Malawi

CREDIT: COURTESY OF ROBIN POPE SAFARIS

Wedged between the safari superstars of Zambia and Tanzania, Malawi, a sliver of a country, has had a hard time establishing itself as a worthy wildlife hotspot. But two decades of conservation efforts are paying off across the country’s wild places. Now, after years of repopulating the major Liwonde National Park, which has a tragic history of poaching, 2020 will be the first year that visitors can anticipate seeing the Big Five. Following a large elephant relocation in 2016, there’s been a steady increase in the population, and the park is finally home to a number of healthy herds. Lions and cheetahs, too, are back, and in November 2019, 17 black rhinos were relocated to Liwonde from South Africa to encourage population growth. Travelers can enjoy luxury accommodation offerings, like Robin Pope Safaris’ low-key Kuthengo Camp on the Shire River in Liwonde, which opened in 2018. And even established spots are ever-evolving: In 2020, Mvuu Lodge, a classic property in Liwonde, will open a collection of star beds, where guests can slumber under the night sky. On the shores of glimmering Lake Malawi, one of the country’s other major draws thanks to its swimmable water, the unfussy Chinchetche Inn recently expanded with four new rooms that roll onto the lake. — Mary Holland