Blantyre - Majete Wildlife Reserve

After a good night's sleep in a very comfortable bed, we head to the restaurant to get set up for the day with some food.

Breakfast

I enjoy some muesli with a very pink strawberry yogurt, while David has cereals.

David follows this with a full English breakfast.

I ask for just a fried egg, but when it arrives it is accompanied by a sausage.

St Michael and All Angels Church

Although not on the original itinerary, Jim is showing us a few of the sites here in Blantyre before we head out of the city.

The Presbyterian church was constructed between 1888 and 1891 from locally made bricks, having been designed by a local reverend with no architectural training, and with no detailed drawings produced beforehand.

I am fascinated and impressed by the rounded bricks on the pillars at the entrance – apparently, 84 different styles of brick were used in the construction.

More rounded bricks

The church has been closed for worship since the cyclone that devastated the area last year (2023) made it unsafe, but the caretaker kindly opens it for us to take a look inside. He assures us it is safe for us to enter.

Mandala House

With claims of being the first ‘proper’ building in Blantyre, the house is now part museum, part gift shop, part café, and a National Monument.

The art gallery features numerous carvings, weaving, and other arts and crafts.

Built in 1882, the building served as a manager’s house for the African Lakes Corporation.

Until the end of the 19th century, it served as the centre of commerce for the ALC, whose head office was located in Glasgow.

Among their many ventures was one of the first banks in the Federation of Nyasaland (now Malawi) and Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia). This is the original vault door, which was transported from Glasgow.

We are shown around the building by Godfrey, one of the workers there.

In the craft shop, we find a puzzle ball made of a very light wood which we buy – not just because it looks cool, but also to use it for self-massage on my painful sacroiliac.

The Old Boma

Jim merely drives past this protected building which was once the town hall where they collected taxes from locals.

I am initially amused to find a rather rudimentary sign for the Royal Norwegian Embassy beside this dilapidated building, until I realise this is not where the embassy is housed, but rather that they have sponsored it.

From the built-up area of Blantyre, we head out of town on the M1 – a long straight road with little traffic.

From the top of the escarpment, we have good views of tea estates, the valley below, and the Shire River.

Shire River is not only the largest river in Malawi, but it is also the only outlet for Lake Malawi and eventually flows into the Zambezi River in Mozambique.

It seems life in Malawi is mostly carried out alongside the roads, with shops selling everything from food and clothes to household items. I do my usual ‘drive-by-shooting’ (ie. take photos through the car windows as we drive by).

Collecting firewood for cooking

Brick making

Woven 'baskets' used to protect trees from hungry goats

Charcoal

Fruit for sale

BBQ corn

Shoes

Bicycle taxis - more affordable than motorcycles

They have padded seats and an extra handlebar for passengers to hold on to.

Houses built for the families who were displaced by last year's cyclone

Later we cross the aforementioned Shire River (locally pronounced “sha-ree”) to reach our destination for the day.

Majete Wildlife Reserve

Since it was taken over by African Parks in 2003, the reserve has been restocked with animals from elsewhere in Africa, and fenced to try and keep poachers out.

At the entrance, Jim goes off to sign us in, and gives David a book to complete our details.

Not long after we enter the park, we spot our first animal – a South African Giraffe. Jim admits that this is the first time he has seen a giraffe in this park. We feel honoured.

Thawale Tented Camp

Our accommodation is close to the entrance of the park, and we are greeted at the gate with hot wet towels.

The staff grab our luggage, while we are being guided to the main restaurant area, which overlooks a waterhole. We see elephants, warthogs, waterbuck, and Nyala while we enjoy our welcome drinks.

The waterhole from the restaurant

A young elephant strolls by

Waterbuck drinking at the waterhole

Male nyala

Female nyala

Warthogs

Welcome drinks

Our Room

The accommodation is in tents on a concrete platform, and we are given the tent nearest the restaurant which has a ramp rather than steps leading up to it.

Inside is a huge double bed, a desk, fan, storage facilities, and an en suite bathroom.

The large terrace has a couple of chairs where we can sit and admire the wildlife walking past. I like it very much.

View from the bed

Lunch

The public area is on two levels, with the restaurant on the lower part, on a concrete platform with a sandy floor, overlooking the waterhole. The bar is up a few steps and is more traditional, with a concrete floor.

We try the local beer Kuche Kuche, which is quite weak and rather palatable.

Fish and chips – crispy coating, tasty and light, not at all greasy. Nice chips too.

Followed by ice cream.

We sit on the balcony of our room for a while, watching the birds and animals.

Red Headed Weaver (female)

Waterbuck

Nyala

White Tailed Skink

Turtle in the waterhole

Ring Necked Doves

Afternoon Game Drive

Game drives are taken in open sides tiered vehicles that are not very easy to climb into for someone with bad knees, but I manage. Just.

The game drives are arranged through the lodge, rather than through the tour company as we are used to from Tanzania. Our driver-guide here in Majete is Samuel, who is very knowledgeable, and a great tracker, but not always easy to understand.

The first animal we see this afternoon is a Yellow Baboon (a new species to us) eating the sap from a tree that has suffered elephant damage.

Impala

White Crowned Lapwing (Lifer)

Greater Kudu

Female Kudu suffering from mange

Yellow Breasted Apalis trying its best to hide behind a branch (another lifer)

Nile Crocodile beside the Shire River

African Pied Wagtail

Hippo popping up to say "hello"

Is this my best side?

African Darter

The light is fading rapidly now, making photography very hit-and-miss.

Warthog

Yellow Baboon

Böhm's Bee Eater (lifer) which Samuel shines his powerful spotlight on

Sundowners

As the days (and weeks) roll on, we realise that this is a custom practiced in all the parks in Southern Africa (or at least the ones we visit) – stopping somewhere (hopefully safe) out in the bush to enjoy a beverage of your choice and some snacks as the sun goes down. This is not something we are used to from East Africa, but I think it makes a nice relaxing finish to the safari rather than rushing out of the park gate before it gets dark (as we usually do in Tanzania)

Snacks and drinks on a table with a tablecloth on a lookout point over Shire River

David quickly gets into this new custom

This is then followed by a ‘Night Drive’ with a spotlight to get back to the lodge.

Great Spotted Genet seen in the bushes

Dinner

After a quick freshen-up, we wander down to the restaurant and order a bottle of South African Pinotage (one of our favourite wines) to go with dinner.

Delicious butternut squash soup served with nice soft freshly baked bread

Beef stir fry with rice - the meat is tender, although the dish could do with being a little hotter

Tasty and moist chocolate cake to finish

Thankfully the portions are not too big so we don’t end up going to bed uncomfortably full.

Thank you to Undiscovered Destinations for arranging this Great Africa Trip.