What’s the deal?

Spend 11 days exploring the natural, untamed beauty of Malawi. See the splendor of Lake Malawi in all it’s vastness with your own eyes, snorkel with the thousands of fish and interact with locals. This Hiking, biking and kayaking adventure holiday from Malawian Style is physically challenging and is only suitable for those who are physically fit. Overnight in various locations and types of accommodation from a lodge and chalets to tented camping.

Included:

• Your tour guide who has a great personality and a wealth of local knowledge
• Transportation
• Bikes
• Private guesthouse accommodation
• Accommodation in top game lodges that includes game drives and all meals
• 3 meals daily
• Game rangers
• Mountain porters
• Wifi connectivity in most places
• All boating water sport activities available from the Malawian Style cottage in Cape Maclear, Lake Malawi

Where is it?

This Hiking, biking and kayaking adventure holiday by Malawian Style takes place in various locations in Malawi:

• Lujeri Tea Estate at the foot of the beautiful Mulanje Mountain
• The Mulanje Mountain peaks
• The beautiful Minunu Pools
• Phalombe town
• Zomba Plateau
• Zomba Dam
• Liwonde National Park
• Cape Maclear, Lake Malawi
• Domwe Island

When is the best time to do it?

Malawian Style offers their Hiking, biking and kayaking adventure holiday throughout the year but some activities are weather dependant.

Tour runs from March till November

Itinerary:

Day 1:

• Meet and greet at Blantyre International Airport
• A 2 hour drive sees our arrival at the Malawian Style guesthouse on the Lujeri Tea Estate which is nestled at the foot of the beautiful Mulanje Mountain.

Day 2:

• Head for the starting point of the hike up to Madzeka Chalet after a sumptuous breakfast.
• The chalet is located on one of the Mulanje Mountain peaks. The hike is a slow 4hr walk but don’t underestimate how challenging it is. You are reward with breathtaking waterfalls and rock pools en route.
• Enjoy a lunch stop and some swims along the way
• We should arrive at the chalet by around 3pm.
• You are free to explore the area surrounding the chalet, swim in nearby rock or just kick back and relax while you drink in the scenery
• Watch the beautiful sunset before having dinner and turning in early in preparation for the next day.

Day 3:

• After a scrumptious breakfast we continue hiking to Chinzama Chalet further up the mountain.
• Today’s hike is less steep than yesterday but it also takes us about 4hrs to reach the next chalet.
• Stop at 1 of the rock pools for lunch
• Arrival at the chalet should be by around 3pm.
• Again, you are free to explore the surrounding area, swim in nearby rock pools or just kick back and relax
• Enjoy a delicious dinner in the evening.

Day 4:

• After breakfast we make our way back down the mountain, taking the route that goes via the beautiful Minunu Pools.
• Arrival at the foot of the mountain should be by around 12pm
• Spend the afternoon at the Malawian Style guesthouse on Lujeri Tea Estate as you wish. You may choose to lounge by the poolside or explore nearby rock pools.

Day 5:

• We make our way to Zomba Plateau after breakfast.
• The journey is comprised of about 50km driving on tarred road before we switch the back roads.
• We will ride along about 61km of dirt road through some stunning scenery alongside Mulanje Mountain.
• Stop for lunch at Phalombe town where we will load up the bikes and drive the rest of the way to Zomba Plateau by car.

Day 6:

• We embark on a bike ride around Zomba Plateau after an early breakfast.
• The ride will take us past the Zomba Dam and up to William Waterfall.
• On our return we make our way to Liwonde National Park, which is probably Malawi’s most popular game reserve.
• Upon reaching the turn off from the main road we will ride the 16km of dirt road on bikes to the entrance to the park through villages.
• At the entrance Mvuu Camp will pick us up take us across to the Camp on other side of the river by boat.
• When we arrive at Camp we will be shown to our chalets and we will have time to prepare for the evening sunset cruise on the river.
• Dinner is served in the restaurant that overlooks the river.

Day 7:

• Enjoy an early morning game drive and if we are lucky we may spot black rhino, the star attraction at Liwonde before we make our way back to the beautiful Cape Maclear, Lake Malawi.
• Once again we cycle the 16km of dirt road as we make our way back to the main road.
• We then drive roughly 100km to the Cape Maclear turnoff.
• At the turn off we mount our bikes again and cycle the final 18km of dirt road to Cape Maclear where we make the Lujeri Cottage our base for the first night.
• There are various boating and water sports available.

Day 8:

• Breakfast at the cottage is followed by some wet fun as we enjoy morning water sports.
• We then make our way to Domwe Island by kayak.
• The camp on Domwe Island where we will overnight is located in a beautiful bay. Here you can relax or explore as you wish.

Day 9:

• We enjoy breakfast at the camp before making our way to the beautiful Mumbo Island.
• Once again you are free to relax of explore as you wish.
• Diving, snorkeling and kayaking are available.

Day 10:

• After breakfast we make our way back to the Cape Maclear cottage. We will spend the last night of the hiking, biking and kayaking adventure holiday here.
• You are free to spend the day as you wish.

Suggested activities:

• Take a leisurely swim to Thumbe Island
• Snorkeling with Lake Malawi’s more than 800 species of cichlids
• Kayaking
• Curio shopping for souvenirs in the village
• Water-skiing
• Wakeboarding
• Tubing
• Fishing
• Banana rides
• Sunset cruises while feeding fish eagles
• Visit some beach bars

The village offers some excellent curios and African art. Please bear in mind that many of the local villagers love to exchange old clothes as a bartering system for their goods.

Day 11:

• Today the Roughing It Out Hiking, biking and kayaking adventure holiday ends.

We can arrange further travel and transfers upon request.