luwire safaris mozambique

• Introductions & get togethers
• News & articles
• Safari planning guide
• Hunting Africa
• Hunting reports
• Firearms, ammo, optics & gear
• Hunting & fishing worldwide
• Shows, books, jokes & more
• Search forums
• Hunting reports Africa

MOZAMBIQUE: His & Her Leopards With Derek Littleton Of Luwire Safaris

• Thread starter Frostbit
• Start date May 20, 2015

• May 20, 2015

Attachments

More photos later...  

Beautiful Leopards! Looking forward to the rest.  

Thanks for sharing your hunt with us, really enjoyed it, and congrats on the leopards!  

johnnyblues

What a wonderful report. Congratulations to you and your wife on two beautiful cats. I leave in September for Namibia for my leopard hunt. Actually my first trip to Africa.  

Wow! What an awesome experience for you and your wife. Leopard is my dream hunt, but I think it will stay a dream.  

Ridge Top Ranch

Beautifully Written!  

"Last edited by a moderator: 41 minutes ago" This is my last report ever posted on here. I do not appreciate my writing being edited without my approval. Ridiculous that the mere mention of two initials signifying another forum needed to be removed, especially considering the only reason this report and the CMS Elephant report are even on here is because someone from here reached out to me on that very forum to add my writing here. You blew it!!  

ChasingHemingway

Awesome story, great detail, and kept me wanting more. Congrats to you and her support for beating cancer and achieving a dream. Let nothing stand in your way! dt  

PHOENIX PHIL

Simply outstanding!  

man that's the first hunting yarn in a long time ,that as soon as I finished reading it ,l went straight back up to the top and read it again . thanks for yet another , brilliant description,of an unique African adventure.....  

Frostbit said: "Last edited by a moderator: 41 minutes ago" This is my last report ever posted on here. I do not appreciate my writing being edited without my approval. Ridiculous that the mere mention of two initials signifying another forum needed to be removed, especially considering the only reason this report and the CMS Elephant report are even on here is because someone from here reached out to me on that very forum to add my writing here. You blew it!! Click to expand...

Congratulations on your hunt. Thanks for sharing your story here.  

Outstanding hunt and story. Bravo!!!!!!  

• May 21, 2015

bluey said: x2 Click to expand...

one of the best write ups ive ever read!!!!  

dailordasailor

amazing story. Your future stories will be missed but understandable.  

Thanks for the hunt report and pictures, I really enjoyed it!  

dailordasailor said: amazing story. Your future stories will be missed but understandable. Click to expand...

Members online

• Tyler Barron
• flatwater bill
• Uncontrolled_round_feed
• Tundra Tiger
• TX_GreatPlains
• Hatchet Jack
• Patrick Hargan
• Aussie_Hunter
• John the Electrician
• Ridge Runner
• whisk(e)y hunter
• Siennacoyote
• analog_peninsula

Forum statistics

Proudly sponsored by.

• More sponsors

Latest posts

• Latest: rwp315
• 3 minutes ago
• Latest: fourfive8
• 5 minutes ago

• Latest: flatwater bill
• 10 minutes ago

• Latest: matt85
• 19 minutes ago
• Latest: 358 Norma
• 27 minutes ago

Latest profile posts

Share this page

• This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Accept Learn more…

LUWIRE SAFARIS

Welcome to Luwire Safaris Niassa Mozambique, Hunting African Big Game with Gun and Camera for ten years!

A FEW WORDS ABOUT US

You can go any where in Africa and hunt with literally thousands of different operators. You can spend lots of time and money researching and agonizing over the right choice and still after you’ve gone, spent your money, had your experience, you still ask yourself, was that the best I could have done? Was that the closest to what I was looking for? If I never get to go back to Africa will I set in front of the fire someday and hear myself say,” I think there was a better place, I should have looked further.

If you search hard you will find the last small chunks of old Africa left out there, still holding on, spotted here and there across that vast Continent where the fortunate few have treasured their opportunity to set feet upon a piece of “Raw Africa.” One of these remaining holdouts lies in the northern part of Mozambique just south of the Tanzanian border. Here along the perimeter of the 42000 sq. Kilometer Niassa Reserve following and fronting 250 kilometers of the Lugenda River is the oldest continuously running safari operation in Niassa. For over a decade Luwire Safaris has discreetly satisfied it’s long list of largely repeat clientele by maintaining its proud track record of taking only high quality trophies along with providing a down to earth get on with it style safari operation that continues to be the “real thing” that modern day clients are yearning for. As stated earlier, quality trophies, repeat clientele and our proven conservation and community efforts set us aside from other operations developing in and around Niassa.

