Zomba & Ku Chawe Inn

The Zomba Plateau is a magnificent table that overshadows the old colonial capital by the same name. The top of the Plateau stands at 1,800m with some peaks rising to over 2,080m. On three sides, the massif has scarp-like edges. Towards the town and to the south it presents a face of over 750 metres while to the west the fall is even greater. Here it forms the faulted edge of the Great Rift Valley and the Shire lowlands.

The plateau has a slight depression in its centre with higher ground and the peaks forming an outer rim. Streams run through the forest over small waterfalls and rapids until they join to form the Mulunguzi that drains towards the southeast.

Much of the plateau is forested; indeed it is one of Malawi's forest reserves. Afforestation has taken place for a hundred years and there are now great stands of cypress, Mexican pine and magnificent and rare Mulanje Cedar. In the ravines and on other steeper slops there is an incredible variety of natural vegetation from jungle-like creepers to wild flowers, from ferns and thorn bushes to orchids and lichen. Butterflies flutter, hover and milk the nectar of the flowering plants. Bird life is varied and prolific.

The state of the roads on the plateau is not good and the best way to see it is by trekking. Queen's view and Emperor's view offer breath-taking vistas towards the Mulanje Massif and the city of Blantyre. The site is named after Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. The Queen Mother who visited the spot in 1957 and the second after His Imperial Majesty The Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. These points were once considered to provide the 'best view in the whole of the British Empire'.

Nestled on top of the Zomba Plateau, 900 meter above the town of Zomba, right on the edge of the plateau, in a tranquil forest reserve renowned for its temperate climate and natural splendour is Ku Chawe Inn. It offers visitors the chance to unwind and soak in the relaxing atmosphere of this special destination.

Surrounded by landscape and terraced gardens, this hotel commands spectacular views, which on clear days stretch all the way along the Shire Highlands and Mount Mulanje. Each room has been attractively furnished with ensuite bathrooms, satellite television and log fires to compliment the cosy atmosphere of the Inn.