Best of Malawi

Stray off the usual tourist tracks and head to Malawi for a relaxed adventure in this green and productive land with towering highlands, rolling farmlands, and the vast Lake Malawi with its clear, rich waters, teeming with fish, stretching over 300 miles.

1. Fly to Lilongwe

2. Days 1-4: Blantyre and southern Malawi, Malawi

   Your first stop will be Mvuu Lodge in the Liwonde National Park. The lodge sits on the banks of the lagoon just off the Shire River, with eight decked tents which overlook a small backwater that is regularly frequented by bushbuck and hippos coming to feed. Elephants are also frequent visitors to the camp and it is great fun to sit around the bar which is made from an old mokoro and watch as massive pods of hippo’s wallow in front of you and crocs slither into the water. Morning and evening game drives are a regular part of life here as well as peaceful boating trips on the Shire River, where you can drift up and down watching all the wildlife in and around the water as well as the locals out fishing in wooden dugout canoes. Game walks, night drives, and bike rides are also on offer here and keen birders will be blown away by the prolific bird life in the area.

   Accommodation: Mvuu Lodge (3 nights)

3. Days 4-8: Nyika Plateau, northern Malawi

   Your journey continues up to the Nyika Plateau in a shared charter flight. Situated in the far north of the country, Nyika Plateau has an altitude of around 2,500m (8,200ft) and is dotted with beautiful mountain outcrops that has a real feeling of wilderness, with plenty of endemic plants and animals to fascinate all. Chelinda Lodge is situated in the lee of a large pine forest with sweeping views across the plateau and Nyika National Park which is home to important populations of roan, eland, Crawshay's zebra, southern reedbuck, bushbuck, warthog, spotted hyaena and side-striped jackal. There are also around 400 bird species in Nyika. Walks and game drives in this area are a delight and evenings will be spent around the fire at the lodge gazing at the star strewn sky above you whilst soaking in the smell of the pine surrounding you.

   Accommodation: Chelinda Lodge (4 nights)

4. Days 8-15: Likoma Island, Lake Malawi

   Your last stop is the beautiful Lake Malawi and Likoma Island where Kaya Mawa is located. Fly in on a light aircraft and spend the next seven nights enjoying the relaxed beach-chic vibe surrounded by beautiful scenery in a completely unique hotel with its individual stone cottages dotted around the bay. If you'd prefer to be more active rather than relaxing on the beach or paddling in the warm water then there is plenty to do, from visits to the vast Likoma cathedral, said to be the same size as Westminster Cathedral, or visits to the local school and village. We recommend you head out on the water to go kayaking, snorkelling and fishing, with other watersports like kite surfing, sailing and waterskiing, coming at an extra cost. Not to mention the fabulous fresh-water diving available for those who want to marvel at the unique and endemic fish species in the lake.

   Accommodation: Kaya Mawa (7 nights)

5. Fly home from Likoma Island

• Game Viewing at Mvuu Lodge

  Enjoy early morning or evening game drives from Mvuu Lodge, in Southern Malawi, in open Toyota Landcruiser vehicles, in the lower Zambezi National Park, a wildlife rich area along the lower Zambezi.

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Liwonde, Nyika & Lake Malawi