, by far, the property that is most geared to Western sensibilities; walking in, you could believe you’ve entered a four-star beach resort in Mexico or the Caribbean. It’s a large, beautifully landscaped resort, with an expansive dining/bar area, swimming pools and a wide beach. The large, well-lit rooms have balconies facing the water.

But there’s a significant difference between it and the vast majority of the world’s beach resorts. As inviting as the water looks, crocodiles lurk below the surface, and guests are forbidden to go in. I did venture out in a kayak and saw what might draw the crocs to these particular waters — it’s adjacent to a large fish market, where scraps and offal are simply thrown into the water.

Makokola has its own landing strip, and just on the other side of it is a nine-hole golf course, Mlambe. Having played it, I can say it was challenging for a novice like me and not particularly well-groomed. And among its many water hazards are crocodiles, one of which I encountered quite close to where my ball had landed. My caddie ran at the animal with the push cart, and it scurried into a pond.

Travel advisors weigh in

I spoke with three U.S. travel advisors at Makokola to get their opinions: Jade Li of Luxtrvl, Sasha VanDenBosch of Crave Travel and Joshua Smith of Global Citizen Journeys.

Li felt Makokola fell short of her standards in that it was missing a hair dryer, bathrobes, tissues, washcloths and any bathroom amenities beyond soap and shampoo. “The hair dryer is a big miss,” she said, “and the pool is a little murky. I’d say 3.5 stars, but a nice 3.5.”

Despite her luxe standards, she, like Langanke, had been enchanted by Mumbo Lodge, lack of amenities notwithstanding. “All the five-star luxury agents and tour operators loved it,” she said.

VanDenBosch felt Malawi’s differentiator is “culture and community,” the reality behind the country’s tourist slogan, “The warm heart of Africa.”

“You’re not getting the top-tier safari experience, but you can do a lovely bush-and-beach,” she said. “It’s a much more relaxed, less-touristy destination than elsewhere in Africa.”

Regarding Makokola, she acknowledged it would be a “struggle to sell a beach resort where you can’t go into the water” but loved the impromptu tour some of us took through the village closest to the resort. “And it’s great that they’re hiring local staff and developing and educating residents. That’s really important. Not everyone does that.”

She has previously sent clients to Malawi, but to a lodge that wasn’t participating in the fam: Kaya Mawa Lodge on Likoma Island. “The feedback has been excellent. It’s chic boho on a beautiful beach setting. And you can go into the water.”

(Note: There is another hazard at various parts of the lake: schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, a disease caused by a parasitic worm that can enter through the skin and is found in fresh water through much of Africa. Local guidance is important, as it is present in some areas of the lake and not others. The medicine praziquantel is an effective treatment.)

Similar to VanDenBosch’s “culture and community” comment, Smith feels Malawi’s greatest differentiator is “cultural kindness.” “I’ve been on many safaris, but I’ve never been to a destination where the people are so friendly and eager to make sure you have a great experience. You can see it in their eyes, their smiles, from the children to the elders. You can see how tourism makes a difference in the world — the Malawians appreciate that people have traveled a great distance to see their culture.”

Politicians weigh in

The country’s leadership showed up in force at the tourism fair in Lilongwe to reinforce the country’s commitment to developing tourism.

A panel of ministers — tourism, transportation, finance and security — made their determination clear but also underscored that, as a poor country, Malawi has its challenges. The ministers were candid about problems but also optimistic that they can be overcome.

“We’ll need to start small,” said Sosten Alfred Gwengwe, the minister of finance and economic affairs. “There won’t be an international hotel company coming to bring in a seven-star hotel on Lake Malawi. It’s an illusion to think the government has the money. We must leverage the private sector.”

He spoke of plans to improve roads, build new airport terminals and lake ports. But unstated in his call for private sector involvement was an inherent chicken-and-egg dilemma: Private investors want to see indications that tourists will come if they develop and build, but tourists are less likely to come until there is improvement in infrastructure and accommodations.

So far the only international hospitality brand operating in Malawi is the Marriott Protea Hotel Blantyre Ryalls, which came into Marriott’s portfolio when it bought African chain Protea in 2014. Malawi is among 13 African countries where Hilton, in 2018, said it planned to open hotels within five years. It hasn’t done so yet, but in response to a query, a spokesperson said, “Malawi is a country-market where we are looking to expand.”

Infrastructure issues quickly took center stage as the tourism minister, Vera Kamtukule, identified what she characterized as the key challenge to growing tourism: “We’re open for business,” she said. “But how will tourists get to the sights?” She cited the need for aspects of the 20-year master plan to begin sooner rather than later: improving roads, building a new terminal and runway in Lilongwe and a new airport in Blantyre in the south. “The master plan calls for 10 major projects,” she said, “but they cannot happen without the private sector.”

