On The Ground in Malawi: visit the project area

Where can you go in Mangochi Region?

Two ecotourism companies operate in Mangochi Region:

• Kayak Africa provides accommodation and an opportunity for activities like kayaking, snorkling, and scuba diving in Lake Malawi National Park.
  
  
• Mvuu Camp and Lodge provides accommodation and guided tours in Liwonde National Park. The company belongs to the chain Wilderness Safaris, which has received awards for extraordinarily well-run ecotourism. For example, in 2003 the chain was awarded the World Legacy Award, the “Oscar” of ecotourism, presented by National Geographic Traveler and Conservation International.
  
  Mvuu Camp and Lodge makes a continuous contribution to Liwonde National Park by providing the park with substantial financial support, by maintaining roads and fences, and by training guards.

What is ecotourism?

The difference between ordinary tourism and so-called ecotourism is that the latter is designed to bring considerable benefits to the nature and to the local people of the destination. Another difference is that companies specializing in ecotourism place emphasis on high-quality wildlife experiences, taking their visitors to selected places of special interest and using guides with good professional skills and in-depth biological knowledge.

Natural resources are used in a way as sustainable as possible by these companies. They also have an emphasis on creating income-generating possibilities for local people, in order to let them genuinely benefit from tourism. Another financial beneficiary is wildlife conservation, which in developing countries is often dependent on money brought in by visitors of protected areas.