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| Start: Johannesburg
| Day 1 Liwonde National Park
On arrival at Johannesburg International Airport, you connect to your flight to Malawi. Your guide, Warren McCleland, will meet you on arrival at Kamuzu International Airport near Lilongwe around midday. We will load up into our safari vehicle and head south to the Shire Valley. We leave the vehicles inside Liwonde National Park on the west bank of the Shire River. A short boat transfer across the river will bring us to the lovely Mvuu Camp and a welcome from their friendly staff. We overnight in comfortable en-suite tented accommodation overlooking the Shire River. | Day 2 Liwonde National Park
After an early cup of coffee and continental breakfast, we can explore the riverine forest and thickets. This will be our best chance for Pel's Fishing Owl, and to find a roosting bird we will have to be on foot. An armed guard will accompany us due to the high African Elephant population. Other birds in this habitat could include Green Malkoha (Coucal), Bearded Scrub-Robin, African Barred Owlet, Eastern Nicator, African Broadbill and Brown-breasted Barbet. We return to the lodge for lunch and a short siesta during the heat of the day. There is the opportunity to relax on the lawn overlooking the river and continue adding birds to the list. These could include Green-backed Heron, Black Crake, African Jacana, Böhm's Bee-eater, Collared Palm Thrush, Southern Brown-throated Weaver, White-browed Robin-Chat and Terrestrial Brownbul. The afternoon could be spent driving through the arid mopane woodlands away from the river. A portion of the reserve has been fenced off to conserve a few White Rhino, and a number of rare antelope such as Lichtenstein's Hartebeest and Sable. This is also the best woodland for some of Liwonde's special birds, including the spectacular Racket-tailed Roller, Arnott's Chat, Meve's Starling, Speckle-throated Woodpecker, Lilian's Lovebird and Dickinson's Kestrel. The drive ends down at the Shire River where we can enjoy sundowners in the fading light. The drive back to Mvuu Camp will be in the dark, giving us an opportunity to find Verreaux's Eagle Owl, African Scops Owl, Fiery-necked Nightjar or Square-tailed Nightjar. A scrumptious meal should await us at back at the camp. | Day 3 Liwonde National Park
We have another full day exploring Liwonde's rich habitats, catching up on some birds missed the previous day. The afternoon and early evening will be spent on the river, our main target being the elusive White-backed Night Heron. Other waterbirds to see are Squacco Heron, Little Bittern, Woolly-necked Stork, Water Thick-knee, Black Heron, Long-toed Lapwing, Spur-winged Lapwing and Malachite Kingfisher. We overnight again at Mvuu Camp. | Day 4 & 5 Zomba Plateau
After an early cup of coffee and light breakfast, we will have our last morning drive to catch up with any woodland birds we are still missing, such as Dark Chanting Goshawk, Stierling's Wren-Warbler, Grey Hornbill, Green-capped Eremomela, Retz's (Red-billed) Helmetshrike, Red-headed Weaver and Green-winged Pytilia. After a brunch back at the camp, we pack our luggage and depart. A short boat ride back across the river will be followed by us driving our vehicles back to the main road. We then head south over the Shire River to the town of Zomba, at the foot of the Zomba Plateau. Depending on time, we may spend some time in some miombo woodland on the northern rim of the plateau. This will be our only chance for Pale (Mozambique) Batis and Red-faced Crombec, and our first opportunity for a selection of miombo birds such as White-breasted Cuckooshrike, Southern (Miombo) Blue-eared Starling, Yellow-throated Petronia, Broad-tailed Paradise-Whydah and Golden-winged Pytilia. From Zomba we continue to Blantyre where we stock up with provisions for our stay at Thyolo. We then drive south-east into the Shire Highlands to the Satemwa Tea Estates at the foot of Thyolo Mountain, arriving in the late afternoon. We overnight at a guesthouse on the tea estates. | Day 6 Lilongwe
After breakfast we pack our bags and drive back to Blantyre and then north. Our midday stop will be for a picnic lunch in the Dedza area. We will spend an hour or so in some lovely miombo woodland where we could find specials such as Spotted Creeper, Souza's Shrike, Miombo Grey Tit, Lazy Cisticola and White-tailed Blue Flycatcher. A nearby marshy valley has special birds such as Locust Finch and Rosy-throated Longclaw, which will require a short walk through the grass in order to be seen. In the afternoon we continue north to Lilongwe, where we check into a hotel. Supper will be at a reputable restaurant in Lilongwe. | Day 7 Dzalanyama Forest Reserve
