Huntingdon House

Huntingdon House, located at the heart of the beautiful Satemwa Tea Estate in southern Malawi, is a gorgeous and sensitively restored historic plantation house simply oozing colonial charm. A stay at Huntingdon House will take you back in time to enjoy old world hospitality, considerable comfort and the lush verdant landscapes. Guests are accommodated in five unique suites with superb bathrooms featuring claw-foot bathtubs, separate showers, bath robes and bamboo/cotton blend towels. Each room has been individually decorated to reflect the quirks and character of this grand residence appropriately named based on their original function in the household.

A further accommodation option exists in the form of the Chawani Bungalow, an informal plantation retreat idyllically set on the slopes of Thyolo Mountain, ideal for families or friends wishing to discover the magical surroundings and history of Satemwa Tea Estate. Guests here can either self-cater or dine at the main house.

The magnificent main house is surrounded by sprawling manicured gardens with secret patios and terraces waiting to be discovered, Meals are prepared from the freshest local produce, and are absolutely delicious. Naturally tea and coffee comes directly from the estate.

Many guests do not make it beyond Huntingdon's extensive gardens with their croquet lawns, boules and other sporting facilities, choosing simply to relax by the pool and take in the glorious surroundings and learn a little about tea production. However Huntingdon House is conveniently located for day trips to Majete Game Reserve in the Lower Shire Valley, and there are plenty of mountain bike and walking trails in the vicinity, including to the summit of Mount Mulanje, and guides can be arranged for those who would like to ascend Malawi’s highest peak. The lush surrounding evergreen montane rainforest and varied vegetation on the estate have created an ornithologists' paradise with ideal habitat for a variety of Malawi's bird species including the little-known and fast-disappearing Thyolo alethe.

When to go

Malawi has a moderate to sub-tropical climate with three distinct seasons: from November to March is the rainy season, April to July is Malawi's winter, when the weather is cool and dry, and August to October is summer, when the weather is hot and dry. In terms of game-viewing, the dryer months, meaning a higher concentration of game at the permanent water sources, are a superb time to visit. Alternatively come for some superb bird-watching at the end of the rains.