7 DAYS MALAWI SAFARI

Upon landing you will be welcomed at Lilongwe International Airport and driven to Kumbali Lodge, which is only 10 minutes from Lilongwe’s city center. This quiet refuge on a working corn and dairy farm offers magnificent thatched apartments with Wi-Fi connection and balconies overlooking the beautiful countryside. It is nestled in a large garden. The tranquil lodge is close to the presidential palace in Malawi. Dinner is served in the attractively decorated restaurant, where the chef prepares dishes using mostly farm-produced products, leading to delectably creamy desserts. The restaurant’s menu has dishes that are mostly made with farm-produced products, so expect deliciously creamy desserts.

Today after breakfast, you will drive away from the inn and go by road from Lilongwe to the southern portion of Malawi. Your route takes you via the historical town of Blantyre and the trading center of Limbe, where you can stop for lunch before continuing on to Huntingdon House through the Thyolo region. This magnificent colonial-style home, surrounded by the undulating hills of emerald-green tea plantations, exudes the exquisite elegance of a bygone era. From the original children’s nursery to the on-site priest’s quarters and private chapel, the structure, which is set in exquisite gardens, has been lovingly renovated and decorated to preserve the historical characteristics of the old estate.

Ask the kitchen to pack a picnic basket and wander off into the estate’s beautiful gardens or climb to a scenic spot and enjoy your lunch while soaking up splendid views of Mount Mulanje. Sit and quietly reflect on a secluded terrace with a cup of tea or take a guided tour of the indigenous forests of the Thyolo Mountains which teem with birdlife. Visit Satemwe’s tea factory which produces some of Malawi’s finest export teas and observe the production process from leaf to cup. Expert guides can accompany you into the trees for twitching if you’d like a more structured birding experience. You’ll also get the chance to stand beneath the stunning waterfalls that cascade down Mount Mulanje.

After breakfast, you will drive two hours into the Shire Valley to Mkulumadzi Lodge, which is located within the Majete Game Reserve. This cozy lodge is located on a private concession next to the Kapichira Falls, shaded by enormous leadwood trees and overlooking the meeting of the Shire and Mkulumadzi rivers. Each riverside chalet has a separate observation deck so you can enjoy “armchair game viewing” from the luxury of your own home even when you aren’t visiting the reserve.

Rare antelope species, Cape buffalo, and elephants have all been reintroduced into the reserve’s mature miombo woods, river basins, and lush forests. Discover the reserve by taking a walking safari through the valley of the shallow Mkulumadzi River or by taking a guided 4×4 wildlife drive. Visit a nearby hamlet and community center for a distinctive cultural experience and take an afternoon boat excursion to view the magnificent Kapichira Falls. The dining room’s lofty ceiling is supported by the mature leadwood tree trunks, where meals are taken.

After breakfast this morning, you’ll be driven to a small airport in Monkey Bay where you’ll take a scenic flight to return to Lilongwe International Airport to catch your journey home.