We will make an early departure from Lilongwe, driving west to the vast Dzalanyama Forest Reserve, a wilderness of leafy miombo woodlands and rocky outcrops. We should drive slowly along a quiet track through the woodlands, stopping when we find bird activity. Birding in these woodlands is a combination of frustration and ecstasy. Long periods of birdless quiet are interspersed with frantic bird activity as a mixed feeding party moves through. The rewards, however, are superb and we have a wide selection of miombo endemics to pursue. These include the near-endemic Stierling's Woodpecker, Rufus-bellied and Miombo Grey Tits, Western Violet-backed, Anchieta's and Miombo Double-collared Sunbirds, Böhm's Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Miombo Pied and Whyte's Barbet, Miombo Bearded Scrub-Robin, Miombo Rock Thrush, Souza's Shrike, Green-backed Honeybird, Wood Pipit and Black-eared Seed-eater. The bulk of the day will be spent birding in the reserve, with breakfast and lunch being eaten at Dzalanyama Forest Lodge. We return to Lilongwe in the evening. | Day 8 Lilongwe
We have another full day birding Dzalanyama's miombo woodlands, trying other areas for birds we may have missed. These could include specials like Olive-headed Weaver, Spotted Creeper, Pale-billed Hornbill and Shelley's Sunbird. For those with the energy and required fitness, we can climb the nearby granite hills to search for the elusive Boulder Chat, recently discovered in Malawi. We overnight again in Lilongwe. | Day 9 Viphya Plateau
After breakfast we pack our luggage and drive north. Shortly after crossing the Bua River, we will stop and search grassland habitat for Locust Finch, Fischer's Sparrowlark, Purple Indigobird, Orange-breasted (Zebra) Waxbill, Namaqua Dove and possibly Rosy-throated Longclaw. Then we continue north to the Viphya Plateau, a tableland once covered in grassland and small pockets of forest but now clothed in pine plantations. However, remnants of grassland and stunted miombo woodland still hold great birds. Once on the plateau we will leave the main road and drive east through miombo woodland where we may find Trilling Cisticola, Stripe-breasted Seed-eater, Grey Penduline Tit, Spotted Creeper or Miombo Double-collared Sunbird. Then the track enters pine plantations, which although being quite sterile in the interior, provide remarkable good birding at the scrubby verges and clearings. We will be on the lookout for the endemic race of Scaly Francolin, Eastern Double-collared Sunbird, Red-backed Mannikin and Eastern Sawwing. We arrive at Luwawa Forest Lodge where we overnight. The afternoon can be spent birding the lovely surrounds of the lodge. Garden birds include the stunning Bronzy Sunbird, Variable Sunbird, Evergreen Forest Warbler, Yellow-bellied Waxbill and Bertrand's Weaver. We overnight in comfortable chalets with shared ablutions, overlooking a scenic marshy valley. Supper will be at the lodge's renowned restaurant. | Day 10 Nyika National Park
After a cup of coffee, we head out for an early morning birding walk. The trail passes initially through scrubby plantations that provide diverse birding, including Dark-capped Yellow Warbler, White-browed Robin-Chat, Bar-throated Apalis, Red-collared Widowbird, Singing Cisticola and African Citril. We will also pass through a patch of low miombo woodland where we could find Yellow-bellied Hyliota, Red-capped Crombec, White-breasted Cuckooshrike, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Whyte's Barbet and Miombo Grey Tit. After a hearty breakfast, we pack our bags and drive north to Mzuzu where we leave the main north-south road. We head north-east into progressively wilder country until we finally reach the magnificent Nyika Plateau National Park. We enter at Thazima Gate and it will take at least three hours to complete the 60 kilometres through tall miombo woodland and vast montane grassland to Chelinda Lodge where we overnight. Our comfortable en-suite chalets overlook the beautiful Chelinda Valley, with its wide rolling grasslands and densely wooded streams. | Day 11 & 12 Nyika National Park
We have two full days to explore the extensive grasslands and small forest patches on the plateau. Winter is not the best time for some of the grassland birds, but there is still plenty on offer, including Wattled Crane, Denham's Bustard, Ayres' Cisticola, an endemic race of Red-winged Francolin, Augur Buzzard, Rufous-naped Lark and African Marsh Harrier. Mountain Marsh Widowbird will most likely be in drab non-breeding plumage, but still distinctive nonetheless. The park is well-known for its healthy population of Roan Antelope and large herds of Eland. Other grassland mammals include Burchell's Zebra, Southern Reedbuck and Side-striped Jackal. Scrubby drainage lines in the grassland are very productive and have a host of special birds including the distinct yellow-browed race of Streaky Seed-eater, Cape Robin-Chat, Baglafecht Weaver, Montane (Greater) Double-collared Sunbird, Black-lored Cisticola, Churring Cisticola and Cape Canary. The pine plantation will hopefully yield two special birds associated with it, namely Dusky Turtle Dove and the rare Mountain Buzzard.