Our complete dedication, support and participation in the Niassa Reserve’s “Six Year Old Rule” and point system for Lion has justified itself over the past several years and we have seen our Trophy Caliber Lions become the mature animal that our clients demand. Apart from all the other great opportunities for Leopard, Buffalo and, (Quiet possibly the best opportunity today for “Big Tuskers” in all of Africa) we also offer important regional endemics such as Niassa Wildebeest, Roosevelt’s Sable, Bohem’s Zebra and Johnstone’s Impala together with the usual Plains Game, Hippo and Crocodile.

We are celebrating our Tenth Anniversary and are taking this opportunity to revisit the States, reuniting with many friends and fellow sportsmen who share our passion for what our part of Africa represents, “An area largely unchanged over the past 100 years.”

Whilst four comfortably appointed East Africa-Style Tented Camps service our safaris, there is still ample opportunity to fly camp vast remote areas. Also, set below the Giant Iselbergs characteristic of the Niassa Region is our unpretentiously luxurious, “Lugenda Wilderness Camp” presently the only eco-tourism facility in the reserve which has now been operational for five years.

Being one of a community of operators based in the magnificent Niassa Reserve in Northern Mozambique, our block, Luwire (Block L7) with acreage totaling over One Million Acres is the oldest legally held concession of the Reserve. And has thus benefitted from over a decade of sound management. This alone should speak volumes to any perspective sportsman looking for a true, proven operator that produces what we all want, no surprises and lots of satisfaction. Ultimately we are about preserving this wilderness, this way of life, the game and our future as we continue giving you 110% from the time you arrive till the moment you leave us.

Again, we want to thank all of our “friends and clients” for helping make the last ten years a pleasure to remember and extend to you our sincere invitation to allow us to provide you with what we all want, “the real thing!”

Lugenda – Mozambique’s lost wilderness

There is a wild place in the far north of Mozambique which has been “calling” to me for years. Filled with the promise of a wilderness experience par none and some of the most amazing scenery on offer on the African continent, the call has been persistent – “come to Niassa….” it whispered to me. “Come…”

And so, never one to not heed a call, I set off for Niassa, excited to see one of Africa’s best kept secrets and a reserve which has become legendary for its towering granite inselbergs – massive rocky outcrops which dominate an otherwise flat landscape – and herds of game.

There is only one commercial safari camp in Niassa – Lugenda Wilderness Camp, situated on the Lugenda Wilderness Reserve (Luwire), a huge swathe of a concession which stretches along the Lugenda river and covers some 4500 square kilometres of Niassa.

It is operated by Rani Resorts and opened in 2006, offering eight spacious safari tents under a canopy of sycomore figs and winterthorn on the southern banks of the river, and was to be my home for my four-day exploration of this wonderfully remote place.

Flying in from Pemba, some 440km and 90 minutes south-east, the inselbergs are impressive, jutting out like natural skyscrapers and surrounding the rear of Lugenda camp like silent sentinels. They are home to the rare and endangered taita falcon, dainty klipspringers and rock hyrax, or dassie, and are quite simply awe-inspiring.

Sadly, Niassa is also home to some 30,000 local people, together with some rather large settlements, home to local government offices and administration as well as stopping points en route to the Tanzanian border some 80 km away to the north.

The presence of people, especially fishermen who in the dry season dam the dwindling fingers of water which run across a largely parched and dry river bed in order to trap remaining fish, detracts somewhat from the wilderness experience. And also means that poaching is ever present.

Another disappointment is that Luwire is also home to hunting concessions which border Lugenda on both sides of its 500 sq km set aside for “photographic” safaris.

Saudi Sheikh Adel Aujan, who owns Rani Resorts, is apparently fond of hunting, and the sad fact is that his hunting concessions bring in the money, and until eco tourism takes over as the number one earner, they are not going away.

At least some of the money earned from hunting is being ploughed back into conservation, with scouts being employed from the local communities to help eradicate poaching.

However, the presence of people, and of hunters during season, means that the game in Lugenda has had to adapt its behaviour to avoid human contact.

For example, huge herds of elephant and buffalo are reluctant to go to the river to drink until after dark and are still a little jittery around game vehicles.

