Locations:

Accommodation
Meals
Kumbali Cultural Village
Kuti Community Ranch
Kakuyu Community - Namatete District
Kwa Mulungu - Lake Malawi
South Luangwa National Park

Accommodation

Accommodation is of a comfortable standard no matter which project you select. Please view photos of your designated project for a clearer understanding of each accommodation. It has its own unique ambience of Safari style.

All accommodation is inclusive of pillows, towels, blankets, beds and sheets. However we suggest you bring a towel and sleeping bag for your own comfort.

Laundry will also be available at all project sites, "pure luxury indeed", make arrangements with your hosts on arrival.

Meals

Three meals a day will be available, some locations will be catered for and some will be self-catering, cooks can be arranged upon request. Should you leave the location for any particular reason, personal or social, for example weekend sightseeing, you will need to pay for your own meals while of location. Lunches will be in the form of packed meals as you will be rewarding the community for the majority of the day. Meals are rather basic but very hearty and homely at the same time.

All drink costs will be at your own expense. Fresh filtered water will be available at all times. If you have any special food requirements please inform your location host.

Kumbali Cultural Village

Objective

The main objective is to train Team Players with appropriate skills and information to ensure that their project with Bornwild will be effective and rewarding. Kumbali Cultural Village will provide Team Players in Malawi with an intensive and well informed relevant orientation and introduction to Malawian life, language and culture. Team Players will truly engage with the Malawi culture and follow traditional rituals.

The accommodation and food is aimed at providing the Team Players with first hand experience of authentic Malawian living.

Kumbali Cultural Village is situated on Natures Gift Farm 8km from City center. The cultural village consists of accommodation, training facility and eating and entertainment area. The structures are all based on traditional village type architecture with mud walls and thatched roofing. Ablution facilities are also based on rural Malawian methods.

Team Players will stay here for approximately 2 nights, before being transferred to their preferred location. The days will consist of introductory lessons on Malawi and elementary Chichewa lessons. Work on the permaculture plant as well as community work in the neighboring villages, tree planting, agriculture activates (treadle pumps), irrigation and school activities. Evenings will include experiencing the Kumabli band, drumming lessons, learning traditional Malawian dances all around the burning log fire.

Kuti Community Ranch

Originally it was a cattle ranch given by the Malawi Government to WHAPM - Wildlife Producers and Hunters Association of Malawi to breed and conserve wildlife through breeding programmes, training and education of local communities about the value and importance of wildlife and the natural environment sustainable hunting in a controlled and responsible manner in order to provide revenue for conservation, control animal populations and monitor challenging animals such as bushpig which destroy the villagers crops and lead to uncontrolled methods of reducing populations through illegal poaching.

Kuti Community Ranch is run by an elected committee of members on a voluntary basis. Non-profit NGO - all profits invested in community projects such as rehabilitation of boreholes, orphan care, micro-projects for sustainable income generation, education about responsible use of natural resources.

The model, provides an excellent opportunity and show cases how community and conservation can co-inhabit and generate a positive outcome, for all involved.

Kuti Community Ranch - Conservation and Community - Salima District

Agriculture (Food Security)
Schools
Sport
Orphanages
Environmental Clubs
Mico community projects

The Kuti Community Ranch is dedicated to creating, a successful model of how a game ranch, managed on business terms, in a co-management arrangement with bordering communities and focusing on nature-based tours, can contribute to improvements in community livelihoods.

Kuti Community Ranch is situated 90km east of Lilongwe (1hr) and 40km west of Senga Bay, Salima (20min). As you turn left and head to Kuti Community Ranch you will experience some Malawi's humble villages, providing you with and insight of your surrounding for the next couple of days. When you arrive at Sanga Camp you will be greeted by your charismatic host and enthusiastic staff of Kuti, where you will be allocated your accommodation.

Accommodation provides a unique African experience, with an "A" framed thatched house, positioned amongst a cluster of Mopane trees. There is a living room downstairs and beds are up stairs. A mosquito and insect nets surround the chalet. Not only does this protect you but more importantly allows the evening breeze to keep you cool in the evenings.

