Malawi Cycle Tour 2024

27 April to 7 May 2024

Our Route by hosts James and Natalie from icycle – www.icycle.co.za:

Our route is a point-to-point route taking us from Malawi’s capital – Lilongwe, to Malawi’s financial hub – Blantyre. Our route takes us via Dedza, a small town perched high up on the lip of the Rift Valley, before dropping down to the Lake. We will stay at two different resorts at the Lake. The route from the Lake to Blantyre is via the Liwonde Game Reserve and then via the original Malawi capital, the town of Zomba.

Approximately 85% of our route is on gravel village tracks which serve Malawi’s considerable number of small-scale rural farmers. Many of these tracks date back to colonial times. These tracks serve an important economic role, and we will regularly see pedestrians, bicycles, motor bikes and even Ox carts sharing these
tracks with us. The riding surfaces are good, with very little corrugation! The width of the track will vary from time to time, with little to zero single track technical riding. Our support Truck will not be able to follow us on these tracks, but we will meet it at designated points each day.
Approximately 10% of our route is on tar roads, mainly on our second days ride, on the descent into the Rift Valley. On busier tar sections we will have our support vehicle behind us for safety.

Approximately 5% of our route is on wider gravel roads where we can expect trucks and cars. On these roads corrugation and dust can be expected.
Over the duration of the tour, those riding the full distance will ride approx. 650km’s, climbing 7000 meters.

Day 1 – Travel to Lilongwe. Day 2 – Ride – Lilongwe to Dedza Pottery

Breakfast will be served from 06H30 in the Hotel Dining Room, and we hope to have our support truck packed, and everyone ready to leave by 07H30.

The first few kilometers are through the more affluent suburbs of Lilongwe, and past the entrance to the Presidential Complex. On the outskirts of Lilongwe, we will skirt Kumbali Farm made famous by Madonna when she adopted children from Kumbali – Malawi.

As we leave Lilongwe children are likely to beg “Give me my money,” – please do not!! Fortunately, as the kilometers tick past this begging fades away, it tends to be an urban issue rather than a rural problem.

Following a GPX track on a Garmin takes some practice! This skill is however essential in Malawi as the village tracks cross each other frequently and its important you stay on route! The golden rule is, the GPX track is accurate, if you lose it go back! While you are gaining experience of following the GPX track, I suggest you stick with the Tour Leader! Once you are confident that you can navigate the paths and tracks, feel free to ride ahead!

The second skill is finding boreholes, our best source of beautiful, fresh water! Thousands of boreholes are available across Malawi, and they are critical to Malawi’s huge rural population. At this time of year, the underground aquifers are full, the water is excellent, to drink and to cool off under! Boreholes are generally equipped with hand pumps which are easily operated, and locals will often help to pump the water.

Today’s ride can be divided into two parts, and some may elect to only ride one of the two parts!

The first part is a flatter section from Lilongwe to Nkhoma Mission (45km’s), the second part of the day’s ride from the Mission to Dedza (59km’s) has more climbing but in my view it’s more scenic.

The total distance for the day is 104km with a total of 1768m of climbing.

We will meet up with our support crew at Nkhoma Mission where a basic Café is available. Our support vehicle will be well equipped with an assortment of snacks and drinks, and we will have a short rest at Nkhoma. Once we leave Nkhoma we will not see our support vehicle again until we arrive at our overnight stop at Dedza Pottery on the outskirts of the town of Dedza.

The Central Region of Malawi is predominantly Christian, closer to the Lake its predominantly Muslim. Everyone lives in harmony and on today’s ride keep a sharp look out for some of the beautiful Churches built by the early missionaries.

Malawi has one of the fastest growing populations in the world, and many of the natural resources including forests, wild animals, and fish in the Lake are being depleted. The magnitude of this destruction leads me to believe that the Malawi that we will experience will be gone in a decade’s time.

As we get closer to Dedza we will ride though a large pine plantation, one of the very few initiatives that we will see to help address this issue of deforestation.

We will be staying at Dedza Pottery, a business built by an Englishman many years ago. We hope lunch will be served soon after arrival, supplemented with snacks from our support vehicle – please help yourself! The Pottery has 6 rooms, not the most comfortable beds, generally slow service, but the Chicken Kwahu Kwashu for dinner which will be served at 18H30 is highly recommended. We will request your dinner order while in Lilongwe to ensure dinner is on time! Please visit the Pottery Shop where items can be purchased – my tea mug that I use daily comes from Dedza Pottery!

