What should I bring for a walk on the farm?

Bring comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen and water. Come early if you would like to walk before the day warms up, then make time for breakfast or lunch at Harvest Table. Ask the team about current path and riding conditions when you arrive.

How far out of town is it?

About 18 km from Lilongwe along the M12 Mchinji Road, opposite Chitedze Research Station — a 15 to 25 minute drive depending on traffic. Free parking on the estate.

How long should I allow?

Give it half a day. A walk and a meal is comfortably three to four hours, and the farm is more rewarding when you are not watching the clock.

Walk-ins are welcome at Harvest Table any day from 07:00 to 21:00. Sundays get busy, so please book your table in advance to make sure we can accommodate you.

Can I walk the farm myself?

Yes. The paths between the growing areas are open to anyone who comes — you do not need to be staying, and you do not need a guide. Guided tours of the working farm are for residents.

Is it worth staying the night?

Stay for a guided farm tour, your own private villa and breakfast as the farm begins its day. Villas sleep two adults, with the Orchard villas taking young children.

Does the estate lose power when Lilongwe does?

No. Chalo is 100% off-grid and runs on solar, so Harvest Table and the villas keep their own hours.

Can we drink the water?

Yes. It comes from the estate's own borehole, then is purified and sterilised on site so it is safe to drink.

Airtel Money, TNM Mpamba or a bank transfer. You can pay when you book or reserve now and settle on arrival, and stays can be cancelled free up to 48 hours before check-in.

Can we bring young children?

Yes. Most families come for Sunday brunch or lunch — walk the paths first, then eat. The farm is open land, not a formal dining room. For staying over, Orchard Villa sleeps two adults with children seven years and under (four guests in all). Nest is for two adults.

We used to come as a couple — is Chalo still for us?

More than ever. Same estate and same table — walk first, brunch unhurried, drive home when you are ready. Many parents start with a Sunday day visit before booking Orchard for a night.

What a day here actually looks like

Chalo is a working farm you are welcome to walk. Twenty minutes from Lilongwe, and worth the drive.

Why make the drive

The farm keeps its own hours. Your visit is arranged around them.

Water starts moving at dawn. Through the morning the rows are checked and picked — vegetables, herbs, chillies — and fish move beneath the reservoir. By lunchtime, something you walked past is on a plate at Harvest Table.

That rhythm is the thing you came for. The villas and the table are simply where you stand while it happens.

Three ways to do it

Pick the shape of your day

Each one is a complete visit on its own. They differ in how much of the farm's day you get to see.

The one to plan around

Give Sunday to the farm

The whole rhythm of the farm in a single afternoon, once a week, without needing to stay the night.

Leave Lilongwe late morning — it is a twenty minute drive, not an expedition
Walk the paths between the growing rows before you sit down
Brunch at Harvest Table, shaped by what the farm picked that week
Stop at the farm shop on the way out and take some of it home

Every Sunday, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM · book in advance

Book your Sunday table

Any day of the week

Come for lunch, stay for the land

A working farm you are free to walk, with the kitchen at the end of it. Breakfast through dinner, every day.

Arrive whenever suits — Harvest Table runs from 07:00 to 21:00, every day
Walk the paths freely: growing rows, the reservoir, the chillies and spices
Eat what the farm is doing that day, not a menu written last season
Add a quad ride across the wider estate if you want the day to go further

Daily, 07:00 – 21:00 · walk-ins welcome

Plan a day at the table

Only if you stay

Stay for the parts nobody else sees

A private villa, a guided farm tour for residents, and breakfast as the working day begins. Stay when you want more time on the land.

Everything a day visitor can do, without watching the clock
A guided tour of the working farm — for residents only
Time to settle into your own private villa
Wake as the water starts moving and the rows are picked, then breakfast

From MWK 160,000 a night for 1 adult · +MWK 25,000 for 2 adults

Find your dates

Young families

Your Sunday still belongs to you

Two parents, one or two small children, twenty minutes from Lilongwe — space to walk, food for everyone, and no need to stay the night to make it worth the drive.