Bachelor bulls like Ben, who has made his home next to the Lugenda tents under the huge shady figs, don’t seem too concerned though. And the birdlife is astounding, with several rare, endemic species present like Bohm’s bee-eater making their home in the area.

Lugenda’s setting is astounding and as breathtaking as November’s soaring temperatures. With baobabs at every turn, and the ever-changing faces of the towering inselbergs competing for the camera with views over the river bed and distant mountains, this is a photographer’s dream come true.

And whilst the game is not particularly plentiful, due in large part to the fact that some 70% of the area is made up of miombo thicket – great for tstetse flies but not great for game viewing – the place itself is truly special, and more than recommended for safari aficionados and those who love exploring Africa’s far-flung corners.

At the end of the day, wilderness experiences are about more than the big five or big game viewing. And in this respect Lugenda is a real winner, because it offers the chance to really reach out and touch Africa and see the things so often ignored at more mainstream, and slightly less wild destinations.

Lugenda’s people are special too. Most of the staff have been hand-picked from local communities and taught to speak “bush” English, while managers Carrie Wainwright and Andrew Linton, both from South Africa, have learned “bush” Portuguese.

It’s a happy medium and a happy crew. All of which makes Lugenda well worth a visit.

About The Author

Sharon van Wyk

Related posts.

15 of the best golf courses in Africa (for wildlife enthusiasts)

8 African wildlife pics that will knock your socks off

African hot air balloon safaris: Kenya, Tanzania & more

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Luwire Conservancy – Exploring novel ways to fund conservation.

• Robin Brown
• May 3, 2021

Share This Post

The Luwire Conservancy is located within the Niassa Special Reserve in northern Mozambique.  It sits on the south eastern bank of the Lugenda River, covering an area of 1 million acres (450,000 hectares), and benefiting from 300km of river frontage. Nine caves have been discovered to date featuring paintings from historic indigenous tribes.  Luwire is a prehistoric wilderness with incredible diversity by geography, flora and fauna, comprising of miombo woodlands, granite inselbergs , open savannah, wetlands, river floodplains, and riverine forest. Wildlife in the concession is widely varied, including  the Niassa wildebeest, Boehm’s zebra, Johnston’s impala, Lichtenstein’s hartebeest, and hundreds of bird species. Pel’s fishing owl, African Pitta, African skimmer and the Taita falcon feature prominently within this biodiversity.

The vast Niassa reserve is home to approximately 60,000 people, with virtually no tourism infrastructure.  The area is under severe threat from poaching, artisanal mining and illegal forestry due to limited historical governmental and NGO oversight, and insufficient community engagement.

The Zambesia Conservation Alliance is specifically looking for partners who are working on effective ways to include local communities in conservation. We were delighted when Luwire joined as an alliance partner, with new type of social and environmental impact organisation, purpose fit for a post COVID19 world. Luwire marries donor and commercial funding to build a nature-based economy immune to the cyclicality of the tourist trade. Its aim is to empower local communities as long-term stewards of the Conservancy.

Alexandra Kornman is Luwire’s London based Head of International Business Development. She has pioneered the concept of manufacturing better quality ranger uniforms at Luwire. Planning is now at an advanced stage and they hope to launch this initiative later in 2021, with a particular objective of creating businesses that support local, skilled female employment.

Alexandra has also worked with Luwire’s General Manager, Derek Littleton, to develop the concept of a PAU – Protected Agriculture Unit . Luwire plans to surround farmer fields with solar powered electric fences to ward off elephants and baboons. The power will also be used to drive water pumps which will reduce the need for dangerous trips to the Lugenda River edge. Further, community shelters will sit at the centre of each PAU and feature cell phone charge points. Better and more regular irrigation will improve food security by allowing three not two crops per year. The containment of agriculture inside the PAUs will discourage traditional slash and burn farming.

Paula Ferro was formerly Luwire’s deputy General Manager and is now a Maputo based Ambassador. She has successfully trained local Yao women in Manhune village to make crotchet animal dolls. These dolls are sold in Maputo and to Luwire guests delivering a supplemental income to local women. This income is ultimately recycled into better nutrition, healthcare, and education for local families. The generous support of the Irish Governmenthas allowed a pilot scheme to be scaled with planning now in progress extend the project to other Luwire villages.

Luwire’s Dubai-based Ambassador Zahara Malik sits on the Middle Eastern Board of Football for Peace (www.footballforpeaceglobal.org ). Luwire and Football for Peace have now signed a long-term MOU focused on an annual football tournament at Mussoma village under the theme Peace with Man, Peace with Nature . The goal is to combine an annual football event with the completion of a water infrastructure project.

