The Great Malawi Journey provides a wonderful perspective of southern Malawi, from its evocative Lake to its mighty inselbergs, woodlands and forests. Add to this the fascinating friendly Malawian culture and history to create a well-rounded, seamless experience. Along with these outstanding attractions, this Exploration is enhanced by local guides with tremendous local knowledge. An exceptional aspect of a Malawi safari is the "journey between" - along the road, guests gain an authentic insight into the land: the friendly people, superb scenery, and there is always something of interest to stop off and see.

Day 1
Zomba Forest Lodge, Zomba Mountain, Southern Malawi
Leaving town we head up to Zomba Mountain on a spectacular mountain road to Zomba Forest Lodge - the lodge is a cosy, unpretentious colonial forester's house with en-suite rooms and a separate lounge, dining area, all set in beautiful gardens.

Day 2
Around Zomba
There are many options available today including walking around the plateau, birding, and visiting some of the viewpoints which fringe the edge of the plateau. A round trip along the top of the mountain is about 25km and can easily take the best part of a day with constant stopping at points of interest. In the hotter months there are some great swimming spots.

Day 3
Lujeri Lodge, Mulanje Mountain
After breakfast we board the vehicle for the scenic drive east to Mulanje Mountain. The journey takes us through the rolling tea fields of the Thyolo district where the early colonial settlers first planted tea in the 1880s. The drive usually takes about 4 hours.

Day 4
Lujeri Lodge
Your programme for today will be decided in discussion with your guide who will have given you the options over last night's dinner. Among these will be some gentle walking along the foothills of the mountain and a tour of the nearby tea factory.

Day 5
Mvuu Wilderness Lodge, Liwonde National Park
After breakfast we depart for Liwonde though the village-strewn Phalombe Plain and soon climb down into the Great African Rift Valley to Liwonde Town where we will meet a boat which will take us up the Shire River to Mvuu Lodge. Driving time is about 3 hours and the boat journey is one hour.

Day 6 & 7
Mvuu Wilderness Lodge, Liwonde National Park
With 3 nights here we will have plenty of time to explore all the options on offer and will create a daily routine to suit everyone's interests.

Cultural options around Mvuu
The park is surrounded by a large rural community. On the western boundary this begins only a couple of kilometres from the river and there are some great opportunities for interaction. Possibilities include a bicycle ride to Nanthomba and Kafulafula Schools, a visit to the local Women's Handicraft group or a tour of the various agricultural projects in the area which we support.

Day 8
Mumbo Island: Cape Maclear Peninsula
Today we will depart from Mvuu after breakfast and initially drive through picturesque villages to the main road before heading north to the lake, stopping en route at the bustling town of Mangochi for a look at the museum. The driving time is around 3 hours.

The Peninsula is an exquisite rocky promontory full of towering forest-clad hills and was named by Dr David Livingstone after Sir Thomas Maclear who had in the 1840s taught Livingstone the rudiments of map making. The early Scottish Missionaries chose it as one of their earliest stations owing to the safe shelter from the often stormy lake and now it is a proclaimed protected area - Lake Malawi National Park, the first national park in the world set aside for the preservation of freshwater fish.

The lake is home to over 2000 species of brightly coloured algae feeding fish from the cichlid family. Many are endemic to the lake and species are still being discovered and catalogued. The areas around the Kayak Africa Camps are among the best spots on the whole lake for viewing these fish, most of whom live near the surface and can easily be spotted when snorkelling.

Day 9
Mumbo Island
Today can be as active or as relaxed as you wish with options to swim, snorkel, kayak, go birding or just stroll. There are short easy walks from the camp which take you to several points of all points of interest on the island.

Day 10
To Lilongwe Airport
The drive to the airport in Lilongwe normally takes about 4 hours so often involves a very early boat off the island before heading west and north, up the edge of the rift again to Lilongwe International Airport.

Included:
Accommodation on a per person sharing, all meals on safari, national park fees, laundry and activities as specified

Excludes:
Flights, visas, items of a personal nature