It was only Kw800 and an hour in a mini-van to Zomba from Liwonde leaving us plenty of time to find somewhere to stay and sort out trekking supplies. Without a map of town to hand Steve had to try to work out where we should go from what he remembered reading in another guide book he’d looked at. We had two places in mind but neither of them were sign-posted from town so we just had to hope for the best. Since the route took us up hill we sincerely hoped we were going in the right direction. We stopped to ask locals on the way but most people didn’t have a clue what we were talking about so we pressed ever onwards. Luckily one lady had heard of Casa Rossa and it turned out we’d almost reached our destination – 2kms uphill from town.
This guesthouse is yet another that is expat owned and is set in a 1920’s colonial house and extensive, beautiful gardens. Within the house there are rooms with shared facilities and one with en-suite bathroom. We chose a 2-bed tent as it was a fraction of the cost and set within a very private area of the garden. The facilities were more rustic than those we’d just left at Liwonde Safari Camp but perfectly adequate at only $20 per night – that price included a simple breakfast too. Steve had just quipped that it would be great if we could find a socket to plug in the kettle when I spotted just what we were after in a tree truck right outside the tent. We supped a brew whilst watching tree squirrels, Sykes monkeys and Livingston turacos running, leaping and flying above our heads.
We then wandered back down the hill to do our marketing. Zomba is very much a functional town but it’s nice enough and has the attraction of the plateau. In fact a walk upon the plateau was why we’d chosen to stop off here but trying to get information about it proved surprisingly tricky. We asked at Casa Rossa but other than giving us a photocopy of a basic map they weren’t very forthcoming. Well, apart from telling us it’s impossible to get lost on the trails but you need a guide to protect against muggings. That news didn’t help us to set off in a positive frame of mind!
Anyway we walked up the road following the signs to the ‘posh hotel’; we assumed they meant Sunbird Hotel, where we’d be able to get a guide. This proved to be quite a long walk and we noticed that the road took us past the forestry office so we decided to pop in there for some information. Silly us! They knew nothing about the trails and it was abundantly clear we’d not be able to secure the services of a guide from there. Some random local offered to be our guide for substantially less than we knew the going rate to be. Err – no thanks, especially since we’ve already walked past the places you’ve mentioned! So we plodded every onwards and upwards and eventually found the hotel.
By this point we’d already done a good 2 ½ hours walk and had worked up a thirst so we popped into the hotel for a brew and a nebby. It’s lovely and at $130 a night B&B including taxes, we reckon it’s a good deal although obviously not within our budget. There were people hanging around outside the hotel but not one of them seemed interested in being our guide and we’d already started to lose interest. So we walked back to the reservoir where we found a bench upon which to perch and eat our butties. We ended up having to wolf the second sarnie quite rapidly as a baboon was wandering over in our direction looking decidedly interested in our grub! We don’t think he would have attacked but we kept a wary eye on him while we sidled off; leaving him and his encroaching pals in peace.
Even though we didn’t do a walk on the plateau ‘proper’ we’d had a good 5 hour walk and the views from the road were pretty good. If we’d walked on the trials we’d have been in trees so wouldn’t have been able to see so far, besides which it was quite hazy. Since we hadn’t forked out the $10 to prevent us from being robbed, raped and pillaged we decided to treat ourselves to a meal at Casa Rossa. The menu is all Italian (so we guess that’s where the proprietors are from!) and it’s very tasty but a wee bit pricey for the size of the portions. However, the service was very good and it was lovely to sit in front of an open log fire. We felt that dinner, bed and breakfast at $50 per couple was a good deal and we enjoyed our brief sojourn to Zomba.
Mulanje
We hoped to get a taxi to Mulanje and in fact had negotiated a price of Kw20 000 which was a little more than we hoped to spend. Steve went and bought the rest of the stuff we would need for trekking while I waited for the taxi to arrive. While I was waiting I was approached by the local religious loon who insisted on trying to engage me in conversation. Malawi attracts loads of missionary types and this poor dear picked on one of the few people in town who doesn’t believe in God. Steve returned laden down and the driver appeared and announced that the fare would now be Kw25 000. We refused to pay since we’d already agreed a price and set off to find a mini-van despite the fact we now had 4 extra carrier bags.