More is planned for 2021, including

▪ A new partnership with Pemba-based Safari Airthat will dramatically lower access costs into the Niassa Reserve.

▪ A crowd funding initiative to eliminate Luwire’s carbon footprint. With the help of Luwire Ambassador Ziegler Mendonça from Maputo based Swiss Solar, Luwire shall be replacing is diesel power infrastructure with a solar panel and battery storage combination.

▪ The mid-year arrival of charitable partner SAVSIM(www.savsim.org ) at Luwire to assist with ranger training.

▪ Later this year, Smart Parks(www.smartparks.org ) will install a wireless, virtual area network at Luwire, transforming Luwire’s approach to security. Technology is now impacting the world of conservation. This will be Mozambique’s first installation (and demonstration) of Smart Parks technology– a real milestone for Luwire and real milestone for Mozambique.

Luwire’s motto is “opportunity in every crisis”, it is inspirational to see that coming through on every front.  Despite the grim reality of the impact of Covid 19, the management of Luwire have strived onward and upward in the face of each challenge.

More To Explore

Conservation & Mental Health

Mental Health and Conservation – if we are not able to enjoy nature and all it provides we will no doubt suffer the impact of mental health.

Many of Luwire’s scouts were born and raised in Niassa. They risk their lives every day to protect free-roaming wildlife and keep the concession safe and secure for future generations of Mozambicans.

Want to know more?

About the ZCA

Outreach Partners

Strategic Partners

Events & Campaigns

Join the ZCA Tribe

Get in touch

Frequently Asked Questions

To our newsletter.

view past newsletters

Dancing with the Wild Beasts

A Diary among Friends from Niassa Reserve

Thursday, January 21, 2010

• River Lodge, Luwire Safaris Mozambique

No comments:

Post a comment, want to go, we need you there come visit and help us spread the story., about this diary.

I first came here five years ago and it seems that some days I feel I just arrived and others that I should have left a long time ago depending upon my mood, or depending on her mood. I quite adore it for the most part and endure it for the other. It’s a place of change that never sleeps but continues however excruciatingly slow as well as mystifyingly fast depending on your view from day to day. Niassa Reserve indeed is a Rare Bird, she bares ruffled feathers from many struggles past, present and to come, often or not inviting you in to take part of the ebb and flow of her way, and you are duly stricken by her charms and made aware of her needs, needs that left unattended will most definitely lead to the collapse of this International Treasure.

I am writing this as much for me as for the place called Niassa Reserve. I have been searching for a way of personal contribution and have over time conjured up many ideas that try to correspond to the successful future of her wellness, but none approached the solving of her problems with any expediency. The thing that she needs most in my opinion is to be known. And so I listen, observe, put my feet on her soil, feel her pulse and write. I can’t stand the thoughts of things changing for the worst here, it would be like an old home place with all the family history, pictures, books etc. burning to the ground. This is all I know to do for now and I sincerely hope it helps to get out the Message. The Message that in all the world there are places that need to be fought for to remain as they are, not rushed and pushed down the road to oblivion for such paltry sums of monetary gain that will be forgotten tonight before our heads touch the pillow of sleep. Most places that are rare and are in crisis are already well known. I have no idea how to judge which is more important and which deserves the quickest attention. All I know is that there are a handful of advocates that over the past ten years or so have hung on tenaciously defending the realization that right in front of them is something that demands their sacrifice and they have willingly given. I hope through their words and those of my own, you will recognize also, what we have come to know and begin to share with others this remarkable place. I hope you seek the opportunity to visit and make your own memories in a place that deserves you presence and your acknowledgement. Audwin P. Mcgee, Oct 2009, Luchenge Camp Block C, Niassa Reserve.

This Diary is dedicated to the memory of wildlife species that are no longer with us, that exist no longer on this earth, to those that are destined by us to follow in their footsteps.

Contributors:

Each of the contributors to “Dancing with the Wild Beasts” is well acquainted with Niassa Reserve and I will give a brief description of their role there. I will also direct you to other information if available on the individual themselves. Some are Professional Researchers, Concession Operators, or employees of the Reserve. There will be opinions and information from Government officials as well as stories from various characters even the average poacher.

