Things to do in blantyre

I have been in Blantyre, Malawi for a week now. I arrived early afternoon from Mulanje. There was a lot of traffic in the CBD.

But once I made it to the lodge, I put on my walking shoes and explored the former capital city on foot.

Blantyre is smaller than Lilongwe but preetier. It’s green and vibrant. I was happy to see mountains because that meant adventure!

On my first night, the locals took me to several clubs to experience the nightlife. It was a Wednesday night so not much was happening. We went to Sapitwa, Mango and another part of town with a block of new lounges. Beautiful spaces, I might add.

Day two was about art and culture. I visited the Malawi Museum which is very informative. Entry is MK500 to foreigners. I learned a lot about the country’s history.

The Bible that was used to swear in Malawi’s first democratic president.

From there I checked out the Jacaranda House which showcases artwork by locals.

A recycled Africa at Jacaranda House.

It was a hot day but that didn’t stop me from putting on my hiking boots and make my way to Cholomoni.

There’s a Big Cross on the hill. People go there to pray anytime. I was looking forward to encountering various churches along the way, but unfortunately for me it was a quiet afternoon. The hike is about an hour. There are 15 crosses along the way. I don’t know the symbolism.

One of the crosses along the trail.

In no time, I was at the top. It’s just before sunset. The place was peaceful and there are signs asking for silence.

The Big Cross in Chilomoni.

The next day which was a Friday was about the nightlife. A local took me to few clubs. We started at Thirsty in Ndirande before moving to Neighborhood and later Sapitwa. They were all full and the music was great. We also checked out Mango which is were I found myself on the dance floor! It was a fun night.

I spent my Saturday indoors. On Sunday it was time to hike Ndirande Mountain. It’s a moderate hike.

Came across this rock with “eyes.”

It took an hour to get to the top. The views were nice. I found a nice spot with shade for a picnic.

Check out the view.

My first week in Blantyre had a bit of art and culture, outdoor activity and a bit of clubbing. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I even found myself thinking about making it home!

Attempting to reach the peak of Sapitwa

Last week I travelled to Mulanje from Cape Maclear. The journey took several hours. After driving around a bit looking for a place to stay, I booked into the lovely Thando guest house. Their prices were reasonable with great service.

I knew that I wanted to hike Mount Mulanje and I was ready to do just that despite many warnings from the people I’d met in Lilongwe. I remember Charles begging me not to reach the peak of mountain. He had told me that people get lost while trying to get there. That’s when he explained the meaning of Sapitwa. It’s a Chichewa word meaning “a place where people do not go.”

Mount Mulanje in Malawi.

I had laughed it off and vowed to summit Sapitwa. Anyway, the day before I was meant to hike, that’s when one of the guys at the guest house approached me. He asked if I had a guide for the hike. Told him I didn’t. There were two of us and we were going to find our way. Harry, a local, had offered to go with me. But after the guy explained that the 9 hour hike is broken up into two halves – meaning you have to book an overnight stay on the mountain, that’s when I realized I wasn’t properly prepared for the hike. I turned to Google and found an informative article from someone who’d done the hike. That’s when I knew that my dwindling backpacker budget was inadequate for the exercise.

I was disappointed but there wasn’t much I could do. And there were no other travellers to split the costs with. So the next day I woke up early and decided to have a consolation hike. It was wet as it had rained the night before. I didn’t care. I pushed on despite waking up with a sore throat and slightly blocked nose.

I felt sick but pushed on.

Harry and I managed to get close to the waterfalls. This made me happy. The view was stunning.

One of the two waterfalls.

The view from the town was also not too shabby. Mulanje is the tea region in Malawi so there are many tea plantations.

Tea plantations everywhere as Mulanje is known for tea.

For hours later, we turned back and I made a promise to myself to return to Sapitwa and reach the peak.