Responsible tourism in Malawi
Our Malawi Holidays
Malawi self drive holiday
Discover Malawi at your own pace on this self-drive trip
Malawi & Zambia culture and nature tour
Explore Malawi's unique areas and Zambia's National Park
Malawi tailor made holidays
Magical Malawi combined with a walking safari in Zambia
Malawi luxury holiday
A luxury guided trip introducing you to magnificent Malawi
Zambia & Malawi small group safari
Unique adventure safari kayaking, game viewing & hiking
Malawi safari and beach holiday
A gorgeous two-centre Malawi safari and beach holiday
Malawi volunteering holiday
Volunteer at Africa's top wildlife sanctuary
Malawi wildlife conservation holiday
Aid animal conservation at the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre!
Malawi cultural tour
Visit the people who make Malawi the Warm Heart of Africa
Veterinary externship in Malawi
Gain veterinary experience at Africa's top sanctuary
7 day veterinary medicine course in Malawi
Wildlife veterinary course at top African sanctuary
Malawi conservation volunteering experience
2-12 weeks exploring and researching the Wild Heart of Africa
Student research placement in Malawi
Conduct your own independent research in beautiful Malawi
Nairobi to Victoria Falls overland tour
From the tribal lands of East Africa to wildlife of Southern Africa
Zambia safari and Malawi beach holiday
This wonderful combination of safari & beach will suit all.
Malawi animal conservation and safari holiday
The perfect trip for animal lovers and adventurers
Cape Town to Zanzibar overland tour
Stunning beaches with some of the best wildlife parks
Malawi & Zambia holiday, safari & beach
An unique and unusual safari and beach combination
Cairo to Cape Town overland truck tour, the Nile route
Explore the length of Africa on this epic overland journey
East African budget overland tour
3-week wildlife odyssey in the heart of East Africa
Safari adventure holiday, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique
An extraordinary camping safari across South Eastern Africa
Cape Town to Nairobi overland tour
An in-depth safari of East and Southern Africa
Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe expedition
Expedition through the wildlife havens of Zimbabwe & Zambia
Zanzibar to Victoria Falls overland tour
Overland trip through Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe expedition safari
Expedition trip through Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.
Zambia and Malawi tailor made safaris
A fabulously varied itinerary including waterfalls wildlife and lakes
Zambia safari and Lake Malawi, tailor made
Safari and Beach with a difference, Zambia and Malawi
PEOPLE & CULTURE
Accommodation owners and tour operators are aware of the positive impacts that tourism can have on local communities whether it be through local employment practices, ensuring their operations run with minimum environmental impact and in some cases through the active promotion of ecotourism activities within Malawi.
Many tours will offer the chance to spend time in a village and have positive interactions with the people that live there – perhaps learning how to pound maize, eating some traditional food and drink and just getting a glimpse of life as a rural Malawian.
Talk to your holiday provider to find out its policy on employing local guides – and paying them fairly. Ask your lodge about its responsible credentials and how it’s involved in local life. You could also suggest a visit to one of the projects or villages it supports. You’ll most likely be welcome, even if it’s not something that’s usually advertised to travellers.
Wildlife and environment
Conservation and rehabilitation
With its gorgeous scenery, laid-back vibe and good-value activities aplenty around the lake and the mountains, Malawi has always been popular on the budget travel circuit, but its perceived weakness was always its wildlife. Many of the country’s national parks and reserves were hard hit by poaching and general neglect in the 1980s and 1990s, leaving them lacking in both wildlife and suitable accommodation. Thankfully, that situation has changed dramatically over the past 15 years because of conservation initiatives that are transforming the tourist experience in Malawi.Non-profit organisation African Parks has transformed the Majete Wildlife Reserve and is including the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve in its latest long-term initiative. It aims to help Malawi become the next big safari destination – bringing much needed employment, investment and tourist revenue into the country. Majete, for example, has drastically reduced poaching, reintroduced Black rhinos, elephants, lions and leopards, and now has over 12,200 animals thriving within its perimeter. The more established Liwonde National Park has also seen increased investment and relocations and, along with Majete, has recently achieved ‘Big Five’ status.
Effective law enforcement and close community engagement has led to a significant decline in the number of poaching incidents in the country's wilderness areas, and unlike some of its South African neighbours, Malawi doesn’t support trophy hunting. In December 2018, the government rejected a proposal to reintroduce it.
What you can do
Visit! Getting tourists like you into the country’s wild spaces is the best way to help conservation organisations to secure the country’s long-term future. And when you’re there, ask your guide questions about conservation efforts and what the parks are doing to support and involve local communities. You could also read the African Parks website to find out more about their work.
Illegal wildlife trade
A 2015 Illegal Wildlife Trade Review, co-authored by the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust, found that criminals were using Malawi as a major trafficking hub, transporting ivory and other illegal wildlife commodities from neighbouring countries, through Malawi and then out of the continent. This was possible because of the country’s weak identification and enforcement systems. The report recommended a strengthening of local laws, increased inter-agency cooperation, an improvement in wildlife crime data and better training for law enforcement, among other measures.To its credit, Malawi’s government has started to take a hard line against the ivory trade, signing a handful of international agreements, including the Elephant Protection Initiative, which incorporates a commitment to reject the ivory trade for a minimum of ten years – and thereafter until African elephant populations are no longer under threat. In July 2019 a landmark ruling saw a fine overturned in favour of a tougher jail sentence in the case of two Malawian brothers convicted of their role in the trafficking of 2.6 tonnes of ivory.
What you can do
The illegal wildlife trade is estimated to be worth billions of dollars each year. While a large part of this trade is controlled by criminal gangs, much is also perpetrated by the hundreds of millions of people who unwittingly (or sometimes purposefully) buy souvenirs made from endangered species, such as statues and jewellery.
Don't purchase anything made from ivory even if it’s described as an “antique” or “mammoth ivory” – you will be contributing to the poaching of elephants, and you could have your item confiscated and even be arrested.
Overfishing
The most valuable thing you can do is engage with the local community in the destination that you visit and try and understand their point of view. It’s always worthwhile showing your support for organisations that are trying to combat the problem, such as Ripple Africa and Greenpeace.