Keith and Colleen Begg ; Resident Researchers Niassa Reserve

Annabella Rodriguez; CEO of SRDN and Chief Game Warden of Niassa Reserve

Derek Littleton; Manager/Operator, "Luwire" Lugenda Wildlife Reserve and Safaris

Paula Ferro; Paula has lived and worked in the Reserve for the past five years researching the native people there.

Rob Janisch; One Africa

Bryan Allen; Bryan Allen Photography

Audwin McGee; I have lived and worked among the above for the past five years, awsome folks. A.P.McGee, Kurtz and Marlow Inc. Sons of Savages

David Langerman (manawana). David works as a PH for Luwire Safaris, has spent most of his life in and around the Safari Bussiness of Africa.

Thomas Prin; Field Officer, Foundation IGF Mozambique

IMPORTANT LINKS

• NIASSA RESERVE FACEBOOK
• FLORA AND FAUNA INTERNATIONAL
• NIASSA RESERVE WEB SITE

Subscribe To Dancing with the Wild Beast

Views of Niassa

Blog Archive

• ►  May (2)
• ►  November (2)
• ►  November (1)
• ►  February (3)
• ►  August (1)
• ►  January (1)
• ►  December (1)
• ►  July (7)
• ►  May (1)
• ►  April (1)
• ►  February (2)
• Letting you know about a new project in Niassa! By...
• Excerpts from an African Diary
• Outside Magazine's "Peter Stark" wrote At the Merc...
• ►  December (3)

My Blog List

Contributors.

• Just Another Savage!
• Thomas prin

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

The Luwire Wildlife Conservancy

By Laura Perry

The Luwire Wildlife Conservancy is a 4,500km2 section of northern Mozambique’s Niassa Special Reserve. Home to internationally important populations of leopard, lion, wild dog, and elephant, Niassa is one of Africa’s last great wildernesses. I am working with Luwire Wildlife Conservancy to establish a programme of scientific research in the area, incorporating both biodiversity work and social science to develop a thorough, evidence based approach to conservation and social development in the area. With the biodiversity research, our first priority is to understand the population sizes of certain key species.

Following WildCRU’s existing Trans-Kalahari Predator Programme (TKPP) camera trap protocol, in collaboration with TKPP team members, I am running camera trap grids through the concession. In total, we hope to cover 2,400km² this year, all on foot (due to a lack of road infrastructure). These grids will allow us to establish rough numbers for species such as leopard and wild dog, and give us a baseline for future comparisons. Inside the concession are seven villages, with roughly 4,000 people. These are some of the most marginalized, poorest people in the world, and helping communities to prosper is one of Luwire’s key goals. To understand how best to help support communities requires extensive social science research, both qualitative and quantitative, and this year I am initiating an extensive programme of social research to understand key challenges, ways to overcome them, and how Luwire’s initiatives benefit local people.

Through the collaboration between Luwire and WildCRU, which we hope will grow with time, our evidence-based conservation research will directly inform practical conservation decisions. By combining WildCRU’s extensive knowledge of applied conservation research with my full-time on-the-ground presence at Luwire, this collaboration is a fantastic opportunity to effect real conservation impact, and use evidence based approaches and cutting-edge research help protect Niassa’s people and wildlife.

Keep up to date with Laura’s research via her Instagram account @theoxfordconservationist .

• Remember me Not recommended on shared computers

Forgot your password?

Niassa National Reserve 2021 & 2022

• pristine wilderness

By Ant Kaschula December 1, 2022 in Mozambique

Recommended Posts

Ant kaschula.

I'll try to keep this short and sweet but having not been active on this forum for a very long time, I thought to quickly get on to see/read any reports on Niassa.

I can't recall the exact details of who posted a fairly lengthy report from 2018 or 2019 but much of it seemed rather negative/scathing of why visit the area as it is so remote and expensive to get to and there are no endemic or unusual species there that one can't see elsewhere blah blah blah.

Either way, having recently returned from my fourth trip to Niassa within the last 18 months (August 21, December 21, July 21 and November 22) and having had the opportunity to extensively cover large parts of two concessions (Luwire and Chulexi), as a relatively well travelled and seasoned guide (been to Zakouma six times, owned and operated a tented camp in Gonarezhou for twleve years and being in the saddle annually guiding safaris to around half a dozen countries), I can confidently say those two areas constitute some of the most dramatic and beautiful landscapes I have seen anywhere in Africa.

