Review of Central African Wilderness Safaris

Central African Wilderness Safaris, one of Malawi's leading operators who run the hugely popular Mvuu Lodge in Liwonde National Park, has given us a rundown of everything they've been up to over the past year. From the wildlife flocking to their doorstep and the range of fantastic projects taking place in the community. Read on to find out the details in their own words.

Dear guests and friends…

The team at Central African Wilderness Safaris hope you had a wonderful Christmas filled with laughter and surrounded by loved ones and wish you all the best for this year.

The rains arrived in Mvuu just after midnight on January 1 - long awaited and accompanied by an epic light show that guests could enjoy from the lodge's terrace. And how many months have we spent waiting for rain! September, October and November brought brilliant orange and red mopane forests, baobab trees bloomed and the bushes echoed with the calls of forest kingfishers as they made their way down south. Best of all, however, were the excellent wildlife sightings which created an eventful few months for our guests.

Two healthy and established prides of lions kept us on our toes, moving closer and closer to Mvuu as we waited for the rains. In November, you could hear the cries of lions almost every night - the “little pride” as we affectionately called it because it consists of 2 small lion cubs, 2 females and 1 magnificent male. Small in comparison, the “big pride”...a group of 12 lions and many cubs. One of the pride's little females is pregnant and has been seen many times near the Mvuu sign, so who knows what's in store for us in 2022!

We also have some exciting news on the cheetah front. For some time in September and October we had a female cheetah who disturbed all the baboons in the area, causing breakfasts to often be accompanied by frightened cries of alarm. Excitement for our guests!

This female appears to have moved north, probably along with another lone male we found hunting in the floodplain north of Mvuu - one of our guides spotted him on a sunset boat cruise! Two other cheetah families are healthy and far south, one mother has successfully raised all 6 of her cubs and the other is caring for three relatively young cheetahs. The dynamic of the lions and cheetahs was interesting, and as the prides move, so do the cheetahs!

Sightings of black rhinoceroses were absolutely incredible, sometimes they came to drink in Mvuu Lagoon. Mother and calf were also spotted quite often. It's been a great season for rhinos here!

These wildlife sightings were truly remarkable and went a long way to making up for another challenging year. Nature always heals the soul! But more than ever, we are grateful to our loyal guests and friends who have supported us and continue to visit both Mvuu and Chelinda, reaffirming their love for both locations. Chelinda is a wonderful place to spend the festive period and we are delighted that the camp and lodge were once again fully booked for the period. Warm and crackling fire, delicious wine and food, beautiful walks through the rolling hills of Nyiki, colorful orchids... it doesn't get any more festive!

Our lodge's kitchen has undergone a refurbishment and our head chef, Pius, has spent a wonderful few months experimenting with new dishes made from vegetables and herbs grown in our little baboon-proof garden! Our newest sunset spot, Jackalberry Deck, is located on the shores of the Shire and was especially loved as a quiet and relaxing place to do yoga or meditation, or sip an ice-cold beer in front of what is arguably the most stunning sunset spot in Malawi.

Elephants have been visiting the campgrounds in large numbers this year and families have been crossing almost every day, keeping our fencing team busy! Our new watering hole in front of the camp restaurant has become a popular source of enjoyment for warthogs, baboons, kudu and elephants.

In October 2021, CITW-Malawi distributed 100 solar lanterns, cameras and tripods to all CITW participating schools. Solar lights should help children work after school and push their studies further. Cameras and Tripods is a pilot initiative of the Changing the Lens on Conservation project, which trains teachers in photography to help teach children storytelling skills so they can write and tell their own stories about the natural world. “Changing Perspectives on Conservation” also included “NatGeo Report Essays,” in which students wrote a story about their connection to nature and had to present it to a representative from African Parks. These workshops provided wonderful discussion opportunities for children to safely discuss their views on nature and hopefully change their attitudes towards conservation.

Our carbon offset and reforestation project is now live! Located in the Chinteche region in the north, Root to Fruit has an average tree growth success rate of 85% and community members are eager to get more trees - our waitlist is growing! Root to Fruit currently operates 3 nurseries and employs community members as well as donating trees to schools, farms and individual families. We distribute native trees, fruit trees and fast-growing trees to community members who take them to their lands or schools to help reduce pressure on local endemic forests. Root to Fruit works closely with Children in the Wilderness - both projects are very close to our hearts.

Mtendere means freedom. One of our guides, Danger, started this project many moons ago after working with Children in the Wilderness. His vision was to provide a safe space for vulnerable children aged 2 to 5, caring for them and preparing them for primary school. Today he takes care of more than 150 children in 2 centers, in addition to his regular job. Centers play a key role in helping children feel part of the community and feel safe. They spend the morning learning English and Chichewa, dancing and playing, before being fed and sent home. Today, Mtendere is expanding its activities in response to parental requests for after-school home tutoring and is testing pilot bursary initiatives in secondary schools for a small group of children. Mtendere hosted a brilliant Christmas party and is building a real kitchen to start 2022 with a bang!

If you would like to support these projects, please contact us!

That's all for now, once again on behalf of everyone at Central African Wilderness Safaris, we wish you the most wonderful year and can't wait to see you all in 2022!

Safe travels!

Team Central African Wildlife Safaris