Ultimate Malawi

Day 1 London to Chileka, Malawi.

Fly overnight by scheduled indirect flight from London to Chileka Airport in Blantyre.

Day 2 Blantyre to Majete Wildlife Reserve.

Arrive this morning and transfer to Mkulumadzi Lodge where we will spend the first three nights of our tour. Enjoy time to settle in and relax and, in the late afternoon, we will take an evening game drive. Return to the lodge for dinner.

Days 3 & 4 Majete Wildlife Reserve.

Nestled in the south west of the country, we will spend two days exploring this unique reserve with morning and afternoon game drives on offer. There will also be the opportunity to join guided walks and explore the reserve’s spectacular and diverse landscape on foot, encountering wildlife along the way. Sprawling across 700 square kilometres of the Great African Rift Valley, Majete Wildlife Reserve’s undulating terrain incorporates grassy plains, riverside groves and forests of marula, acacia and leadwood interspersed with palms and the occasional baobab tree. The park provides a sanctuary for a diverse mix of wildlife including black rhino, elephant, antelope and warthog, while the Shire River is populated by large numbers of crocodiles and hippos. This conservation success story is a must-see, with over 2,500 animals having been reintroduced into the reserve since 2003 - making it home to Africa’s ‘Big Five’.

Day 5 Thyolo.

Enjoy the last morning at Mkulumadzi Lodge and after breakfast we will transfer to Game Haven Lodge in Thyolo, our base for the next two nights. Located between Blantyre and Mount Mulanje in what is arguably the most scenically beautiful region of Malawi, the town of Thyolo serves as the administrative capital of the Thyolo District. With its tidy landscape of undulating hills and immaculately kept tea and coffee estates, some of which date back as far as the early 1900s, the Thyolo area is a pleasure to explore. Magnificent views of Mount Mulanje and the Shire River Valley in the distance are a highlight of the region. Enjoy lunch upon arrival and in the afternoon we will take a tea tasting tour of Huntingdon House situated at the Satemwa Tea Estates in Thyolo district.

Day 6 Thyolo.

This morning we will drive to Mulanje for a guided hike. Mulanje is a place of inspiration, where you can feel the uniqueness of this land. The hike starts at Likhubula Forest Lodge, at an altitude of 800 metres, where there are spectacularly huge and rolling hills covered by green tea mantle. En-route we may spot baboons, vervets and blue monkeys and we will stop for a while to enjoy our packed lunches and to take in our surroundings. You may wish to enjoy a swim in Old Man’s Pool, a beautiful waterfall where legend has it that the spirit of an old man resides and disappears into the water every time someone comes to swim. After some time to relax we will descend and return to the Likhubula Forest Lodge before driving back to our accommodation.

Day 7 Zomba.

This morning we head to Zomba and Sunbird Kuchawe Inn, our accommodation for the next two nights. Arrive and spend the day at leisure to relax and enjoy the hotel’s facilities. Situated in southern Malawi, the city of Zomba formerly served as the colonial capital of the country; it is known for its colonial architecture and location on the southern slopes of the scenic Zomba Plateau.

Day 8 Zomba.

After breakfast we will have a guided walk on the Zomba Plateau with its rugged wilderness of lush forests, glistening lakes, and cascading waterfalls. The plateau top is crisscrossed by streams and there are tumbling waterfalls and still lakes - the views from the top were described in colonial times as “the best in the British Empire”. We return for lunch at our hotel and then take an afternoon city and market tour. We will see the Old Memorial Tower, the Old Masongola Hotel, and Old Parliament Building, dating to Zomba’s years as the national capital. Although the capital shifted to Lilongwe in 1974, the building served as parliament until 1994. We then visit the bustling and colourful local market selling everything from fruit and vegetables to arts and crafts, meat and traditional dress.

Day 9 Liwonde National Park.

Today we transfer to Liwonde where we will spend the next three nights at Mvuu Lodge situated right in Liwonde National Park. Enjoy lunch on arrival and in the late afternoon take an evening game drive returning to the lodge in time for dinner.

Days 10 & 11 Liwonde National Park.

Enjoy two full days exploring the park with morning and afternoon game drives on offer, as well as safaris by boat and on foot. Liwonde National Park is situated at the southern tip of Lake Malombe in southern Malawi. Although Liwonde is one of Malawi’s smaller parks, it is arguably the most popular of all the game parks in the country. Malawi’s main river, the Shire, forms its western boundary and is the reserve’s lifeblood. With plentiful wildlife including hippos, kudu, crocodiles and elephants, and even black rhino, the park has become one of Malawi’s premier wildlife-viewing destinations. The birding is excellent and a favourite sighting among birdwatchers is the Pel’s fishing owl.

Day 12 Lake Malawi.

After breakfast we transfer by road to Salima and then by boat to Blue Zebra Island Lodge, our accommodation for the final two nights of our tour. Lake Malawi is the crowning jewel of this beautiful country and it is one of the largest, longest and deepest freshwater lakes in the world. Numerous fishing villages are scattered along its length but there are still vast stretches of uninhabited golden beaches. Known as ‘The Lake of Stars’, the natural beauty of Lake Malawi draws travellers from around the globe. It has more species of fish than any other freshwater lake in the world, boasting over 600 species of fish in the Lake Malawi National Park alone. The 590-kilometre-long and 85-kilometre-wide lake is the third-largest lake in Africa, occupying one-fifth of Malawi’s total area. With a depth of 700 metres, it is incredibly deep with its lowest point reaching more than 200 metres below sea level. We can look forward to spotting a myriad of wildlife in and around the lake including, hippos, crocodiles, fish eagles, and over 1000 species of brightly coloured endemic cichlid fish.

Day 13 Lake Malawi.

Spend the day relaxing at the lodge and soaking up the atmosphere or choose to participate in the activities on offer including nature trails and birding. Malawi is world renowned as a birdwatcher’s paradise. The country boasts over 650 different species of birds, 10% of which are native species non-existent anywhere else in the world. Lake Malawi provides an ideal habitat for birdlife with the African fish eagle (Malawi’s national bird) being a prominent fixture across its shores. In fact, Lake Malawi has the highest concentration of African fish eagles on the continent and its cry is heard frequently echoing across the skies over Nankoma Island. In the late afternoon we will take a sunset cruise on the lake which is a wonderfully fitting end to our tour.

Day 14 Lake Malawi to Senga Bay to Lilongwe to London.

This morning we will take a boat transfer to the mainland at Senga Bay. We then transfer by road to Lilongwe International Airport for our scheduled indirect flight to London.

Day 15 London.

Arrive this morning.

Please note that to best enjoy your experience in Malawi you should be in good physical condition and be able to participate in moderate hikes over rough or uneven terrain. There will be opportunities for hikes of varied lengths and for most activities a moderate level of exertion is required. Some days may entail early starts and long drives, however the vehicles used are modern and comfortable.