Majete Wildlife Reserve

Majete wildlife Reserve is a national game reserve in Malawi. The reserve lies a few miles north of Chikwawa, with the shire river forming eastern boundary. The park consists of approximately 70,000 hectares of land and contains 4,000 animals, including African elephants, common eland, plain zebra, leopard, baboons, many species of monkeys and warthogs. Large numbers of hippos and crocodiles are found too along the banks of Shire River. Many animals have been re-introduced, including lions, black rhinos, and leopards. The park may be the best place in Malawi to see the big 5 animals. David Livingstone’s 1859 zambezi expedition came up the shire but were unable to proceed beyond the falls. One of Livingstone’s companion is buried in a well- kept grave near a prominent baobab tree not far from the Majete game reserve. Since African Parks took over management of this rugged wilderness on the western bank of the Shire River in 2003, things have really been looking up. Other animals have been translocated from other parks in Malawi and elsewhere in Southern Africa, including lions, hyenas, sable antelope, Nyala, black rhinos, buffaloes, elephants, hippos and leopards. The reserve's two main roads are Mkulumadzi Rd, which runs parallel to the Shire River, and Namitsempha Rd, heading west from the entrance. Along Mkulumadzi Rd, just past the reserve gate, are the grand Kapichira Falls; further on is Mvuu Hide, from where you can watch hippos. A reserve map is available at the gate.