An early night is recommended, breakfast tomorrow will be early (05H00), as it will be our biggest day in terms of distance to be covered!

Day 3 – Ride – Dedza to Eagles Nest, Chembe Village at Cape Maclear

Today, it’s an early start, we have some great riding to do, and it’s a long (155km), beautiful ride to the Lake! The midway point is the village of Kasinje (71km’s) and the second leg from Kasinje to Cape Maclear is 84km’s, but with more gravel riding, and far less descending.

A cyclists Breakfast consisting of muesli, cereals, yogurt, fruit, breads, cheese … plus tea and coffee will be served on the verandah of James and Natalies room at 05H00. We hope to be ready to leave by 06h00.

It’s a short 3km ride to the main tar road, the N1, where we can expect traffic – trucks & cars. It’s a 15km ride on the N1 to the turnoff to the Lake. Please ride with great care on this stretch, in single file! Once we turn left at the 18km mark we will be on a much quieter, newer, and more beautiful tar road. As we approach the lip of the Valley, before the long decent, please stop and enjoy the view!

The first descent into the valley is approximately 15km long, all on this beautiful tar road. Enjoy the switchbacks! Just before the 36km mark we turn right onto village roads for 22km’s before we turn left and do the second descent, on a second tar road, into the valley reaching the 71km mark, the village of Kasinje. We will meet our support vehicle at Kasinje.

From Kasinje we follow district roads for approximately 30km’s before we enter a much less populated more undulated area. Strangely this area has solar powered boreholes, JoJo tanks and even taps! In some places cotton in addition to the frequently seen maize and soya is farmed.

At the 125km mark we cross a tar road before taking the last stretch to Cape Maclear. This stretch is about 30km’s long with the last 15km’s on a tar road into Cape Maclear. However, be warned!!! The last bump (hardly visible on the route profile!) is on the tar road before Cape Maclear, it is a tough one, steep but luckily short!!

From the top of the last climb (147km’s) it’s almost all downhill, or flat for the last 10km’s into Cape Maclear. We will be staying at Chembe – Eagles Nest which is on the far-right hand side of the Cape Maclear/Chembe village beach. Please ride slowly through the village to our resort.

On arrival, we will have a well-earned late lunch and whatever is left of the afternoon is at leisure. Pre-Dinner drinks will be at 18H30 with dinner at 19H00.

Tomorrow will be a rest day from cycling, and we hope you will enjoy the beautiful sunset at Cape Maclear – the best in Malawi and have a good night’s rest!

Day 4 – Rest Day – Chembe Village, Cape Maclear.

Today is a rest day, a day at leisure, nothing planned! Breakfast will be served until 10H00, sleep late, enjoy!

Chembe village at Cape Maclear is a fishing village and well worth a visit. In the late afternoon boats head out to fish all night and only return the next morning, the chug of their motors, morning and evening is the sound best associated with Cape Maclear!

We suggest a visit to the village – a walk, by bike or jump into our truck! The Malawi version of Uber are the frequently seen motorbikes which will be happy to offer you a lift costing a few hundred Kwacha – negotiate well! Alternatively consider a boat trip or going for a paddle, we can arrange canoes for you from the resort. For the less energetic, how about spending the day at the pool, with refreshments nearby!

The local vendors are sure to call on us offering everything from “Happy Pants,” custom made to fit you in bright colored fabrics, curious, trips to go snorkeling….and so much more. We would encourage you to support these business ventures as opposed to handing out charity.

Lunch will be served at our resort from 12H00-14H00 or alternatively if you are in the village we suggest having lunch at one of the many restaurants on the waterfront. Fat Monkeys is popular!

Evening pre-dinner drinks will be at 18H30 with dinner at 19H00, hopefully under the stars on the beach!

Day 5 – Ride – Chembe Village, Cape Maclear to Makokola Retreat, Nkopola.

Breakfast will be served at 06H30, and we hope to leave Chembe Eagles Nest by latest 07H30.

We leave Cape Maclear on the same route that we rode into the village. Once we cross the tar road, we ride on new tracks passing the occasional village. Today’s ride is 95km’s with just over 100m of climbing. Those wishing to do a shorter ride can skip the first 30km’s and join the riding group when we cross the tar road where we will meet our support crew. The rest of the ride is on village tracks away from our support vehicle.

The route profile showing the 95km distance does have its challenges in terms of some climbing, but once descending to the lake the views are beautiful! Please stop and enjoy them!