The main reason we wanted to get a taxi was so that we could avoid changing mini-vans in Limbe where we’d been told there was a high likelihood of us being robbed or ripped off. Once again it was the expats from Casa Rossa that instilled this fear in us, but we decided that we were experienced enough travellers to avoid potential scams. Our main concern was all the extra bags we were now carrying making it more difficult to keep an eye on all our possessions. It was a bit of a scrimmage in Limbe but nothing untoward happened as we kept our wits about us. It wasn’t the best journey since I had a baby’s head leaning on me and the big rucksack balanced on my head for most of the way. However, it only cost us a grand total of Kw5000 so somewhat cheaper than cheating and jumping in a taxi.
We jumped down at Mulanje Junction where there is an information office for Mount Mulanje. It didn’t take us long to organise a guide (Kw3500 per day) and a porter (Kw3000 per day) and plan the route we would take for our 4D/3N trek over the mountain. Even though this isn’t a high altitude trek we chose to take a porter as you have to carry all your food and cooking gear. The prices are displayed on the wall so there’s no bargaining and since they are so incredibly reasonable there’s no reason to need to negotiate. The huts cost Kw1000 per person per night and the park entrance fee is a mere Kw100 a head. Below the office is Mulanje Pepper, a pizza restaurant and we couldn’t resist a decent meal before the joys of camp food despite the fact they were rather expensive.
We then jumped in yet another mini-van to take us a wee way down the road to Mulanje View Motel. This is a pretty basic place but what can you expect for Kw4000 ($13) a night with private bathroom? The rooms were clean and we had plenty of space to sort out our gear. Plus, it was good to be in a locally run place where we were made to feel very welcome. And, they were happy to store a bag for us and keep a room for when we returned from the trek.
Mount Mulanje – Day 1
There are many different routes to choose from on Mount Mulanje as in actual fact it’s a mountainous plateau with over 25 peaks. Most of them hover around 2500m with the highest point being 3001m and this latter is the most popular peak. We decided to break with our habit of insisting on simply getting to the highest point so chose to trek across the plateau. That’s not to say we planned to use the easy route –far from it! In fact we elected to start the trek using the Boma Path; the quickest and steepest route up. I was worried that I’d be huffing and puffing to extreme but in fact we reached Lichenya Hut in acceptable time and didn’t feel utterly exhausted. When I say steep, I’m not kidding; four limbs were regularly required for us to ascend successfully.
It took us 3hrs including many breaks to ascend the 1200m from the plains below. The terrain was initially very kind as we started along the edge of a tea plantation. It got the legs and lungs warmed up before we entered the tree line and the serious business of up began. As we emerged from the trees the terrain was rocky and covered in tall, thick grass. I was going to say it was taller than me but I suppose that doesn’t account for much! One break was rewarding as Mike, our guide, spotted some rock hyrax warming themselves in the morning’s rays. Having a guide and a porter may seem a little excessive but we didn’t fancy carrying all our food and cooking equipment. We were very happy to pay for Chris’s services. Let’s face it the fees aren’t exactly excessive and it’s a good way of spreading some tourist dollars among the local community.
Once we’d completed the steep climb up to the plateau the path undulated through grasslands. We reached Lichenya Hut (1725m) by 1pm and were first to arrive so bagged a couple of sleeping mats and a corner to store our things. There are no raised platforms to sleep on just the wooden floor of the hut; however, the facilities were rudimentary but better than we’d expected at only $3 per person per night. There were plenty of tables and chairs and the hut keeper was more than happy to light a fire and provide water for a bucket wash. We even had the use of a kettle, so we soon had a brew to sup with our butties. Fresh water for cooking and drinking was provided from the local crystal clear streams. Plus rain water is collected in huge barrels for washing. It’s customary to tip the hut keeper a few hundred kwacha for providing water and fire wood.
Following lunch Mike asked if we’d like to take an hour’s walk to some pools and since it was only 2.30pm we said yes. It gave us a good opportunity to see more of the plateau and with being above the treeline we got great views. The pools we walked to weren’t anything spectacular but the clarity of the water was astounding. The highlight was the view from the ridge at 1800m that looked straight down to where we’d started the trek that morning. It gave us an excellent perspective of just how high we climbed in a matter of a few hours.