The only nongovernment member of the panel was Justin Dzinkambani, chairman of the 1,500-member Tourism Council. He characterized roadblocks like the one we encountered as “harassment” that affects tourists and urged the establishment of “incentives for small- and medium-sized enterprises” to build accommodations.

Malawi’s president, Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, addressed the conference the next day. He noted his work on bilateral agreements with Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and South Africa to develop multicountry tours. Aware that airlift is an issue, he acknowledged that improving airports and supporting tourism infrastructure was key to attracting more airlines and more direct flights.

Highlighting some of Malawi’s attractions, he noted two Unesco World Heritage Sites: the Chongoni Rock Art Area, 49 square miles that feature 127 examples of rock carvings and paintings, from the Stone Age to the 20th century; and Lake Malawi National Park, at the southern end of the lake, whose endemic fish include 850 species of the fast-evolving cichlid.  

He also referenced sites associated with Dr. David Livingstone, the anti-slave trade missionary who worked in Malawi.

Safari operators weigh in

None of the major safari operators targeting U.S. travelers were present at the tourist fair, but I polled a few to ask whether they sell Malawi or would consider doing so.

Three operators gave me widely varying viewpoints. Dennis Pinto, managing director of luxury operator Micato Safaris, doesn’t sell the country and has no immediate plans to add it.

“We have seen very little demand for Malawi from North America,” he said. “If one looks at geography, Tanzania to the north has a more established wildlife and tourism tradition, including Micato-level accommodations, high-caliber ground staff, charter aircraft, international flight ability, etc. Ditto Zimbabwe and Zambia on Malawi’s southern borders; those stakeholders are active in promoting the destinations.”

For the present, he added, “there hasn’t been a reason to do the type of extensive exploration and due diligence of Malawi’s tourism infrastructure, staffing, etc., that we require before offering safaris in a destination.”

Jim Holden, president of Holden Safaris, said he would love to sell the country, but Americans aren’t familiar with it. “First-time visitors to Africa want to be guaranteed to see large herds of African wildlife — more than Malawi has.”

But he acknowledges things could change. “Zambia has also been in the shadow of its better-known neighbors for safaris, and it’s only now that it’s getting more recognition, particularly [after it opened] a few five-star safari camps.”

Holden was aware that the Malawi parks have been restocked with big game, but, he said, clients still think first of the places they’ve heard about, such as Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe. “As a tour operator, one would take a risk not meeting the expectations of a first-time safari visitor.”

Having spent a lot of time in Malawi — his brother lived there — Holden confirmed what VanDenBosch and Smith had observed about the friendliness and warmth of Malawians themselves.

While he thinks that a five-star resort could be the game-changer the country would need, he also cautioned that Malawi should take note of the overtourism that has developed in neighboring countries. “As with all things, there’s a happy medium” between too much and too few visitors, he said. “Malawi would do well to go not for numbers but for a quality experience and developing a reputation for delivering a rich safari experience.”

Abercrombie & Kent is the only operator I contacted that sells Malawi, but it does so more as an add-on after a Zambia safari. “We sell it to guests looking to enjoy a different part of Africa and relax by the lake,” said A&K founder and chairman emeritus Geoffrey Kent. “It’s more authentic and is offered to guests who don’t want a large luxury resort and want to feel like they are in Africa still. It’s known to be safe, the locals are friendly and English is the official language, so it’s very easy.”

Malawi past, Malawi future

Having spent time in Malawi, I’d say Varndell of Crafted Africa’s evaluation that Malawi is like Africa 50 years ago should be amended a bit: Except for bad traffic jams in the capital, development has been generally positive, organic and local. And I’d echo Holden’s comments that Malawi can benefit from seeing how safari tourism has gone wrong with its neighbors and balance its development between quantity and quality.

For the time being, Malawi seems best for visitors who have already been to one or more of the developed safari destinations; as my experience at Mvuu demonstrated, the wildlife density is not quite at the level that guarantees sightings of the animals one expects to see on safari. But I’ve also seldom heard the level of excitement that experienced travelers like tour operator Langanke and travel advisor Li expressed about off-the-grid Mumbo Lodge.

While many questioned Malawi’s suitability for first-time safarigoers, the country can appeal to those wanting a novel approach to an African vacation. Lilongwe-based Land and Lake Safaris arranges self-drive tours, and a nonprofit group called Team Adventure Malawi offers visits that focus on culture and nature conservation in line with sustainable development and social issues.

For the right client, Malawi can more than deliver, right now. And as it moves forward, the universe of “right clients” is very likely to expand.