The ablutions are shared and provide all the necessary amenities.

Meals are held at Sanga Camp as a group apart from lunch as those working in the community will take a packed lunch. Meals will take the form of a continental breakfast, salad & cold meat rolls lunch and simple cooked suppers with a traditional meal once a week. Special dietary requirements can be catered for if advised in advance.

Laundry is available, but will be done in the traditional Malawi way, by hand washing and ironing with a coal iron.

Electricity is very limited and only available at Senga Camp during certain hours of the day. Paraffin lamps and candles are provided within the chalets, offering a quaint Malawi village dimension to the experience. It is not uncommon to hear the drum beat and singing echo through the ranch late into the evening, while the local village celebrate their day and welcome the following day.

Information of the surrounding communities:

Within a 27km radius of Kuti HQ, there is a population of approximately 11,000 inhabitants. The population is broken up into approximately 35 main villages. The average household sleeps up to 5 people, this includes direct and indirect families.

The state of the houses are extremely humble and simple. Constructed with mud, sticks, grass thatching and cow dung. There is no electricity in the houses. All cooking is done with a log fire, which provides an enormous negative impact on the environment. 90% Of the population are subsistence farmers, conducting in crops such as maize, tobacco, cassava and a small amount of cotton. The average household income is approximately US$1.00 per day, which needs to feed a household of approximately 5-6 people.

Within the 35 villages there are 30 boreholes, providing water to the communities. However only 10 of the boreholes are in operation. Therefore, some people walk up to 15km a day to search for water. During the dry season of Sept-Dec, water is a very scarce commodity, due to the lack of water enhances the risk of hunger and poverty.

Hospitals/Health

There is only, one (1) very small and basic clinic, predominately for out patience, which is funded by the Malawi Government. Due to the Governments economic challenges this is passed onto the local communities. Within the Kuti Community this lends itself to some serious health restrictions. There are also three small private clinics, which patience need to pay for medical supplies and services. Due to the lack of economies within the community, it is challenging for patience to afford the cost for basic health. This places enormous pressure on the medical offerings on the community. Therefore a large proportion of the community is not cared for and suffer long term illness.

Schools:

There are 12 primary schools in the area. Many of the schools have a class size of approximately 30 students. Resources and training facilities are a bare minimum. There are two major challenges influencing the local schools.

Teachers - there are not enough teachers to teach all the students and provide them with a quality education.

Students - it is Malawi Law that you can not attend school if you do not have a uniform. Due to the extremely weak micro-economy in the area, many families can not afford to purchase uniforms for their children.

Economy:

The main generator of the local economy is, subsistence farming. 95% of the Kuti communities are subsistence farmers. Each household possess on average 1.5 acres of land to generate a crop that will provide for their families. Crops grown are, tobacco, maize, cassava, ground nuts and cotton. Due to the current environmental and macro-economy of Malawi, this places enormous pressure on smaller communities. These external factors, force the villages into poverty and hunger and stunts micro-economies from prospering.

Kuti Game Reserve:

During your time at Kuti you will enjoy the unique experience of discovering the fauna and flora of the African bush, you will have the opportunity to view sable, nyala, zebra, wildebeest, ostrich, giraffe and waterbuck from horseback, civets, genets, servals and aardvarks may be seen on night drives. The game is extremely tame will often see them grazing around Senga Camp while you are having meals or relaxing. Kuti Community Ranch is a haven for large number of Malawi's extraordinary birdlife. With a drink in hand, good company and superb sunsets, a significant number of waterfowl may be viewed from the sunder deck which overlooks the Kuti wetlands.

Recommended Kit List:
Mosquito repellent - this is compulsary
Short sleeve shirts
Long work trousers
T Shirt
Hiking Boots
Sweat shirt
Padded parka jacket
Daypack rucksack
Sleeping bag
Sleeping mat
Long socks
Hat/ Sun screen (Protection)
Change of casual clothes for evenings
Underwear
Traniners/running shoes
Bath towels x2
Sleeping bags
Costume
Personal toiletries

Other useful items:
Camera with charged batteries
Good torch

Kakuyu Community - Namatete District

Hospital - Orphanages - Agriculture - Business - Schools - Sport - IGA's

Access:
Kakuyu is nestled away in a small farming community within the Namatete District. It is situated approximately 50km west of Lilongwe (40min), heading to the Mchinji Hills and Zambian border.

