South Malawi Safari Self-Drive Tour

Malawi safari starts at Lilongwe International Airport, where your Overcross guide hands over your vehicle, maps, and route briefing. Drive to Senga Bay, then cross by boat to Nankoma Island and the Blue Zebra Lodge. Eight en-suite chalets sit above clear lake water. Free snorkeling gear lets you explore the fish life directly from shore, while kayaks circle the island at your own pace.

The africa self drive safari continues southeast toward either Mulanje Mountain or the Satemwa Tea Estates. Mid-range guests stay at Lujeri Lodge, built in old colonial style at the foot of Mulanje, with access to the Blue Lagoon Pool and trails of varying difficulty. High-end travelers head to Huntingdon House at Satemwa in Thyolo — the heart of malawi tea production — where hilly green plantations surround an estate owned by the same family since the 1920s. Tea tastings, hiking, and cycling are all available on the grounds.

From Mvuu Camp, a morning boat safari precedes the drive to the Kayak Africa reception at Cape Maclear, where a boat takes you out to mumbo island malawi. The island sits inside Lake Malawi National Park with around 800 colorful fish species in the surrounding water, making lake malawi snorkeling here one of the best freshwater experiences on the continent. Days are self-directed: snorkel, kayak, swim, or walk the island. Evenings end under an open sky.

Your malawi self drive safari ends today. From your lodge, drive to Lilongwe International Airport, where an Overcross team member receives the rental vehicle, keys, and documents. The 14-day malawi safari tour has covered islands, plateaus, tea estates, a national park river camp, and one of Africa's great freshwater lakes from a single self-driven circuit through the south of the country.