5 Things To Do while in Blantyre

Blantyre is in close proximity to a few really good destinations. You would not even need to stay overnight, you can make day trips from the commercial city. Here are my recommendations of trips you can arrange.

1. Majete Day Trip

Banner image: A male Nyala captured on a game drive in Majete | Pic Credit: Pixel Dynamix

Majete Wildlife Reserve lies just 75km (1.5 hours) drive from Blantyre. The drive to Majete follows the escarpment road down to the lower shire valley. It offers spectacular views of the mighty Shire River.

A day in Majete would typically include a game drive at 10:00am for about 2 hours. You would then return to enjoy a delicious lunch at Mwembezi restaurant, inside the park, or you can exit the main gate and go across to Ng'ona lodge. Both Ng'ona and Mwembezi have swimming pools where you can relax after lunch as you wait for a riverboat safari in the afternoon.

A Hippo captured during a boat safari in Majete | Pic Credit: Pixel Dynamix

Shire River (Malawi's largest river and Lake Malawi's only outlet) runs through the reserve on its way into the Zambezi. A boat cruise on the river offers good opportunity to see hippos, crocs and more animals as they come to the river for a dip or drink.

After spending a day in Majete, you can return to Blantyre and be back at your hotel before dinner time!

2. Zomba Day Trip

Zomba City (Malawi's old capital) is only 70km (1 hour) from Blantyre. Midway between Blantyre and Zomba is an old roadside postal rest hut. Dating back to a time when all Malawi's postal services were carried out on foot, this once served as a place for mail to be exchanged. Today, the rest hut has found a new lease of life as a museum dedicated to the history of postal and communication services in the country. A stop at the postal hut is always a good way to start your trip to Zomba.

A Hiker on Zomba Plateau. Pic Credit: The BushCamper Malawi

Activities in Zomba include hiking on Zomba Plateau. One can enjoy spectacular views from the Queen's View on the eastern side of the plateau. It's named after Queen Elizabeth, wife of King George VI (and mother of the UK's current monarch), who visited Zomba in 1957. Next to the Queen's view is the famous Emperor's view that is named after Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, who visited in 1964. It gazes down on Zomba town and out towards Mulanje. On a clear day, the majestic Mount Mulanje is visible.

The hikes on Zomba Plateau range from 1 hour to 7 hours depending on what you decide to do. There is a hotel on the plateau; Sunbird Kuchawe, and outside the hotel, you will find guides who will gladly help you plan your trek and safely guide you. It is advisable to take a guide as this provides employment to these guides who work hard to maintain the trails and fight fires on the mountain.

Another activity for half a day in Zomba would be a community visit. There is a lovely community based organisation called Youth for Development and Productivity (YODEP) on the outskirts of Zomba. They welcome visitors and offer brilliant village tours and you can take part in making briquettes from recycled paper, or sit in on a local village bank and saving scheme. The centre also has a child development centre for the young ones. For those looking to immerse themselves in the village, there is a Homestay being offered by the community.

Tourists learning about fuel efficient stoves at YODEP

3. Satemwa Tea Tasting Tour

Located just 40km outside Blantyre, in Thyolo District, Satemwa Tea Estate is Malawi's first fair-trade estate. Satemwa was founded in 1923 by Maclean Kay, a Scottish immigrant and former rubber planter, and has since been passed down from generation to the current 3rd generation of the family.

Huntingdon House (bottom of image) and the factory (top of the image)

The estate is home to Huntingdon House; originally a family home to the founders of the estate. The house has been tastefully refurbished to offer 5 unique rooms, each individually decorated to reflect the quirks and character of this grand residence. Each area of the house has a story of its own from the original children’s nursery to the resident priest’s quarters and private Chapel. Guests are encouraged to share the colourful history of one of Malawi’s oldest homes while being spoilt by a team of professional staff.

Further up the road; is Chawani Bungalow, a historic tea planter's bungalow, offering self catering comfortable accommodation. Then there is the tea factory, which is where all the magic happens.

The Tea Tasting Room at Satemwa

For a typical day trip, you would visit the factory for the famous tea tasting experience. This is a definite for tea enthusiasts and simple occasional tea drinkers alike. 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 and oolong and other Satemwa specialties.

After tea tasting, you can treat yourself to some high tea or lunch at the Huntingdon House before returning to Blantyre in the afternoon.

4. Mount Mulanje Day Trip

Locally known as 'Island in the Sky', Mount Mulanje lies 70km east of Blantyre and offers a range of hiking possibilities. These range from day trips to trips spanning over 1 week. Its highest peak (Sapitwa) proudly stands at 3,002 meters above sea level.

Dziwe La Nkhalamba (Old man's pool) is a very popular natural pool formed on the Likhubula river on the west side of the mountain. The pool is just below the Likhubula waterfalls and its a 45 minutes trek from the forestry office. Here, you can enjoy some very refreshing swims and enjoy a picnic lunch.

Aerial shot of Dziwe La Nkhalamba. Pic Credit: Travel Malawi Guide

It is highly recommended to take a guide from the forestry offices as this supports local employment.

So a typical day trip would include arrival in Mulanje at 10:00am and proceeding to the waterfalls, arriving just before 11:00am. Spend a few hours and trek back at 3:00pm latest, for arrival back in Blantyre late afternoon. Bring own packed lunch or arrange this with your tour operator.

5. Blantyre City Tour

Finally, take some time to tour the city before or after visiting the outside destinations. Most of this tour is easy to do without a guide, but for a complete experience, I recommend getting a guide at your hotel or local Tour Operators. Typically, a city tour in Blantyre would include:

St. Michaels & All Angels Church in Blantyre - Pic Credit: Travel Malawi Guide

St. Michaels & All Angels Church

This is one of the oldest churches in Malawi, built in 1891 by men who had no training in architecture, construction or brick making. 89 different types of bricks were used to build the church.

Visits only allowed during the week and no fees are paid, although a contribution is always welcome.

Mandala House

The oldest and first two storeys European building in Malawi built in 1882. The building belonged to the Mandala Company which was founded in 1878, following the settling of missionaries in Blantyre two years earlier, by the African Lakes Corporation (ALC). Mandala house was once the Centre of Commerce for the ALC until the end of 19th century and became home to the Standard Bank in 1883, the first formal Bank in Malawi. The original door to the Bank’s Vault which was manufactured by James Paterson and son of Glassglow is still there.

Mandala House in Blantyre - Pic Credit: Travel Malawi Guide

Today Mandala house is home to unique collection of Fine Art and other materials like hand painted materials, wooden and soap stone sculptures, prints and handmade paper products made by Malawian artists called La Caverna and La galleria. The second floor of Mandala house is the Historical Library and Archive of the Society of Malawi which was established in 1946 to promote interest in historic, literary and scientific matters in discovering and recording information about Malawi. It has a collection of books, journals and documents that date back from the 1800s

Other visits are:

• Museums of Malawi for some cultural understanding.

• Old BOMA building in Blantyre, through the department of museums and monuments.

• The curios market for some souvenirs.

• Bangwe weaving factory run by Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MACOHA).

• Community based organisation in the outskirts of Blantyre for community social work.