What it is
About 700 km2 of hilly miombo woodland in the lower Shire valley southwest of Blantyre. By 2003 there was virtually no large game left in it. African Parks took it on that year, fenced it and restocked it, and it now holds elephant, buffalo, black rhino, lion and leopard.
Why go
It is the clearest conservation story in the region and you can take the whole of it in over two days. Be realistic about the game: densities are lower than in a Zambian or South African park and the terrain is hilly and wooded, so sightings take work. Poaching inside the fence is effectively zero, which is not something many reserves can claim.
When to go
June to November, when the bush thins and animals use the waterholes and the river. It is low-lying and gets very hot from September. The wet season is green, quiet and difficult on the roads. About an hour and a half by road from Blantyre.
Most people stay 2 nights.