Having decided to have a 14 day Malawi Family Holiday in 2018 we set about deciding where we wanted to stay. Game Haven Lodge a hotel in Blantyre Malawi, well on the outskirts of Blantyre Malawi seemed like an obvious choice for a number of reasons. Find out below what we thought.
*Trip and Transfers arranged by Responsible Safari Company and Malawi Tourism
Why not check out our full post about our 14 nights Malawi Family Holiday with Responsible Safari Company!
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We developed our 14 day itinerary with assistance from Malawi Tourism and Responsible Safari Company but we knew we wanted to stay close to, even if not within, Blantyre itself. We wanted to stay in a hotel in Blantyre Malawi for these reasons:
- So we could get to the hotel in Blantyre Malawi easily when we landed in the Country after a 15 hour flight from London
- We had friends who have relocated to Blantyre and we wanted to try and see them whilst we were visiting.
- It seemed like we needed to visit Blantyre itself, being Malawi’s second major city, but we weren’t sure if we specifically needed to stay there.
Game Haven Lodge | Hotel in Blantyre Malawi
Established in 2006, Game Haven Lodge is set within the Private Chimwenya Game Park. It’s a family run business which was the realisation of a dream that started in the 1980’s to create a unique retreat within Malawi combining tourism and wildlife conservation – so does it do the job? Is it a fantastic hotel in Blantyre Malawi?
The tripadvisor and other reviews I had read before we left the UK suggested that whilst most people would recommend it as a great hotel in Blantyre Malawi they had some reservations about the food and the speed of service.
Getting to Game Haven Lodge
It’s just a short 20 minute drive from the centre of Blantyre to Game Haven Lodge. It’s also only around 1hr from Blantyre International Airport.
Accommodation at Game Have Lodge
The family owned Lodge has over the last 3 years developed from a small 5 cottage establishment to now having a variety of 25 rooms and 3 self catering guest houses, but I did wonder from the reviews, if it had made the leap in service with the leap in size?
We stayed in one of the 3 self catering guest houses on the outer edge of the property. I think I may have preferred to stay in one of the ensuite luxury cottages with a stunning view over the golf course but the real benefit to the self catering guest house was the 3 bedrooms and the fact that we all had our own rooms.
They were basic yes, but the beds were comfortable and it would have given us the option to make our own food if we hadn’t been staying on a full board basis.
Game Haven Lodge | Hotel in Blantyre Malawi
If you want to see a review of the Sable Family Rooms at Game Haven Lodge you can see that review on Travel Lynn Family’s blog post here!
The Facilities at Game Haven Lodge
Game Haven Lodge has it’s very own Golf course which has been open for two years but for the kids this is not at the top of their list of things to love about Game Haven Lodge. It’s not the fishing which is also available down at Lake Bvumbwe either.
The things they loved was the playground, the swimming pool, the large grounds to run around in and oh the fabulous animals for them to watch at all times! The zebras in front of the restaurant area were my favourites!
Within minutes of us arriving at Game Haven Lodge the kids have installed themselves in the playground and made friends with some of the other kids at the lodge. They loved the climbing wall and for the smaller kids there is also a small indoor soft play area next to the playground.
Food at Game Haven Lodge
For me this was the least exciting thing about Game Haven Lodge. The photos on the website I would suggest promise more than they deliver, not the best idea as I find it always better to be pleasantly surprised. That being said, the location where your food is eaten takes some beating. I loved the sunsets and the animals and the space and the company!
Service can be a little slow, order at least an hour in advance, and not all items on the menu are always available. The kids’ menu however including pizza, spaghetti bolognaise and chicken drumsticks went down well with the kids.
Game Walk at Game Haven Lodge
The game walk at Game Haven Lodge would be the reason to go back and stay. We LOVED it. Watching the kids get up and close to such incredible animals was such a lovely experience and set off our 14 day trip to Malawi in an incredible way.
We even got chance to see the 3 week old baby giraffe due to our brilliant guide who found the giraffes fairly quickly and then lifted the kids up onto his shoulders so they could see. Can you spot it in the trees?
You don’t actually have to do a guided walk, you can pay to do a game drive instead and you can even do some of it on mountain bikes (although they don’t have bikes for kids).
The Private Lake Bvumbwe is the latest development and it houses Nswala Malo (Giraffe Place). A beautiful location right next to the Chimwenya stream with a large bar and braai/BBQ facilities.
Game Haven Lodge really was a perfect spot for us to start our Malawi Family Adventure and comes highly recommended by us.  It was only made all the better by drinks on our last night with the owners who the girls loved!
Thanks Game Haven Lodge for hosting us!
Why not check out our full post about our 14 nights Malawi Family Holiday with Responsible Safari Company!
You could also head over and read Travel Lynn’s review about their stay at Game Haven Lodge
Game Haven Lodge REVIEW: where the kids can have their cornflakes in the company of zebras
We were fully hosted for our stay at Game Haven Lodge, in partnership with Malawi Travel. However all opinions are my own.
Karen Beddow founded Mini Travellers in 2014 while doing what she loves most...going on holiday!
Mini Travellers is for parents looking for holiday ideas, destination reviews, days out and things to do with the kids. We also have family travel tips, activity ideas and all other things family holiday related. Take a look at some of our latest reviews for holidays and day trips in the UK.
Lovely review! Was so good to meet you guys here. And the baby giraffe – so gorgeous!