On returning to the hut hordes of people had descended but Lichenya Hut is sizeable since it is one of those most regularly used. Luckily we’d already reserved ourselves a cosy corner and no one else wanted to cook on our fire. They were all happy being best buddies together in the big room leaving us oldies to our own devices – fine by us! Now obviously it wasn’t haute cuisine but it’s amazing how good pasta with onions and tomatoes tastes when you’ve walked for 8 hours!
Mount Mulanje – Day 2
The words plateau, platter, plate – to me - conjures up images of things being flat. Believe me flat is not an adjective that can be used in conjunction with Mulanje. Granted today wasn’t a Nepali flat day where ascents and descents generally top the 750m mark but the walk was more than undulating. The ups and downs have amounted to 100’s of meters but it never got as steep as the previous day. We ended today’s 5 ½ hour walk at Thuchile Hut located at 1850m. Steve’s loving his new watch that tells us altitude and temperature but he may soon get fed up of me asking him how high we are – it’s only for the journal!!
Today’s path took us up to 2280m and even though we’ve chosen not to do any peaks this time we’ve had excellent views. From talking to other trekkers along the way it’s become clear that people don’t really know anything about where they are. They are all talking about climbing Mount Mulanje peak where in actual fact the entire plateau is Mount Mulanje. The highest point is actually Sapitwa peak and if you’re going to the bother of getting to the top surely you should know what it’s called. We stopped for a lunch break at Chisepo Hut and everyone we spoke to told us it was a tricky scramble over, under and through rocks to reach the summit. Having summited they were now hell-bent on getting back down to Mulanje town as quickly as possible. People politely asked us which route we were taking but it soon became evident that they didn’t have a clue what we were talking about. Since leaving Chisepo Hut we didn’t see another soul and in fact we had Thuchile Hut entirely to ourselves vindicating our choice to walk across the mountain and not follow the crowd.
The vegetation was predominantly grasslands with wooded gullies between the rocky, boulder strewn peaks. Unfortunately we saw way too much evidence of illegal logging (or wood poaching as our guides liked to say) and we all feel it would be excellent if Mount Mulanje were to be declared a national park. Apparently all the guides and porters feel the same way as Mike and Chris and they’d love to be given the powers to protect the area’s flora and fauna. Speaking of which we started the day watching Sykes monkeys as we were having breakfast and have enjoyed watching skinks scuttling about in all the huts.
The day’s highlight was serpents; namely grass snakes. The first one slithered into the undergrowth as soon as it was aware of our presence. However, the second fine specimen didn’t move a muscle all the time we were watching and photographing it. Now I’m no herpetologist but its body looked decidedly plump and lumpy making us conclude its sloth like behaviour was due to it having just gorged itself on a bite to eat. One fewer skink in the world? Our slender friend was contently backing in the sun waiting for its luncheon to go down and it wasn’t going to allow us gawping at it to upset its plans. We also saw more evidence of servals in the area, namely lots of scats, but we knew it would be virtually impossible to spot this illusive, nocturnal feline.
As per usual there were loads of birds and as per usual we can’t name them – I really must do something about this gap in my knowledge. It’s such a beautiful, peaceful area that we sincerely hope the locals gets their wish and the area offered protection. From our brief experience it seems that Malawi doesn’t attract many visitors and those that do visit are young and on a tight budget. It’s a shame as Malawi has plenty of splendid stuff on offer with numerous animal reintroduction programmes being established.
Mount Mulanje – Day 3
We were up early and on our way by 7am as requested by Mike and Chris. The first couple of hours were steeper than we’d have liked immediately following breakfast! Again the ups and downs were in the region of 200 / 300m and we reached a high point of 2180m. Following an early brew-less, bikky break at Chinzama Hut we expected a further 3 hours of walking. This section actually went through a relatively flat part of the plateau where we could see 2500+m peaks all around. We were just nicely getting into our stride when Sombani Hut was pointed out. We’d reached our final destination of the day after walking 3 ½ hours and it was only 11am! With this being the last hut on the trek we had no choice other than prepare ourselves for a long afternoon.
