About Us | Landlake

Mark Sprong and Amelia Sprong in 1993 with a landrover defender in Malawi

How it all started

Land & Lake Safaris was first Established in 1986 as Malawi's first Tour Operator.

Mark & Angela Sprong led private group tours and safaris across what was then, a very remote and different Malawi & Zambia.

Bringing an Army Forward Control up from South Africa through Mozambique in an escorted convoy during the times of Renamo, Mark & Angela established a home in Malawi's Capital, Lilongwe.

During the 80's it was illegal for women to wear see-through clothing, trousers, shorts or skirts that showed their knees. Men were not allowed to have their hair below the collar and tourists entering the country had to obey by these rules, men's hair was cut at the airport on arrival if deemed too long and women were encouraged to carry long skirts with them to change into after their flight.

The Team Today

Land & Lake Safaris has remained a small, family operated company over the years and is made up of just 30 individuals across the three Land & Lake Operations.

Amelia, Mark & Angela's second daughter joined full time in 2015, brought in as a guide from recently qualifying with FGASA, over the past 10 years, Amelia has taken on roles as a guide, reservations assistant, Operations Manager and is now the Managing Director of Sales and Marketing.

In 2022, Land & Lake welcomed Tanith Meyer & Oliver Ballarano, who trained with Amelia in South Africa and have now taken on the roles of Operations Manager and Office and Conservation Manager.