MOUNT MULANJE

The Mulanje Massif, also known as Mount Mulanje, is a large monadnock in southern Malawi only 65 km east of Blantyre, rising sharply from the surrounding plains of Phalombe, and the tea-growing Mulanje district. Mount Mulanje – known locally as ‘chilumba mu mlengalenga’ (‘island in the sky’) – covers an area of 650 sq km and is the highest peak in southern central Africa at an impressive 3,002 metres above sea level.

The mountain, located in the south-eastern corner of Malawi, has a fascinating ecosystem. As many as 500 unique species of animals and plants are found here and the area is recognised as a biodiversity hot spot

MUSEUM OF MALAWI

Malawi’s interesting national museum has a few gems, including a royal ceremonial stool dating from the 16th century and a display on Gule Wamkulu dances. The museum is between central Blantyre and Limbe, 5.4 km away from the hotel, accessed from Moi Rd opposite Chichiri Shopping Mall.

Lying in the grounds are a number of beautiful, rusty relics of Malawi’s bygone transport age, including an old locomotive dating to 1902, a decrepit City of Blantyre fire engine and an old Nyasaland bus

ZOMBA CITY

The colonial capital of Malawi, situated 55 km north of Blantyre, Zomba, is set in a breath-taking area. Tourists can visit some interesting old buildings and monuments like The Cobbe Barracks, which houses the King’s African Rifles (now the Malawi Rifles) and a clocktower of their World War I memorial. There is also the Gymkhana Club and the old Residency of the first commissioner of Nyasaland, both reminding many of the town’s colonial heritage. The lush low slopes of the Zomba Plateau have a small botanical garden and a wonderfully sited golf course.

Visitors can venture out for activities like rock climbing, horseback riding, bird-watching, fishing, and mountain biking. Lucky visitors may encounter rare birds such as the white-winged Apalis (Apalis Charissa) in the evergreen forest along the Mulunguzi River. Or visit the busy African market that won’t disappoint, with crafts, foods, and much more. The top of the plateau offers vistas as far as Lake Chilwa, Mount Mulanje, and the Shire River.

GAME HAVEN

Chimwenya Game Park is a still, beautiful and privately owned game park. The park is one of the last remaining indigenous forests and grasslands of the Shire Highlands of Southern Malawi. It lies at Bvumbwe, approximately 22.2 km away from the hotel shortly before the Thyolo Tea Estates and on the way to Mount Mulanje.

Visitors to Chimwenya can experience exceptional viewing of wildlife which include giraffe, zebra, the ‘big 6′ antelopes: kudu, eland, roan, sable, nyala and waterbuck, and for birdwatchers, prolific birdlife.