We will probably spend two mornings in Chowo & Zovo-Chipolo Forests, which are far more accessible than the seldom-visited Manjenjere Forest. The paths are narrow and birding can be frustrating, but the rewards are awesome. Before we even enter the forest proper we will search for skulkers like Cinnamon Bracken Warbler, Mountain Yellow-Warbler and Fülleborn's Black Boubou. Once in the forest, the undergrowth may yield White-chested Alethe, Olive-flanked Robin-Chat, Mountain (Olive) Thrush, White-starred Robin and Red-faced Crimsonwing. The forest mid-stratum canopy have many special birds and we will be hoping to track down a few mixed feeding parties, the key to forest birding in winter. Our target birds will include African Hill Babbler, White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher, Chapin's Apalis, Moustached Green Tinkerbird, White-tailed Crested Flycatcher, Malawi (Cape) Batis, Waller's Red-winged Starling etc | Day 13 Vwaza Marsh Game reserve
After an early breakfast, we leave Chelinda and head off the Nyika Plateau. One or two birding stops will be made for species we are still missing, especially in the magnificent stretch of miombo woodland before we reach Thazima Gate. Once out of the park, we head down to the poorly known northern section of Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve, spending an hour or two in the particularly tall miombo at Kawiya Gate. Hopefully we will find our two target birds, the charismatic White-winged Babbling Starling and the elusive Chestnut-mantled Sparrowweaver. We head around to the main entrance of the reserve, arriving in the late afternoon. After checking in to our rooms overlooking Lake Kazuni, we should have some time to enjoy the sunset while watching birds on the lake. Common mammals in the area include African Elephant, Hippo, Greater Kudu and the only population of Puku in Malawi. With some luck we may even see Sable Antelope or Leopard. | Day 14 Makuzi Beach Lake Malawi
We head out on an early morning drive through the dense woodland and thickets along the lake shore, adding a number of typical savannah species to the list, such as Grey-headed Bush Shrike, Greater Honeyguide, Black-collared Barbet, Meyer's Parrot, Purple-crested Turaco, African Grey Hornbill, Red-necked Spurfowl, Senegal Lapwing, White-browed Scrub-Robin and Golden-breasted Bunting. A walk along the lake could provide a wide variety of waterbirds, including Water Thick-knee, White-faced Duck, Comb Duck, African Wattled Lapwing, Black-winged Stilt, African Openbill and Yellow-billed Stork. Then it is back to the camp for a hearty breakfast and our departure for Lake Malawi. We drive east back to Mzuzu and then wind our way down the escarpment to Lake Malawi, third largest lake in Africa. We drive south along the lake beyond Chinteche to Makuzi Beach, our little patch of paradise for two nights. We overnight in beautiful en-suite cottages overlooking our own private beach and secluded bay. | Day 15 Lake Malawi
We should be up at first light and, after a cup of coffee has revived us, we head back north of Chinteche to Mukhwadzi Forest. This is the best of the accessible remnants of lowland rainforest left in Malawi and is a good stake-out for a very sought-after bird, the East Coast Akalat. We can spend the bulk of the morning in the forest, possibly also finding Narina Trogon, Grey-olive Greenbul, Tambourine Dove, Green Malkoha (Coucal), Red-capped Robin-Chat, Blue-mantled Crested-Flycatcher and Red-throated Twinspot. Then we drive back to Makuzi beach for a late brunch and an afternoon of relaxing birding in the gardens or swimming for those who want to give the lake a try. The garden bird community includes African Barred Owlet, Tropical Boubou, Black-throated Wattle-eye, Emerald-spotted Wood-Dove, Yellow Weaver and Purple-banded Sunbird. We overnight once again at Makuzi Beach, enjoying the renowned cuisine from a starlit balcony overlooking the lake. | Day 16 Lilongwe
After breakfast we depart, driving south along Lake Malawi to Salima. We will head back to the lake to Senga Bay where we will have lunch. An afternoon visit to Mpatsanjoko Dambo, a productive marshy valley could produce our first Rufous-bellied Heron, as well as the more common Squacco Heron, Yellow-billed Egret, Black Heron, Pink-backed Pelican, African Darter, Goliath Heron, Woolly-necked Stork, African Spoonbill, Fulvous Duck, Hottentot Teal, Southern Pochard, Purple Swamphen, African Jacana, Lesser Jacana, Kittlitz's Plover, Wire-tailed Swallow, Rufous-winged (Black-backed) Cisticola and Black-winged Bishop. From there we head back towards Salima, stopping at a stake-out for Chestnut-backed Sparrowlark, and then driving up the escarpment to Lilongwe. We overnight at a hotel in town. | Day 17 Lilongwe
We should have time for an early morning stroll thorough the nearby Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary. Here we may add a few species to our list, such as Half-collared Kingfisher and African Broadbill, and have our last views of some birds we have come to know well, such as Red-throated Twinspot, Golden Weaver and Black-throated Wattle-eye. Back to the hotel for breakfast, after which we pack our bags and depart for Kamuzu International Airport north of Lilongwe for our flight to Johannesburg International Airport. | End: Johannesburg
| Rate includes
Accommodation, all meals, entrance fees, ground transport, bottled water in vehicle whilst travelling, personalised bird and mammal checklists and specialist guide fees. | Rate excludes
Airfare, travel insurance, airport departure tax US$30, bar bills, gratuities and items of a personal nature. |
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