Thyolo Tea Estates

Tea was planted in Malawi from the 1880s, among the first plantings anywhere in Africa, and the estates around Thyolo and Mulanje still produce most of the crop, covering the slopes in clipped green with shade trees standing over them. Several estates take visitors through the picking, withering, rolling and drying, and some have colonial-era planters' houses that operate as guest accommodation. The Mulanje massif rises behind the eastern estates.

What you actually see

• The estates - clipped tea covering the slopes with shade trees above.
• The factory process - withering, rolling, oxidation and drying shown on visits.
• The early planting - tea grown here from the 1880s, before anywhere else in Africa.
• The Mulanje backdrop - the massif standing behind the eastern estates.

When to go

May to October is the dry season. Plucking runs year round with peaks after the rains. Estate visits must be arranged in advance.

Honest expectations

Visits must be arranged with the estates and cannot be dropped into. Labour conditions on tea estates in the region have been the subject of sustained criticism. Factory tours depend on processing being under way.

Nearby

Blantyre is north, and Mount Mulanje is east.