Liwonde National Park
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Where to stay

Liwonde National Park map

Where Liwonde sits in southern Malawi, coordinates for orientation, and how to navigate a park where the river is as much a highway as the roads.

Interactive map of Liwonde National Park

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On the map

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Ring: location approximate

Lake Malombe Main Entrance Gate Exit-only gate Liwonde Zomba 1 Liwonde National Park (centre). The park's reference coordinates: 14°50'S 35°20'E 2 Liwonde town. Nearest town and the gateway on the Shire; approximate position 50 km
OpenStreetMap (Nominatim & Overpass), checked 2026-09-21. The numbered pins are the key coordinates further down this page. The interactive version of this map needs JavaScript; everything on it is also in the list below.

Lodges without a confirmed location are not on the map yet: Ligulo House, Chinguni Campsite and Njobvu Cultural Village Lodge.

Everything on the map

Lodges and camps 7

Campsites and park camps 8

  • Bushman's Baobab
  • Cassa Rossa Camping GroundCampsite · outside the park
  • Chimwala Bush Camp
  • Mvuu Campsite
  • Nkalango Safari Camp
  • Nkopola Lodge Camp SiteCampsite · outside the park
  • Palm Beach Rest CampCampsite · outside the park
  • Trout FarmCampsite · outside the park

Pans and waterholes 7

  • Chagwa DamPan · outside the park
  • ChilwaPan · outside the park
  • Domasi FisheriesPan · outside the park
  • Lake MalombePan · outside the park
  • sewegePan · outside the park
  • some kind of structure - riverPan · outside the park
  • water bodyPan · outside the park

Rivers and springs 45

  • ChilangaRiver · outside the park
  • ChimwaliraRiver · outside the park
  • Chinyasa RiverRiver · outside the park
  • Domasi RiverRiver · outside the park
  • Dowa RiverRiver · outside the park
  • Kakungunda RiverRiver · outside the park
  • likangalaRiver · outside the park
  • LikwenuRiver · outside the park
  • LingidziRiver · outside the park
  • LisangadziRiver · outside the park
Show the other 35 rivers and springs
  • LisanjaliRiver · outside the park
  • Liwawadzi RiverRiver · outside the park
  • Luranga RiverRiver · outside the park
  • LusalumweRiver · outside the park
  • LusangusuRiver · outside the park
  • MafuziRiver · outside the park
  • Mangombo RiverRiver · outside the park
  • MiraleRiver · outside the park
  • MlungusiRiver · outside the park
  • MpaleRiver · outside the park
  • MpiraRiver · outside the park
  • Mulomba RiverRiver · outside the park
  • MulunguziRiver · outside the park
  • Mwalasi River
  • MwasaRiver · outside the park
  • NaisiRiver · outside the park
  • Nambazi RiverRiver · outside the park
  • NamingalaRiver · outside the park
  • Nangalinje RiverRiver · outside the park
  • Nansenga RiverRiver · outside the park
  • NasengaRiver · outside the park
  • NgalamuRiver · outside the park
  • NianiezeRiver · outside the park
  • NieniesiRiver · outside the park
  • NkandeRiver · outside the park
  • Nkasi
  • Nsulira RiverRiver · outside the park
  • NtobwaRiver · outside the park
  • Rivi RiviRiver · outside the park
  • RiviriviRiver · outside the park
  • Sankhwi RiverRiver · outside the park
  • Shire
  • SonganiRiver · outside the park
  • Tikhale RiverRiver · outside the park
  • TsimukweRiver · outside the park

Viewing towers 2

  • Hide
  • Hide

Viewpoints 8

  • Bushman's Baobab Viewpoint
  • Emporer's ViewViewpoint · outside the park
  • Liwonde Safari Camp Viewpoint
  • Namizimu RockViewpoint · outside the park
  • Queen's ViewViewpoint · outside the park
  • Skull Rock view pointViewpoint · outside the park
  • Songani LookoutViewpoint · outside the park
  • Plus 1 without a name in OpenStreetMap

Gates 3

  • Liwonde National Park Main Entrance Gate
  • Liwonde Safari Camp gate
  • Matope Road BlockGate · outside the park

Airstrips 5

  • Club Makokola AirportAirstrip · CMK FWCM
  • Makanga AerodromeAirstrip · VUU FWMK
  • Mangochi AerodromeAirstrip · MAI FWMG
  • Matope Aerodrome
  • Zomba AirportAirstrip · FWZA

Towns 15

  • Balaka
  • ChilembaVillage
  • Domasi
  • KadeweleVillage
  • KukulungwaVillage
  • Liwonde
  • Machinga
  • MalombeVillage
  • Mandimba
  • Mangochi
Show the other 5 towns
  • MpotolaVillage
  • MweraVillage
  • Saidi KwisimbaVillage
  • UnangoVillage
  • ZombaCity

Ranger posts 2

  • Chinguni Ranger Station
  • Naifulu Game Scout Camp

Fuel 13

  • Balaka Filling Station
  • Balaka Filling Station
  • BP
  • Energen
  • Engen
  • Lake Road Filling Station
  • Meru
  • Petroda
  • Petroda
  • Petroda
Show the other 3 fuel
  • Puma
  • PUMA filling stationFuel station · Puma · 24/7
  • Total

Clinics 10

  • Andiamo Comfort Community HospitalHospital
  • Domasi College ClinicHospital
  • Machinga District HospitalHospital
  • Mangochi District HospitalHospital
  • Mangochi Martenity WingHospital
  • Namanolo Health CenterHospital
  • Ntaja Health CentreHospital
  • Ntaja Hospital CenterHospital
  • St Luke's HospitalHospital
  • Zomba FikilaHospital

Download the official park map

African Parks' visitor site, visitliwonde.org, is the official reference for the park. No downloadable official park map is published there, so plan with the coordinates below, ask for current route advice when you pay your fees, and treat gate and airstrip names you find online with caution: they are not consistently documented.

Key coordinates

Save these before you go. Mobile coverage inside the park is patchy at best, and a set of waypoints in an offline app will get you out of trouble faster than anything else.

PlaceWhat it isCoordinates
Liwonde National Park (centre) The park's reference coordinates: 14°50'S 35°20'E -14.8333, 35.3333
Liwonde town Nearest town and the gateway on the Shire; approximate position -15.07022, 35.22682

Navigating Liwonde

  • Download the Malawi region in OsmAnd or Organic Maps before you arrive, so your phone navigates without signal.
  • Road access is from the southern side of the park; a river crossing exists on one approach, and pre-arranged boats run from Liwonde town.
  • Hire a Community Guide at the main gate if you are self-driving: local knowledge beats any map here, and the money stays in the community.
  • In the wet season, plan around the river rather than the roads. Boat shuttles become the primary transport when roads deteriorate between December and April.

The rules that shape your day

Gates open at 06:00 and close at 18:00, so plan routes backwards from that window. A 4x4 is recommended between December and April, and some routes close entirely in the rains.

Fuel availability near the park is not reliably documented anywhere, so arrive with a full tank from Blantyre, Zomba or Lilongwe and keep a reserve. The park is small enough that range is manageable, but do not count on filling up locally.

Where to go next

Getting There The routes these coordinates sit on Lodges & camps Where each place to stay is on this map The park What the landscape is made of