Just after the 81km mark, we join a gravel road servicing a quarry. Trucks, corrugation, and dust can be expected for about 8km’s, but the good news is, it’s mostly downhill riding. At the 90km mark there is a T junction followed by a section of busy tar road (about 1km) before we turn left and ride through a village before arriving at the Makokola Retreat.

Makokola Retreat, or Club Mak as it was affectionately known, is Malawi’s premier Lake Resort. Lunch will be served on arrival; the afternoon is at leisure and let’s meet in the bar area at 18H30 for pre-dinner drinks followed by dinner.

While the day at Makokola Retreat is at leisure, we hope that everyone will join us at 18H30 for pre-dinner drinks, followed by dinner at 19H00.

Day 7 – Makokola Retreat to Kutchire, Liwonde Game Reserve

The Queen Stage of the Tour awaits us, 132km’s with some climbing! Those wishing to do a shorter ride should consider loading their bikes for the first 35km section of today’s ride. The second section of the ride is generally free of hills and is a beautiful descent towards the Shire River.

Breakfast will be served at 06H30 and we should be riding by 07H30.

The route out of Makokola tries to avoid the tar road, but after 5km’s we are on the tar road for the next 7km’s. Our support vehicle will be behind us, but please take all necessary precautions, a single file is essential.

At the 12km mark we turn right leaving the tar road and we are back on the village tracks! At the 35km mark, just before the high point of today’s ride we reach a little village where we will meet our support vehicle.

The ride from this point is generally flowing passing through villages, stopping at village shops for cooldrinks and water pumps for water. Occasionally we will ride on wider gravel district roads where the odd car or truck may be seen.

At the 112km mark we reach the newly completed tar road near the town of Liwonde. We will ride on it for about a kilometer before turning left onto gravel tracks. At the 124km mark we will cross over the wide Shire River at the recently completed barrage. There is a cycling track to ride on. We then ride through the back streets of the town of Liwonde on a badly pot holed road before doing the last 5km’s to Kutchire on village tracks.

We will be staying at Kutchire Lodge – best described as a real African Experience! Kutchire is within the fence of the Liwonde Game Reserve, a big 5 reserve.

A late lunch or snack will be served soon after arrival.

We will be accommodated in a variety of abodes, tree houses, wooden huts…. Cross your fingers and hope there will be water in your shower! If not, they have a swimming pool within a walled enclosure to keep the game out!

Drinks and dinner will be served from 18H30!

Day 8 – Rest Day – Kutchire, Liwonde Game Reserve

Today is our third and last rest day, before embarking on the last two days ride to Blantyre.

Malawi’s Game Reserves, including Liwonde, recently awarded a management contract to the South African based, African Parks. With the help of the British Army, Game Rangers have been trained to prevent poaching and it appears to be a successful restocking exercise. For it to work in the longer term, it needs support and tourism is an enabler to finance these endeavors.

After breakfast there are options – Game viewing by vehicle or Game viewing from a boat on the Shire River. (Please note this is not included in the Tour fee). Alternatively relaxing at the Kutchire swimming pool or a short walk to the neighboring Lodge – Liwonde Safari – which has a bar! Those craving some “retail therapy,” a visit to the market in the nearby town of Liwonde, may cure you!

Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be served at Kutchire – it’s not Makokola Retreat but we hope you will enjoy the experience!

As Kutchire is within the borders of the Liwonde Game Reserve please look out for hippos, elephants, and other wild animals, particularly after dark!

Day 9 – Ride – Kutchire to Hill Springs, Zomba

After a not so early breakfast, 07H00, we embarked on a relatively short days ride (75km’s), but with the most challenging climb of the tour ahead of us! I think I had the Strava Crown, it’s yours to take!!!

We ride out of Kutchire onto gravel roads, then pass through parts of Liwonde town before heading towards Zomba town, the old British Capital of Northern Nyasaland (Malawi).

Just after the 16km mark we cross a busy tar road before going back on village roads. We have a short but steep climb to the 28 km mark, where we turn left going inland away from the Shire River. This is followed by some particularly good riding to our refreshment stop in the village of Nkasala at the 45km mark. A Coke and a rest are essential, the big climb awaits us!

The big climb, which I named Mt Zoncolan, named after the climb in the Italian Dolomites what is billed as one of the hardest climbs in any Grand Tour, starts at the 53km mark. The only good news is the road is paved as it goes up through an old Concrete Mine, its steep and if you can ride it, you are in excellent form! The top is at the 57km mark – 4kms of climbing!