The number and diversity of wildlife and birdlife that we encountered stands as good, if not better than many other of what are regarded as some of Africa's top protected areas. More importantly in each case we virtually had the entire areas to ourselves, something which in this day an age is becoming increasingly difficult to find.  Both concessions had healthy numbers of all of the charismatic species and on a week long trip in July 22 we notched up the  following mammal list - Lion (2 sightings), Leopard (1 sighting), Wild dog (4 sightings of 4 different packs), Spotted Hyena, Porcupine, Large Spotted Genet, Slender Mongoose, Banded Mongoose, Yellow Baboon, Vervet Monkey, Bush Hyrax, Bush Squirrel, Scrub Hare, Klipspringer, Common Warthog, Bush Pig, Bushbuck, Greater Kudu, Reedbuck, Waterbuck, Hippopotamus, Elephant, Buffalo, Grey Duiker, Livingstone's Suni, Lichtenstein's Hartebeest, Niassa Wildebeest, Johnston's Impala, Roosevelt's Sable, Livingstone's Eland, Boehm's Zebra.

These areas are spectacularly beautiful - "Africa's Yosemite - but in almost complete privacy" - are virtually pristine wildernesses and whilst there are some local people living within them and deriving a livelihood off the land, it is absolutely an connoisseur's safari experience. I cannot recommend it more highly to those who truly 'get' the value of pristine wilderness and where nothing is guaranteed - for guaranteed sightings go to the Kruger Park, Serengeti or Mara - but there too you're guaranteed to have a lot less freedom and a lot more people.

Oh yes, and on the birding front the area is one of the few places where one has an equal chance of seeing Taita Falcons and has recently been "discovered" as one of the last remaining strongholds for this species.

Link to comment

Share on other sites.

Thanks for your comments and opinions on this area along with the list of sightings. I must admit I did not know where it was and had to do a bit of research.  "Niassa Special Reserve (NSR) is located in northern Mozambique, with its northern boundary the Ruvuma River bordering Tanzania."

@Ant Kaschula

Great to get a bit of an update on Niassa, thanks for posting.  

I think what you read, wasn't a trip report, but something I wrote, in response to a discussion on hunting, in this topic Conservationists pass major bill , I focused on the cons rather than pros of Niassa, to illustrate why in my opinion Niassa will struggle to attract significant numbers of tourists and thus if the entire reserve was given over to photographic tourism, and all hunting ceased, it wouldn't likely generate sufficient income to run the entire reserve. It was a slightly frustrated response, to someone talking about Niassa, who I felt didn’t know what they were talking about, because they hadn’t been there, Lugenda Lodge had recently closed and only a year or so before I wrote my posts, I’d been in Katavi NP in Tanzania and was aware that its most expensive camp, Palahala had recently closed, I assumed in both cases this was due to insufficient guests. I was trying to make a point, about the challenges of operating photo tourism in remote areas, I didn’t want to suggest Niassa isn't well worth visiting, just that it will only ever receive fairly small numbers of tourists, I don’t want to put anyone off going, I'd be very happy if more visitors go there armed with cameras and not guns and would love to be proved wrong and discover that those conservancies catering for photo tourists are making enough money, but I’d be a bit surprised if they are able to fund all of the conservation work from tourism, I'm sure there's still a good bit of donor funding. Had I written a proper trip report, I'd have taken a much more positive line, because Niassa is a wonderful place, with good wildlife as your observations illustrate.

I know that a lot has happened in Niassa in terms of conservation since my visit in 2006, game populations must have increased fairly markedly, I was interested to read recently, that that a total of 47 Buffaloes, 65 Niassa Wildebeest and 65 Zebras had been captured and translocated to a new national park called Gilé in 2013 and 2018, this park is in the northeast corner of Zambezia. This would suggest that there are many more animals in Niassa now, than when I visited.

I hope that some here, will be tempted to visit Niassa and perhaps someone will write a proper trip report, I don’t plan on doing that, as my trip was 16 years ago, but I did quite recently upload my photos to Flickr, they do at least show what a stunningly beautiful place it is, apart from Ennedi where I was in February, it is hard to think of a more remarkable African landscape.

Flickr  Mozambique: Safari para a Reserva do Niassa

@Ant Kaschula I really wish that you'd organise a safari to Gorongosa and Niassa. I would undoubtedly go. I also know other people that would be interested but they have been 

unable to visit Niassa due to recurring Renamo activity. There is also the problem that there isn't a good lodge to stay in Gorongosa National Park.

