The Sunset Deck - The Best of Kuti Wildlife Reserve

If you’re a person like me, who is fascinated by natural beauty, and astonishing landscapes, then this trip is for you. If you’re the person who likes to run away from city life and wants to enjoy the wild, the peace and the tranquil of bird calls, this is for you. You see, I never let an orange hour pass, whether sunrises or sunsets. I always open my phone camera and capture the different hues of the orange. The tranquility that the sun downing brings is a different level of ingenuity by the creator. Honestly, sometimes I think the KutiReserve management had me in their mind when they built the Sunset Deck.

I’ve been to Kuti before, but on this trip I had to stop by the Sunset Deck. So, for this particular trip, I was volunteering with a group of university students/environmental stewards. All of us were part of a charity called Lessons In Conservation, where we teach children aged 5-17 on the values of the environment, and take them on wildlife excursions so that they experience for themselves the need to protect what we already have, the nature around us.

We reached Kuti gate around 5pm as the sun was setting, and because of the time we just went to the reception where they received us with refreshments. We then checked in, and were taken to our chalets. They have a variety to select from depending on one’s need and ones family sizes. We shared ours. Had 2 on each. After settling we walked back to the reception because that’s where the kitchen is located close by. Kuti wildlife reserve is a Walking Safari destination, and has no dangerous game. The walk to the reception is quite safe and was met by sights of Kudu’s and Zebras.

We had our beautiful meals over and spent hours talking with friends. The management came to welcome us and we had a wonderful time with them. The staff were very warm too and appreciated the efforts of protecting the reserve, and educating the next generation of leaders. They shared the history of the reserve. Some history says the reserve was a personal estate of the founder of Malawi’, Kamuzu Banda and his family(unverified claims). They shared that one can have a bike riding safari, walk on foot, or horse ride into the reserve and what not. They have giraffes too.

The next morning we went walking and scat tracking, identifying various scat and trails. It was a beautiful exercise. around 8am we had children coming through, and we started our lessons through the day. After practical lessons we took them out to see game. We walked part of the Reserve and shared bits as we go along, including prints of hooves of animals and identifying them.

Later in the afternoon, the team decided to relax, and that’s when we went to go to the Sunset Deck. The sunset deck sits next to a small lake within the reserve, where you usually see local men in canoes fishing. With the sun setting on their background, the picture of them is exhilarating. It makes one question why they have to eventually die and leave all the beauty behind. One desires to live forever, and just enjoy such views.

With a small cooler box, we sat by the deck and watch the sunset. As a bonus, there were a variety of birds and game that came to drink from the water. We observed eagles, a variety of kingfishers, duiker, antelopes and other game. Next to the deck is a big tree of tamarind, in which we enjoyed the fruits without asking😂

It was just a wild beautiful space. We took pictures, shared stories, identified animals and birds. It was a beautiful moment.

When the sun had set, it was tough to leave because of what we’d just witnessed. It was beauty unfiltered. A love from the creator to his creation. Any number of sunset pictures proved not enough. Oh! The sunset deck is beautiful.