The Best of Malawi & Zambia, 16 Days (USD 2750)

Day 1: Lilongwe pickup and head towards Luangwa Valley in Zambia with packed lunch en route. We will depart from Lilongwe at 9am with a view to arriving at Croc Valley between 2-3pm.  Arrive at the camp and have some time to appreciate our new home in the bush for the next few days. Enjoy dinner at the tented camp restaurant overlooking the Luangwa River, watching elephants cross at dusk. Relax over a drink before retiring for the evening. Upgrades Available

Day 2 - 3: Start the day with breakfast at the camp followed by an early morning game drive. Enjoy the sights of the national park before returning to camp for lunch. Take a refreshing swim in the pool before entering the national park to go on a late afternoon/night game drive. This is a unique way to view the nocturnal activity of the park.  3 course dinner will be served at the tented camp restaurant.

Day 4: After breakfast depart for Lilongwe. The idea is to have little sleep in and depart at about 9am, with a stopover at Tribal Textiles on the way out of Mfuwe. We should be back in Lilongwe by about 4pm, where you will be based at Burley house for the night. Sunday night is quite festive at the Four Seasons, where there is a Jazz evening every Sunday. You might want to venture down there for a drink or two.

Day 5: After breakfast we will head to the mountainous region of Mulanje. The road trip will take approximately 6hrs. We will head to Lujeri Lodge at the bottom of the mountain, where we will be based for the night. Lujeri lodge is a converted old style colonial house and is a fantastic spot, with really nice friendly staff to help us out. If you have any energy left Blue Lagoon pools are a short walk from the house, or we could be lazy and drive there!

Day 6: After breakfast we will start our 2 day trek of the stunning Mulanje Mountain. On the first day will trek to Madzeka Chalet. The hike is a slow but very challenging 5hr walk with several stunning waterfalls and rock pools along the way. Please be aware some of the walk is very hard work so be sure to conserve your energy and have lots of water. We will more than likely stop for lunch and a couple of swims en route and should be at the chalet by 3ish. Feel free to explore the area, swim in the rock pools nearby or just relax and appreciate the surroundings. After watching the sunset we will whip up dinner and then a fairly early night will probably be on the cards.

Day 7: After breakfast we do some more hiking and head for Chinzama Chalet, which is a flatter walk and also about 4hrs. We will more than likely stop at one of the stunning Milosa pool for lunch and should be at the chalet by 3ish. Feel free to explore the area, swim in the rock pools nearby or just relax.

Day 8: After breakfast we will take a slow walk down the mountain, stopping off at the breathtakingly beautiful Minunu pools en route and then head to Satemwa Tea Estates for the night. The walk down the mountain, believe it or not is a hard 5hrs, so get some rest and be prepared for lots of steep down hills. Satemwa Tea Estates is about 70km from Mulanje so we should be there for a late lunch. Arguably the most scenically beautiful region of Malawi, The Thyolo district forms the heart of Malawi's tea producing region with rolling hills of immaculately cultivated, emerald green plantations and some of the oldest estates in the country.  Huntingdon House was built in the 1920's and the estate has been in the Cathcart Kay family for generations with members of the family still running the tea and coffee production of the estate. The grand old colonial style house is surrounded by magnificent gardens and beautiful old trees. Full Board.

Day 9-11: After breakfast we will start heading to Zomba Plateau, where we will stay at the lovely Malawian Style cottage. The drive to Zomba is only about 2hrs so we will arrive in time for lunch, where we will spend the next couple of days based at our unique cottage in the mountain where bike rides, horse riding and scenic walks are on offer.  Lunch and dinner will be prepared by our fantastic cook.

Day 11: After breakfast it is time to head to Liwonde NP. Mvuu Wilderness Lodge nestles discreetly on the banks of a lagoon just off the Shire River (pronounced Shiree). The Shire River is Lake Malawi's only exit - making it the largest in the country - and forms the western boundary of the internationally acclaimed Liwonde National Park. Mvuu Camp is top quality with very classy luxury safari tents overlooking the lagoon, the food is exceptional and the package includes sunset river cruises and early morning game drives. Upgrades Available

Day 12: After a morning game drive and brunch we will head to Cape Maclear, Lake Malawi. This is about a 2hr drive… and possible one of the most beautiful spots on Lake Malawi. We will spend the afternoon boating and having fun around Cape Maclear, before heading across to Mumbo Island in the morning

Day 13-15: After breakfast it is time to head to the island, Mumbo Island is 10km from Cape Maclear, if you are feeling athletic you may kayak there alternatively the boat takes about 45 minutes. Mumbo Island is a pristine and deserted tropical island floating on the expansive waters of the Lake Malawi National Park. With a maze of massive underwater boulders, innumerable species of colorful cichlid fish and calm, clear water, the National Park offers what many consider the best freshwater snorkeling and SCUBA diving in the world.

Day 15-16: Enjoy what the lake has to offer including leisurely swims to the island, snorkeling with the thousands of cichlids (over 800 unique to Lake Malawi), kayaking, shopping for curios in the village, water-skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, banana rides, fishing and sunset cruises while feeding the fish eagles, and could visit some of the beach bars if this anyone is interested. The village has some great curios and African art and the locals LOVE old clothes as an exchange so bear this in mind. Upgrades Available

Day 16: Tour ends, further travel, transfers arranged as requested.