Unfortunately, today we are on our own – self-supporting, we will not see our support vehicle until we reach our lodge! Plan B to get up Mt Zoncolan is to hire a “Lifta” – motor bike taxi and with your bike secured you will be on top in minutes!

From the top of Mt Zoncolan, it is less than 20km to our hotel – Hill Springs, thankfully mostly downhill but the few climbs on tired legs can be tough!

At the 69km mark we will be riding on a tar road for a short distance passing a police roadblock – take care! After the tar road bit, it’s a short ride to Hill Springs crossing the tar road just before the gate.

Lunch will be served on arrival.

The afternoon is at leisure. A drive to the town of Zomba is an option for the afternoon or a rest up for the afternoon!

Dinner will be served at 18H30.

Day 10 – Ride – Hill Springs to Leslie Lodge, Blantyre

Today is our last days ride in Malawi, and in parts its quite different to previous days. It’s a mix of commercial farms and small-scale farmers. The commercial farmers farm tree nuts (Macadamia), tobacco and other cash crops, they install fences but hopefully no gates yet! They build dams and better infrastructure …. many have farmed for generations in Malawi.

Today’s distance is 82km’s, it’s a meandering route on good paths and tracks. We must however thank the Scottish Missionaries who founded Blantyre in 1876, for locating their new town at the highest point in the area! The last few kilometers into Blantyre is a climb, fortunately with the steepest, longest bit on tar!

We have the option of a few Cokes stops at village shops and the last refreshment stop in the busy trading center of Lunzu (57km mark), not far from Blantyre.

The entry into Blantyre is via a nature reserve and then into the suburbs. Our route takes us to Leslie Lodge via the back roads of Blantyre but please be aware of the ever-increasing city traffic.

We will be staying at Leslie Lodge and lunch will be a short walk away at Mijn Kitchen, favored by Blantyre’s ex-pat community.

The afternoon has been put aside for packing bikes and getting ready to travel home.

Tonight’s dinner is a celebration affair, at Blantyre’s legendry restaurant, Bombay Palace. It’s a short drive to Bombay Palace and we hope to leave Leslie Lodge at 18H30.

14. Notes on Malawi

• Malawi is famous for its smiling, friendly people, and its slow and easy approach to life, as well as it’s extraordinary freshwater lake and its natural beauty. Malawi’s inherent likability has earned it the slogan “Warm Heart of Africa.”
  •Malawi is a malaria area. The chance of catching malaria is small, but you should take the necessary precautions! We recommend you seek professional advice from your Pharmacy before leaving home, to reduce risks associated with Malaria.
  •GPS routes for your Garmin will be supplied for all days, and those wanting to ride in a faster front group are welcome to do so. James will always be at the back, it’s not a race, nobody will be left behind.
  •Water is readily available from boreholes fitted with hand pumps. This water is good to drink and even better to cool off on a hot day!
  •We will be cycling in areas which are not easily accessible, and getting medical assistance is extremely difficult. Accidents can create huge problems and lengthy delays and we ask that you exercise the utmost caution when riding.
• We will be sharing paths and district roads with motorbikes, local cyclists, pedestrians, children, goats, chickens, and the odd pig! They are all hazards with zero road sense at all. When you see them (which will be often), take care!
• About 60% of Malawi’s population is under the age of 20, and in terms of GDP per capita, Malawi is the second poorest country in the world. Poverty is everywhere. Despite their hardships, Malawi’s people are immensely kind, cheerful, polite, and peaceful.
• We will buy basic refreshments along the way at village shops. These are limited to cooldrinks (hopefully cold), biscuits and Kamba (maize extruded snack). James will have plenty of local currency for these stops!
• I have cycled thousands of km’s across Malawi, mostly alone, and I have been welcomed everywhere. There are a few basics to adhere to, Malawi is densely populated. Each village has a weekly Market Day and on that day the Village is full of people. Should we come across a Village market please proceed slowly and politely!!
• Malawi is not well developed which makes it a wonderful country for cycling. We will see very few cars and trucks! The downside is that accommodation is not of the same standard as South Africa and often things go wrong – e.g., service is slow, or the shower does not work! We simply must accept that “This is Africa,” but there is always a plan to be made!

A cycle tour in Malawi is an adventure rather than a 5-star outing!! Sometimes it’s best to expect the worst but hope for the best!!!