Shire Eco Safari Camp  Verified Listing

Shire Eco Safari Camp is the best choice for eco-tourists seeking a true wilderness experience in and around Liwonde National Park. Rustic bamboo chalets (with en suite toilet and shower) are scattered around densely vegetated grounds—if it wasn’t for the signs, you might miss them! For those on a budget, there is a dorm that sleeps twelve, or if you prefer, there is plenty of space for camping, with shared showers and toilets nearby. You may bring your own food to cook for yourself, or, for an additional fee, staff will prepare your meals. Days are filled with boat safaris and game drives through Liwonde National Park, or unwinding in the observation hut and letting the animals come to you. Nights are spent relaxing around a campfire and viewing the night sky free of light pollution through a powerful telescope. As you go to sleep, you will swear that the hippos you hear grunting, are directly outside your room—and they probably are! In the morning you will awaken to a medley of bird songs, including the ‘ooooomph, ooooomph’ of the rare and endangered southern ground hornbill.

Shire Eco Safari Camp, nestled between the southwestern boundary of Liwonde National Park and the western banks of the Shire River, offers an authentic Malawian bush experience. Whereas other camps in and around the park are run by South Africans and Europeans, Shire Eco holds the distinction of being the only camp in the area fully owned and operated by Malawians.

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Billy’s vision for the camp is to promote environmental awareness through the preservation of the natural environment. His employees are all from the local community and hold positions of great responsibility within the camp, with the hope that they will learn the sustainable practices that the camp utilizes (permagardening, composting, efficient cook stoves, solar energy) and carry out these concepts within their own households. Billy has also connected with local primary and secondary school wildlife clubs and encourages frequent visits to the camp. As he says, "Only when you understand and love nature, are you willing to protect it."

​Shire Eco Safari Camp offers game drives that visit wildlife hotspots where you are likely to see elephants, water buffalo, impala, sable antelope, monkeys and some of the hundreds of bird species that are found in Liwonde National Park. The camp also offers boat safaris on the Shire River that bring visitors into the world of hippopotamuses, crocodiles, elephants, herons, kingfishers and a variety of other water fowl.

We offer various options for overnight accommodations: private chalet, dormitory, or campsite. Prices listed includes three meals. Discount prices are available for volunteers serving in Malawi. Packages include a boat safari or game drive, but do not include Liwonde National Park's entrance fee ($20 for international visitors or $10 for Malawi residents), due upon arrival at the park.