Safari & Wildlife · Lake & Beach · Mountain & Hiking

17 Day Grand Tour with Ilala Ferry

Duration17 days
From$3,100
DepartsBlantyre
GroupPrivate

Starts and ends at Cape Maclear, taking in Majete, Mulanje and Liwonde, with a passage on the Ilala — the lake steamer that has served Malawi’s shoreline since 1951.

  • Passage on the Ilala
  • Round trip from the lake
  • Big Five in Majete

Day by day

DAY 1 Arrive Cape Maclear
Transfer to the lakeshore and settle in.
DAY 2 Lake days
Swimming, snorkelling and the beach at Cape Maclear.
DAY 3 Islands
Boat trips out to the islands and the cichlid beds.
DAY 4 Board the Ilala
Join the lake steamer that has run this shoreline since 1951.
DAY 5 Ferry passage
A full day watching the lakeshore villages pass.
DAY 6 Disembark
Leave the ferry and transfer south.
DAY 7 Majete
Arrive at the reserve and check in.
DAY 8 Game drives
Morning and evening drives through Majete.
DAY 9 Walking safari
On foot with an armed guide.
DAY 10 To Mulanje
Transfer east to the massif.
DAY 11 Trek day one
Climbing onto the plateau.
DAY 12 Trek day two
High on the mountain.
DAY 13 Down to Liwonde
Descend and transfer to the park.
DAY 14 Liwonde
Game drives through the floodplain.
DAY 15 Shire River
Boat safari at sunrise.
DAY 16 Back to the lake
Return transfer to Cape Maclear.
DAY 17 Final day
A last morning on the water before departure.

Included

  • Accommodation throughout the tour
  • All meals while on tour
  • Private vehicle with a Malawian driver-guide
  • All listed activities and national park fees
  • Airport pick-up and drop-off

Not included

  • International flights
  • Malawi visa fees
  • Travel insurance
  • Drinks and personal spending
  • Gratuities for guides and lodge staff

Where this trip goes

Liwonde National Park Elephant, hippo and black rhino along the Shire River Cape Maclear Snorkelling the cichlid beds of a UNESCO World Heritage lake Mulanje Massif Sapitwa Peak, 3,002m — the highest point in Central Africa Majete Wildlife Reserve Malawi's Big Five reserve, restored from empty

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