Botswanadreams

4 hours ago, optig said: There is also the problem that there isn't a good lodge to stay in Gorongosa National Park.

Being out in an exiting wilderness area is like coming out of your comfort zone. I thought you like fly camping. You need a place to put your head on a save place during the night and something nice to eat and drink. that's all. 

Africalover

On 12/2/2022 at 7:04 PM, Botswanadreams said:   Being out in an exiting wilderness area is like coming out of your comfort zone. I thought you like fly camping. You need a place to put your head on a save place during the night and something nice to eat and drink. that's all.  Exactly 👏 👍

Exactly 👍 👏

• 2 weeks later...

@inyathi - thanks for sharing your flicker photo album link. Fascinating landscapes that I never knew existed   

Hello there @Ant Kaschula Good to see you posting. Many of us know of you, even if we have not met. For me it was the early days in Goners when you had the first camp there. 

I found your comments on Niassa fascinating. Many of us would give our 'eye teeth' to spend time in an area with few people. And finding the animals, when they are less prolific, is always enjoyable IMO.

I hope your post will encourage others to give it a go.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Already have an account? Sign in here.

• Existing user? Sign In
• Travel Talk
• Safari Talk
• Operator News
• Trip Reports
• Trip Planning
• Self Driving
• Health Issues
• Travel News
• Wildlife Talk
• African Wildlife
• Indian Wildlife
• World Wildlife
• Research / Scientific Papers
• Newsletters
• Organisations and NGOs
• Photography Talk
• Your Africa Images
• Your India Images
• Wildlife Images from around the world
• Your Videos
• Create New...

Important Information

Safaritalk uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By using Safaritalk you agree to our use of cookies. If you wish to refuse the setting of cookies you can change settings on your browser to clear and block cookies. However, by doing so, Safaritalk may not work properly and you may not be able to access all areas. If you are happy to accept cookies and haven't adjusted browser settings to refuse cookies, Safaritalk will issue cookies when you log on to our site. Please also take a moment to read the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy: Terms of Use l Privacy Policy

Sons of Savages

Adventurers Great and Small Welcome, A Place to "Legitimatize The Urge" and Sustain the Freedom

Hard Nosed Big Game Hounds

Luwire Photographic Safaris

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Lions, niassa reserve, derek littleton.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Copyright Notice

Dangerous game hunting is what Niassa is becoming increasingly renowned for. Quality old dagga boys, beautiful leopard (often taken in daylight hours) and mature lions make for first class safari adventures. The plains game is characterised by regional endemics such as Roosevelt Sable, Niassa Wildebeest, Lichtenstein’s Hartebeest, Johnsons Impala and Boehms Zebra. The usual selection of plains game is available including impressive East African Eland, Kudu, Waterbuck, Bushbuck, Warthog, Bushpig, Hyena, Reedbuck, Impala and Duiker. If the aquatic species are your target, our area has crocodile and hippo available to the hunter.

This country offers diversity of experience few others can match, from dangerous game hunting in wild untouched wilderness to deep sea fishing.

Mozambique has resurfaced on the hunting radar as one of the destinations to visit in modern times. However it has a rich hunting history, punctuated by a tragic and savage past. The country was once made famous by the likes of Harry Manners, Wally Johnson and Baron Werner Von Alvensleben before a violent civil war stalled the hunting industry. With peace treaties, new opportunities arose, and with it the hunting industry took tentative steps to recovery. Animals populations recovered, new areas were explored and mapped, jobs were created and effective sustainable utilisation conservation implemented in wild lands. The results speak for themselves. With the passage of time, and dedication by an intrepid few, a safari to this wonderful country is sure to bring not only great trophies but memorable moments of adventure in this legacy destination. Memories that are sure to rival anything from the golden days of safari.

You can look forward to beautiful views, hot showers en suite, ice cold drinks, wholesome good food, and even better company. We have a full complement of trained, locally sourced staff and laundry is done on a daily basis. There is a generator or solar system in each camp providing 110 - 240 volts electricity and WIFI is available so that guests can stay in touch with their loved ones or business.  Lodgings are East African style tented affairs with ample space and tasteful furnishings. Bathrooms are ensuite with hot and cold running water and flushing toilets.

  Luwire   L   7  

With exclusive use of the camps in the 1.1 million acre concession, this unfenced area in the Niassa Special Reserve is as remote and wild an experience that you could hope to get. We have three East African style tented camps along 250 km (160 miles) of very scenic river frontage. We also have a seasonal fly camp, to access the remotest parts of our concession. The camps are rustic yet comfortably appointed, set amongst the riverine bush of the famed Lugenda river.