We spun events out by going for a slow potter for a couple of hours. The path actually took us to the opposite end of the plateau from where we’d begun. Again there were great views looking over the plains and we could work out our probably route and destination for the next day. It’s supposed to be the gentlest route up or down from the plateau but there’s still over 1000m to descend. Sombani Hut at 1940m was the smallest we stayed in but once again we got the place entirely to ourselves. It may have been quiet of visitors but there were lots of locals hanging around. They all seemed to be enjoying themselves pitching in cleaning a load of gear that the Malawi Mountain Club leave locked away in cupboards. Now we understood why we had to set off so early even though there was only a short walk to negotiate today.
Mount Mulanje – Day 4
We were up even earlier today and were on our way by 6.30am – not because it was going to be a long walk but we didn’t know how long we’d have to wait for public transport back to town. It took us 2 hours to walk down to the Forestry Office in Fort Lister and a further 2 hours along the dirt track to the small town of Phalombe. The path down was steep but to go up that way you’d not have to use all fours like on the Boma path. About a third of the way down we had an option; take the Long and Loopy trail or the Short and Steep path. We took the latter as we were all keen to get the downhill section over with as soon as.
Even though we had to walk along a ‘road’ it was still very pleasant passing through villages and, other than a couple of motorbikes, there wasn’t any motorised traffic around. As we entered Phalombe our luck was in as a mini-van was waiting and they were delighted to instantly find 4 more passengers. Back at Mulanje junction we all sat down in Mulanje Pepper to sort out final fee and tip payments. Malawians are too polite to wrangle over tips but we got the impression the lads were pleased with what we gave them.
We’d reached the end of the trek and it was only midday so we had time to go back to Mulanje View Motel, get washed and changed, and return to the junction to tuck into a pizza. Yes, they were expensive but after 3 days of trek food we didn’t care! We also supped a couple of beers in a local bar whilst watching the comings and goings in the market. One pizza hadn’t been enough to fill us so we went in search of beer bitings. However all the marketers could offer us was mouse on a stick. I’m sure they’d been barbequed to perfection but the teeth, claws, whiskers, tail and singed fur failed to make this snack look appealing. We grabbed a packet of crisps from the supermarket instead! We then returned to our digs and enjoyed an evening supping ales and chatting with the locals. We’d recommend staying in Mulanje View Motel – the rooms may need a bit of care and attention but we were warmly welcomed and enjoyed some local banter.
Trek information
Bus (Limbe to Mulanje) Kw 900
Guide Kw 3500 / day x 4 = Kw 14 000
Porter Kw 3000 / day x 4 = Kw 12 000
Huts Kw 1000 / person / night x 3 = Kw 6000
Bus ( Phalombe to Mulanje) Kw 1200 / person x 4 = Kw 4800
Entrance fee Kw 100 x 2 = Kw 200
Information office fee Kw 500
Hut tips Kw 1000
Guide and porter tips Kw 6000
Food etc $25 ish
Grand total for 2 people for 4D/3N trek $175 – trekking doesn’t get much cheaper than this!
Our route
Day 1: Mulanje town to Llichenya hut (5 ½ hrs) – very steep for 3 hrs up the Boma path!, we also did a 2 hr return walk to the linje natural pools and view point
Day 2: Lichenya hut to Chisepo hut (3 ½ hrs) to Tuchila Hut (2 hrs)
- If you want to climb Sipatwa you could stay at Chisepo, it takes about 2 ½ brs up and 3 down accoeding to the other trekkers we met.
Day 3: Tuchila to Chinzama Hut ( 2 ½ hrs) to Sombani (1 1/2 hrs)
Day 4: Sombani to Fort Lister Forestry Office ( 2 hrs) to Phalombe village (2 hrs)
It gets very cold at night on the mountain so you need cold weather gear and a sleeping bag plus waterproof clothing in case the clouds come in.
You must take all your food and cooking equipment such as pots, plates and utensils. The hut caretakers will light a fire and provide water for cooking and drinking. You can also fill your water bottles at the various streams so you don’t need to carry a lot of water. You can buy most of the things you need in Chitakale (the junction before Mulanje) but for a wider range of food (ie. Cheese) get it in Blantyre or Lilongwe. You can pick us fresh stuff along the way when your minibus stops at the various markets.
For more info check out http://www.mcm.org.mw/