The menu follows the season, with familiar options available for younger guests. The team can guide your table when you arrive, so parents can enjoy the farm kitchen without turning the menu into a negotiation.

Book a table for the family What a Sunday looks like

Walk the paths between the rows before anyone sits — it changes how the table feels
Brunch or lunch at Harvest Table, with familiar options for younger guests and a team ready to guide the table
Stay as long as you like — this is a working farm, not a timed sitting
Orchard Villa if you sleep over — room for young children, a kitchenette, and a private patio

Coming for the day, or staying

Some of the farm only opens if you sleep here

Anyone can walk the paths and eat at the table. A villa gives you a private place to settle in, breakfast as the farm begins its day, and access to a guided tour for residents.

See which villas are open

What you can do	Day visit	Staying
Walk the farm paths freely	Included on a day visit	Included when staying
Eat at Harvest Table	Included on a day visit	Included when staying
Buy produce at the farm shop	Included on a day visit	Included when staying
Quad ride across the estate	Included on a day visit	Included when staying
Guided tour of the working farm	Not available on a day visit	Included when staying
A private villa to return to	Not available on a day visit	Included when staying
The morning the farm starts again	Not available on a day visit	Included when staying
Breakfast, included for every adult	Not available on a day visit	Included when staying

Before you come

Everything you would otherwise have to ask

What should I bring for a walk on the farm?: Bring comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen and water. Come early if you would like to walk before the day warms up, then make time for breakfast or lunch at Harvest Table. Ask the team about current path and riding conditions when you arrive.
How far out of town is it?: About 18 km from Lilongwe along the M12 Mchinji Road, opposite Chitedze Research Station — a 15 to 25 minute drive depending on traffic. Free parking on the estate.
How long should I allow?: Give it half a day. A walk and a meal is comfortably three to four hours, and the farm is more rewarding when you are not watching the clock.
Do I need to book?: Walk-ins are welcome at Harvest Table any day from 07:00 to 21:00. Sundays get busy, so please book your table in advance to make sure we can accommodate you.
Can I walk the farm myself?: Yes. The paths between the growing areas are open to anyone who comes — you do not need to be staying, and you do not need a guide. Guided tours of the working farm are for residents.
Is it worth staying the night?: Stay for a guided farm tour, your own private villa and breakfast as the farm begins its day. Villas sleep two adults, with the Orchard villas taking young children.
Does the estate lose power when Lilongwe does?: No. Chalo is 100% off-grid and runs on solar, so Harvest Table and the villas keep their own hours.
Can we drink the water?: Yes. It comes from the estate's own borehole, then is purified and sterilised on site so it is safe to drink.
How do I pay?: Airtel Money, TNM Mpamba or a bank transfer. You can pay when you book or reserve now and settle on arrival, and stays can be cancelled free up to 48 hours before check-in.
Can we bring young children?: Yes. Most families come for Sunday brunch or lunch — walk the paths first, then eat. The farm is open land, not a formal dining room. For staying over, Orchard Villa sleeps two adults with children seven years and under (four guests in all). Nest is for two adults.
Will our children find something to eat?: Yes. The menu follows the season, with familiar options available for younger guests. The team can guide your table when you arrive, and can bring the children's food first when that helps the meal settle.
We used to come as a couple — is Chalo still for us?: More than ever. Same estate and same table — walk first, brunch unhurried, drive home when you are ready. Many parents start with a Sunday day visit before booking Orchard for a night.

Get directions Ask us something else

Not coming just yet

We will tell you when the season turns

The farm reads differently in June than it does in January. Monthly notes on what is growing, what is on the table, and first access to Wine & Field.

What visitors say

4.6Rated 4.6 from 18 Google reviews

Read all reviews on Google Leave a review

Your Sunday still belongs to you

Two parents, one or two small children, twenty minutes from Lilongwe — space to walk, food for everyone, and no need to stay the night to make it worth the drive.

What you can do

Day visit

Staying

Walk the farm paths freely

Eat at Harvest Table

Buy produce at the farm shop

Quad ride across the estate

Guided tour of the working farm

A private villa to return to

The morning the farm starts again

Breakfast, included for every adult