Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Away
Lakeshore AXA buses pass by Liwonde on their way up to Mangochi but most drop off
passengers at the turn-off and not in the town itself, so you're better off using a minibus,
which run regularly from Zomba (MK250, 45 minutes), Limbe (MK500, three hours) and
Mangochi (MK450, two hours). You can also get a minibus to the Mozambique border at
Nayuchi (MK850, 2½ to three hours).
CHIFUNDO ARTISANS NETWORK
If you're near the large market town of
Balaka
, pay a visit to the
Chifundo Artisans Network
(
0888-365960; 8am-4pm daily, tours Mon-Fri; )
a craft studio and community initiative that employs (and
trains) some 40 local people to make a range of different crafts, from Malawian dolls to colourful hand-painted
textiles, to handmade recycled paper. You can visit the studio and afterwards buy some of the products at the on-
site store; there's also a small cafe here. To get here stay on the road past Balaka - Chifundo is signposted behind
the mission church.
Liwonde National Park
Liwonde National Park
(per person/car US$10/3)
spills with more than 545 elephants,
1900 hippos, 500 water buffaloes and 1800 crocs. It's a comparatively small reserve set in
dry savannah and forest over 584 sq km, and you can walk, drive and putter along the se-
rene Shire River to make the best of it. Lions are being reintroduced in 2013, so by the
time you read this there should be an established pride of apex hunters; following which,
cheetahs and hyenas will also be added to the carnviore's league table.
The Shire River dominates the park - a wide, meandering stretch lined by palms and
surrounding flood plains, woodland and parched scrub. Unsurprising then, that the park is
prime hippo- and croc-spotting territory (midday sun is the best time to see crocs sunning
themselves, and late afternoon to see the hippos rising from the river). Waterbucks are
also common, while beautiful sable and roan antelopes, zebras and elands populate the
flood plains in the east. Night drives can reveal spotted genets, bushbabies, scrub hares,
side-striped jackals and even spotted hyenas. The main event here though is the elephants,
and you'll get very close indeed.