LUCINGE CAMP is situated on the confluence of the Lucinge and Lugenda rivers, and was the first camp built in L7. It has recently been partially rebuilt and refurbished.  Picturesque Star Chestnut trees tower over the dining room and living area, and it is common to see monkeys and bushbuck tiptoeing through camp.

NDAPATA CAMP is nestled in thick riverine bush along a scenic stretch of the Lugenda river. The bathrooms are ensuite with flushing commodes and running water. The spacious and comfortable tents are situated mere feet from the water’s edge and one can often see hippos from the veranda of your tent. One has to take care on the paths between the tents as the hippo often use them too!

LUGENDA CAMP is the headquarters camp in L7 and one where the air charters arrive and depart in the shadow of the impressive inselberg range called Ngolonje. The camp is situated under huge sprawling Sycamore figs, and Yellow baboons, Samango Monkeys, as well as elephant, bushbuck and waterbuck are often encountered in the camp environs. Leopard and lion occasionally walk through camp in the late afternoon and evenings.

   R 4    

R4   is a new concession with the Niassa Special Reserve. Its northern border is the Rovuma river which is the international boundary. Across this river lies Tanzania. This concession is 780 000 acres of unfenced Miombo wilderness interspersed with seasonal wetlands, woodlands and riverine bush. Picturesque inselbergs are dotted throughout the area, which is characteristic of the Niassa. This concession has only been operational for a year. Prior to this the concession was virgin territory and the last year has been used to open roads and explore the area. The potential in this block is enormous and makes for a very exciting safari in virgin territory for an intrepid hunter. 

MBAMBA is the main hunting camp and it is situated centrally in R4. It boasts comfortable East African style tented accommodation with ablutions ensuite. A solar system provides continuous 110-220 V power. The main dinning and living area overlooks inselbergs in the distance. The opportunity to explore is encouraged and there is a comfy fly camp enabling the hunter to reach the seldom seen parts of the area

Chipanje Chetu

This is a community area which has a great road network and is 1.4 million unfenced acres in extent. The camps are two permanent stone under thatch buildings and very comfortable. One is built in the Miombo woodlands, characteristic of this environment, and one on top of a small inselberg (small rocky hill). There are also two very comfortable tented fly camps that are put up for the season. All camps have hot showers and flush toilets. Each camp has a full complement of staff. Clients can expect good food prepared by our well trained cooks, and fresh laundry every day.

This part of Northwest Mozambique has Sable, Hartebeest, Reedbuck and Eland in profusion. It is common to take a daylight Leopard when hunting the early winter months, such is the abundance and relaxed nature of the cats there. Other species offered on licence include the usual plains game such as waterbuck, warthog, bushpig and dangerous game species such as Buffalo and Lion.

Niassa scenery

 The hunting in Niassa is good! But I believe its the scenery that separates Niassa from other good hunting destinations.  The many rivers, the towering inselbergs, the Miombo ecosystem - they all combine to make this one of the most scenic and wild destinations available. Have a look at the gallery below. I am sure you will agree that Niassa has a magical allure to it.

Safaris De Mozambique

The classic safari.

We offer a unique safari experience in Mozambique. Rustic luxury, untamed nature, and experience collide to create unforgettable memories in one of East Africa's last wilderness areas.

ENQUIRE NOW

Mozambique offers one of the last frontiers of the genuine big game safari. It is a place where wildlife has never known fences or the capture boma.

Many different species are prevalent, including a variety of tilapia species, Tigerfish, Barbel, the massive Vundu (up to 40kg), Bottle Nose, Cornish Jack, and many other smaller fish.

THE CONCESSION

The concession is classified as a community hunting area, we have made an independent commitment to improve the lives of the local African people.

The concession is classified as a community hunting area, the Company has made an independent commitment to improve the lives of the local African people.

We have 3 remote camps located around Lake Cahora Bassa with comfortable accommodation and friendly staff, offering fantastic opportunities for fishing and hunting in this unspoiled wilderness.

PANYAME CAMP

5 tented chalets

MBADZI CAMP

4 tented & thatched chalets

KARAMBENDA CAMP

3 tented chalets

Email: [email protected] Tel: +27826950024 / +258860651068 Tete province, Mozambique

Anti-poaching, hunting, and community updates