Ku Chawe Inn travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises, spa and resorts

Set against the backdrop of the forests of the Zomba Plateau, with spectacular views of the Great Rift Valley and the Shire Lowlands, is Malawi‘s most upmarket hotel. The landscape is veritable Garden of Eden. The slopes and ravines are covered with exotic trees, jungle-like creepers, wildflowers, orchids, and lichen. Yet despite the beautiful scenery and Lake Chirwa with its white-sand beaches, Malawi is not known as a vacation destination and is unspoiled by tourism. Photo by: justme07

The Ku Chawe Inn is hidden away in lush vegetation at the end of a long winding mountain path. Being tucked into the jungle idyll does not mean facilities are primitive. The forty spacious room all have their own private bathrooms, telephones and satellite televisions. Malawian have a very well-deserved reputation for warmth and friendliness, and the staff at Ku Chawe are helpful and attentive. Photo by: justme07

It is wonderful to lunch on the large, shady outdoor veranda watching the resident baboons snacking in the gardens. This is a place to enjoy an evening drink and feast on the spectacular views before dining on delicious food, enjoyed in cooler evenings around a flickering fire. You could rise early and hire a mountain guide to take you above the clouds to the top of the plateau. Photo by: arthurchengjca

Location: Shire Lowlands, Malawi. Photo by: Fiona Forsyth