Southern Malawi Scuba, Safari and Tea

Fly overnight to Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital city.

On arrival into Lilongwe International airport in the early afternoon, you will collect your luggage and be met by your driver, who will transfer you to Heuglin’s Lodge, just a 30 minute drive away, in the leafy residential suburbs. If you’re feeling active, go jogging using the routes mapped out in your room, borrow a mountain bike, or take a city tour to visit the Old Town market and the Nature Reserve. Dinner and breakfast are included in the rate.

After breakfast at Heuglin’s Lodge, you’ll be transferred by private vehicle, about 4 hours, to Cape Maclear on the shores of Lake Malawi. From here, you’ll take the 3pm boat over crystal-clear waters to Mumbo Island Camp. 45 minutes later, you’ll be resting in your hammock on the deck of your tented suite, in a very quiet corner of paradise in Lake Malawi National Park. Each chalet is perched on boulders high above the water, with magnificent views and shaded by lush foliage. All meals and non-motorised activities are included in the rate.

Enjoy some of the best freshwater scuba diving in the world and the best snorkeling on Lake Malawi, with innumerable species of cichlid fish and the Spotted-neck Otter, which might join you for a swim! Be filled with a sense of adventure as you kayak, hike, birdwatch or simply relax.

After breakfast, take the morning boat back to mainland, where you’ll be met by your driver, who will transfer you in three hours to Liwonde National Park. On arrival at the boat launch, you will cross the Shire River to the stone and canvas chalets of Mvuu Camp for the start of your safari. All meals and two game activities per day are included in the rate. Look out for the hippos, after which this camp is named, as they come ashore to graze, especially in the evenings.

Enjoy a morning game drive, boat safari or nature walk. Rest at camp in the breezy rooms and indulge in some wonderful meals surrounded by large baobab trees. One afternoon, undertake an optional three-hour Rhino Tracking Experience and take in the non-stop birding.

Travel by private vehicle for four hours to Huntingdon House in Michiru Mountain Conservation Area, near Thyolo. Share the colourful history of one of Malawi’s oldest homes at Satemwa Tea Estate, where each room has been individually decorated to reflect the quirks and character of this grand residence.

Your guide will explain the full process, from planting through to harvesting and production whilst titillating your taste buds with various teas, including white, green, black, oolong and other Satemwa specialities. Coffee tours, birding, mountain biking and hiking are also popular activities. You will also be treated to a gentle hiking excursion on Mount Mulanje, Malawi’s highest peak!

After breakfast, leave the comforts of Huntingdon House and transfer by road to Blantyre airport for your afternoon return flight home.

Arriving home in the early hours of the morning. Look back at your fabulous new collection of photographs and share your new epic travel stories.