Four-star Liwonde National Park, Liwonde
Kuthengo Camp
A handful of safari tents on an open plain that runs down to the Shire River, under baobabs where fish eagles nest, in a park where rhinos, lions and cheetahs have come back.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- Tents
- Five, by the operator's count
- Opened
- April 2018
- Operator
- Robin Pope Safaris
- From the airport
- About 2 hours 30 by road from Blantyre
The hotel
A camp on the Shire plain.
Robin Pope Safaris opened Kuthengo in April 2018, its first camp in Liwonde National Park. The tents stand among fever trees and baobabs on a wide open plain that runs down to the Shire River, and fish eagles nest in the baobabs above them. Herds of waterbuck graze around camp, and the main dining area looks out over the river. In the first season there were four tents for at most ten guests.
The park around it has been restocked. African Parks had brought lions back to Liwonde by the time the camp opened, rhinos followed in 2019, and cheetahs have returned too. Elephants, buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, sable and kudu live here alongside more than 400 kinds of bird. Days at camp move between the open vehicle, the boat on the Shire and walks on foot with an armed park scout.
- On foot Guided walks across the floodplain with an armed National Park scout, for guests aged twelve and over.
- On the river Boat trips on the Shire for game viewing and birding, past hippos and crocodiles.
- After dark Night drives in open vehicles, and a plunge pool to cool off in during the hotter months.
Rooms & suites
Tents with a bath and a view of the plain.
Each tent is en suite, with a bathtub, an outdoor shower and a private deck.
- Double or twin Safari tent A king-size or twin beds, a bathtub, an outdoor shower and a deck over the plain.
- More space Suite A lounge that leads through to the bedroom, which has its own bathroom.
- Families Family tent Sleeps up to four people.
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from noon, check-out by 10 am.
- Children All ages are welcome. Walking safaris start at twelve.
- Season The camp closes in February for maintenance. Game drives are limited in the March and April rains.
Getting there
Flying to Liwonde.
Chileka International, outside Blantyre, takes scheduled flights from Addis Ababa and Johannesburg, and business jets on its 2,325-metre runway with customs. From there the camp is about two and a half hours by road. A light aircraft can fly on from Blantyre to Makanga, the camp's nearest airstrip.
- Zanzibar 1 h 50
- Johannesburg 2 h 05
- Nairobi 2 h 25
- Dubai 7 h 00 long-range jet
- London 11 h 10 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- Is Kuthengo Camp open all year?
- No. It closes in February for maintenance, and drives are limited in the March and April rains. Check the exact dates with the camp.
- Can children stay at Kuthengo Camp?
- Yes, at any age, and there is a family tent for four. Guests must be twelve or older to join a walking safari.
- Which animals can we see in Liwonde?
- Elephants, buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, sable and kudu, with rhinos, lions and cheetahs reintroduced by African Parks, and more than 400 bird species.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Liwonde?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Liwonde, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Staying at Kuthengo Camp?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Liwonde, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.