The farm is surrounded by a very large rural and subsistence community. This surrounding subsistence population numbers in the thousands and provides a massive opportunity for unlimited community projects.

Within a 5km radius of Kakuyu farm there is a 170 bed hospital (1km North), numerous schools(3-5km South), both primary and secondary, an orphan care centre(4km South) that serves 7000 orphans as well as small scale agricultural projects, tree planting projects and ground water projects.

Namitete trading centre is 3km South from the farm with small local shops.(very basic foods, agricultural materials, police station & post office).

Kalolo Village is a big traditional village which is 5km East where you can experience traditional village living.

The comfortable accommodation is provided on Kakuyu Farm in a fully furnished cottage which is set on the banks of a picturesque dam, offering fishing, bird watching, canoeing and a 16 seater houseboat. The accommodation provides en-suite bath, shower and toilets with a fully equipped kitchen and laundry.

Kwa Mulungu - Lake Malawi

Situated one half hours east of Lilongwe along the Salima road and 2 km from the mouth of the Linthipe River at Kambiri South, Salima. After a relaxing and scenic 40min boat trip you will be greeted by Mulungu staff and the chattering of the island guineafowl.
Accommodation on the island ranges from camping style to quaint thatched chalets over looking Lake Malawi. A two night stay will include the following;
Return boat transfer
National Park entry fees
Accommodation
All meals (x3 per day) excluding drinks
All non-motorised activity - snorkelling, kayaking and sailing.

The Maleri Island Experience

The Maleri island chain is made up of 3 islands - "Nankoma", "Maleri" and "Nakantenga" and is located within an exclusive concession area, guaranteeing privacy in paradise, on Lake Malawi . Maleri means "suspended" in the local language (Chichewa), and one can see why on a still hot day when the reflection off the water does indeed give the impression that the islands are hanging from the sky.

The Islands provide the best out-door fun possible - scuba diving, snorkelling, fishing, bird watching, kayaking, sailing and guided hikes, to name but a few, excursions can also be arranged from the Islands to other National Parks and places of interest both on the Lake and on the mainland. The Soggy Kwacha Bar, is available to guest who wish to enjoy tranquility of the island and surrounding waters and embrace the true essence of Lake Malawi. Private beaches are available for those who seek for total seclusion.

South Luangwa National Park

Wildlife Camp

Set in a mopane forest on the banks of the river, accommodation is in comfortable en suite chalets. Wildlife roams freely through the camp, making your stay a memorable one.

Example of Safari

DAY 1

The drive, including border proceedings will take on average 5 hours from Lilongwe, therefore an early start to the day is recommended. On arrival we settle into the camp and your chalets, take a rest and recuperate around the pool and riverbank. Depending on arrival time, a night / game drive is optional. Dinner is served early and a good nights rest is needed for an early start to the next day...

DAY 2

An early wake up call at 0530hrs, tea, coffee and light snack is served prior to our morning drive into the Park. Whilst in the Park we will stop for light refreshment and then return for a good brunch, then siesta or relax by the pool and riverbank. At 3.30pm we re-group for afternoon tea and depart for a sunset drive, followed up with a night drive... returning to the camp for dinner and time to reflect on the days events. Each day generally follows much the same type of program but with varied areas of exploration. On the departure day your wake up call is somewhat later followed by a breakfast, after which we pack up, load up the vehicle and start the return journey to Lilongwe. This is a malaria area so all protection should be carefully administered, i.e.: - insect repellants, prophylactics, all the usual caution and protection should be taken. During the drives once the sun is well up it does get hot so use of hats and sun cream is advisable. Likewise once the sun goes down it can be quite cold in the evenings so a light jacket, fleece or such garment is recommended. There is a swimming pool at the camp so bring swimwear if you so wish.