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In between our time at Game Haven Lodge and Zomba Forest Lodge we made a slight detour (3 hour detour) to visit Mount Mulanje. We decided to visit Mount Mulanje mainly because we’d read up on the fact that you could get some of the best views in Malawi from the top.
Why not check out our full post about our 14 nights Malawi Family Holiday with Responsible Safari Company!
What didn’t really occur to us when we were deciding to do this was that with 3 children aged 7, 6 and 6 we weren’t going to get anywhere near the top of the mountain (it’s a 3 day hike to the top) and the views that were so special and much talked about wouldn’t be seen. When this first occurred to us I can’t say but in any event we decided still to make the trip.
Like anywhere in Malawi we set off on pretty good roads but once we had arrived in Mulanje town (Excellent Pizza here apparently at Mulanje Pepper Pizza if you’re heading back through Mulanje) and turned off the main road onto the road to the mountain itself, the bumps became quite extreme. On reflection I don’t think the bumpy roads were any worse than anywhere else, but I think having realised that there wouldn’t be a view from half way up Mount Mulanje I wasn’t really feeling very pre-disposed to make the trip.
We arrived at the base of Mount Mulanje at around 10.30am. You need to pay a fee of K4000 to get into the area, which you pass over to a large group of people. Once we had paid a fee for the adults and children we had in the car, we were asked for a little bit more – for the van apparently..
Responsible Safari Company had pre-booked a guide ($40 per adult and $20 per child) to walk up to the Likhubula waterfalls with us, so after entering the Likhubula area, we met David Majeweta of Trek Mulanje Tours. We drove up towards the campsite and the small café area and bought quite a lot of water to help us on our walk.
We started our walk up Mount Mulanje with the aim of getting to the waterfall, but not actually thinking we would. It was pretty hot and whilst our three are really very good travellers they aren’t actually that good at walking, particularly not uphill.
The paths up Mount Mulanje are mostly very good, fairly wide and easy to manage. There were only a few points where you had to cross a little stream, or scramble a little up a short hill, so the walk was very doable for the age of our kids. We reached the first ‘viewpoint’ fairly quickly and with little whinging from the kids and so decided that we had time, and energy to walk to the waterfall. Treats liberally distributed helped the ascent.
Not long after we passed the viewpoint and with about an hour to go to the waterfall, we met the Travel Lynn family on their way back down. They had stayed overnight at the base of Mount Mulanje in the campsite and had already walked to the waterfall and were on their way back. Their boys, aged 4 and 2 had managed the trip seemingly without complaint and so that spurred us on. If the Lynns could do it so could we.
I find with any guide and any mountain that everyone always says you are nearly there when you really aren’t, but I’d say it took us around 1hr 30 minutes to walk to the waterfall.
When we arrived it was a setting worth seeing and was incredibly beautiful but I wish we had brought at least the girls swimwear with us. There were many people swimming and paddling in the pool at the bottom of the falls so if you’re planning a trip bear that in mind.
On the way back down the views were even more rewarding as you could see for miles.
The trip was worth our detour but if you’re planning a trip to Mount Mulanje with the kids I’d definitely pack the swimsuits.
Why not check out our full post about our 14 nights Malawi Family Holiday with Responsible Safari Company!
Why not PIN this post of Mount Mulanje with Kids for a later date.
Well done to your girls, that seems quite a trek! The photographs and the views are fabulous. Well done