Liwonde NP, Malawi: A hidden gem

Cheetahs in Liwonde

This is a story about a national park that punches above its weight. So far it is a conservation success story and hopefully it will continue to be so. The park is Liwonde National Park, located in the East of Malawi, about 2 hours drive from Blantyre and about 3.5 hours from the capital Lilongwe.

Kibale NP & Budongo Forest - Tracking our closest cousins

Chilling out

Uganda, referred to as the pearl of Africa, is the premier destination for chimp trekking in the world. Uganda is also home to other great wildlife including Africa’s big five. Uganda boasts some great national parks including Queen Elizabeth (QENP), Muchinson's and Kidepo, with the first two also being home to chimpanzees. Chimp tracking is done in a number of other parts of Uganda with the premier destination being Kibale NP in Western Uganda.

Mabamba Swamp - Searching for the Shoebill

Shoebill - One of the most unusual birds to be seen

The search for the shoebill was aroused by its strange appearance more than anything else. We first became aware of the bird once we got to Tanzania and got our edition of the Birds of East Africa which claims that its stronghold in the region is the Moyowosi – Kigozi wetland complex in Western Tanzania. This is pretty much the wild west of Tanzania located in no man’s land between Kigoma and Tabora and not a place to be messing about in, as not even tour operators venturing into the area.

Murabeho Rwanda!

A great sighting in Akagera

After almost 3 years it is time to say goodbye to Rwanda!  Only a remarkable and dedicated nation would reach the lofty heights that Rwanda has today after the horrors of 1994 and we stand with Rwanda in saying "Never Again".

From a wildlife point of view, the first recorded sighting of the White-crested turaco in Rwanda made by us is by far the most notable wildlife moment.  Trekking up Volcanoes NP in search of the mountain gorillas was another highlight, demonstrating yet another amazing success story by Rwanda.

The flagship conservation success story from Rwanda was also our favourite hangout - Akagera NP, which over the last 10 years has been revitalised from a heavily poached area to a Big 5 national park.  We can vouch for its remarkable wildlife through our images, including seeing all the Big 5 in one weekend.  

Best wishes Rwanda and we will be watching your continued path to prosperity.  In the meantime, hello Uganda for a few weeks on our way to Malawi!

Volcanoes NP - Gorilla action

Gorilla portrait

We arranged a last minute trip to see the gorillas as we were leaving Rwanda permanently.  It had been raining heavily the last month or so over December, but after checking the weather report for early January, it seemed as though we may get a break in the rain to visit Volcanoes NP.