Hello. I hope you’re doing wonderfully well and had a great weekend! All is going well here in South Luangwa, and while there’s plenty to write about, today we’re hopping over the border to Malawi, where things have been busy and exciting at Kuthengo Camp. Over to you Yolandi:
“Winter has started to settle into Liwonde, bringing crisp mornings, cool evenings, and a golden carpet of fallen leaves that crunch softly underfoot. But the wildlife? That’s been hotter than ever.
Our guests have been treated to incredible sightings—cheetahs, rhinos, lions, and even wild dogs!
One of the most unforgettable drives came courtesy of our guide Eneson, who spotted not just one, but six cheetahs in a single outing. First up: a female with two playful cubs. Just around the corner? Two males. Lions have also been seen quite frequently, sometimes guests even see both lion and cheetah in one game drive! Eneson managed to get a great video of the female and her cubs: watch here.
We’ve also had regular rhino sightings which is always a hit with our guests, and recently, a pair of lions—separate from the main pride—have been seen patrolling the area. Could cubs be on the way? We’re certainly hoping for that, so watch this space!
And then there was the moment we’ve been waiting months for… our first wild dog sighting with guests! Since their reintroduction in April 2024, they’ve been keeping a low profile. But finally, thanks to our eagle eye scout Felix (who many of you will know from your time here at Kuthengo), the dogs were spotted (pardon the pun). Felix even took a video to document it all so the rest of us back at camp could see them for ourselves (watch here).
While on the subject of special visitors, we were thrilled to welcome Keyala Phiri (Kiki) and his guests on the Best of Malawi trip. His energy lit up the camp, and it was an absolute pleasure having him here. We’re already missing his infectious laugh!
We also had some familiar faces from Mkulumadzi Lodge join us – Mali and JB swapped the Majete bush for Liwonde’s open spaces and loved guiding guests on boat safaris and walks through the Park. They really enjoyed the contrasts between Liwonde and Majete but were eventually happy to head back ‘home’ to Mkulumadzi Lodge.
Guests have loved our bush brunches—enjoying delicious food out in the open, beneath the trees, with the sounds of the bush all around. Evenings have been filled with cosy fireside chats, where stories are shared with the occasional ‘whoop’ of a hyena in the distance.
In other news, our upcycled selfie booth has quickly become a hit with our guests. It was made from our original safari boat Elise, which was named after Ton and Margaux’s daughter. We retired Elise last year but wanted to keep a piece of her here at Kuthengo!
We’re looking forward to sharing more news from our special part of Malawi soon.’’
Thanks, Yolandi, for the update—sounds like Liwonde really is a hive of activity at the moment. We’re glad to have Kiki back in the Luangwa after his Malawi adventure, and I’ll give him a chance to settle before asking him to update us all on his Best of Malawi trip. Till then, have a good week!
