Southern Malawi back to Lilongwe, October 2022

In the extreme south of Malawi is Mount Mulanje. A huge insleberg of igneous rock it has, reportedly, the longest rock climb in Africa via the west face of Chambe Peak. The mountain is almost 500 square kilometres in area and is a haven for many hikers exploring the area, often on multi-day hikes

We have some gear which will manage a multi-day hike, but it is limited and we don’t know the area at all and the guide, etc. will hit the budget so we’re in two minds on whether to do a hike. We arrive at the entrance to the Mulanje Forest Reserve and I have a disconcerting experience of speaking to the gate guard while being surrounded by around 30 other people intently listening to every single word I say. The 30 or so people are guides for hire. I have read good reviews of the guides in the area and technically have one or two recommended guides’ phone numbers in my pocket. We convince the gate guard to let us through temporarily without paying entrance as we want to see the available accommodation first.

The track up to one of the lodges/hostels is easy enough by hilux but there is no-one at the lodge to speak to about staying there. The manager is away. We return to the gate, thank the gate guard and head for an alternative option we have in another back pocket, Africa Wild Truck, a recommendation from my Lilongwe-based cousin. If we take a look at this option then we will be able to firm up plans.

Africa Wild Truck is much further south along the mountain and close to the Malawi-Mozambique border. As we drive, the surrounding vistas turn from dry dust into fertile lands fed by the rains and fogs captured by the mountain. We feel like we’re entering the heights of a tropical forest but this is disavowed by the appearance of orderly rows of tea plants undulating over the riverine hills.

On arrival at Africa Wild Truck we find a very quiet little spot with an old red-brick building as the main focus. Giant mango trees and others with age old presence stand over the trimmed grass and hedges. The campsite is empty, lush, and the showers are hot. The whole setup is a lot cheaper than a multi-day hike so we book in for a few nights and enjoy the views of the mountain instead.

The stay at the campsite is awesome. The morning runs with the Mulanje massif rising in front of us is an experience to remember. We go on long runs through the tea plantations and wander along the nearby streams. Africa Wild Truck is also famous in Malawi for its pizza and I can honestly say that it is one of the best pizza I have tasted anywhere in the world and a real treat to enjoy al fresco on their lush lawns overlooking the stunning mountain views.

Back to Lilongwe, Zomba Plateau & Rifts

We’re set to meet up with family in a few days and so we make a bee-line up to Lilongwe along the side of Lake Malawi this time. We make a stop over at Liwonde Safari Camp again and then do an overnighter at Norman Carr Cottage on the shore of Lake Malawi south of Monkey Bay. We lounge on the lake beach watching the comings and goings of local kids and cats.

We have unfortunately had to miss Blantyre due to time constraints as I would have liked to see the old city. Blantyre is known as the commercial capital of Malawi and Lilongwe as the political capital. I am most interested in Blantyre because it looks like it has a decent live music scene. Time is however against us and Covid still exists so we decide to skip another densely populated area once again. I’m still on my sixty day no beer routine also so absence of beer while listening to live music isn’t as appealing.

The drive up from Mulanje is just as enjoyable as the drive down. We decide to take the western route back to Lilongwe. We leave Mulanje and the sheer face of Chambe Peak behind us and drive up past the Zomba plateau, another igneous massif. Driving north, in the final stretch, we have the rise of the rift valley on our left and the waters of Lake Malawi on our right. Vibrant life lived out along the Malawian roads keeps us entertained in between dodging a few potholes here and there.

The drive down to Lake Malawi was on the east road where, after Dedza,  the winding route drops down on to the rift valley floor with panoramic views and big drops in elevation.

We arrive back in Lilongwe and enjoy catching up again with family, relaying our adventures thus far and planning for our next leg with them up to Luwawa.