About
Our Story
A century-old farmhouse, a tea estate with deep roots, and one woman's vision to share it all with the world.
Since the 1900s
The Estate
The Thyolo House sits on the Conforzi Tea Estate, one of the historic tea-growing properties in Malawi's Thyolo highlands. The estate dates back to the early days of tea cultivation in the Shire Highlands, when Italian settlers established plantations across these misty, fertile hills.
The main house was built in the early 1900s as a colonial farmhouse — a solid, whitewashed structure with deep verandas, high ceilings, and hardwood floors designed for the tropical climate. For over a century, it has stood among the tea gardens, weathering the seasons and quietly accumulating stories.
Today, the estate remains a working tea property surrounded by some of the most beautiful landscape in southern Malawi — rolling green rows of tea bushes, pockets of indigenous forest, and views stretching across the Thyolo highlands.
"For over a century, this house has stood among the tea gardens, weathering the seasons and quietly accumulating stories."
Heritage & Character
The House
The house retains the character of its colonial origins — thick whitewashed walls, original hardwood floors, high ceilings with exposed beams, and deep verandas perfect for watching the sun set over the tea gardens.
Every room tells a story. Period furnishings sit alongside original artwork. The gardens, both ornamental and productive, have been carefully tended for decades. Century-old trees shade the swimming pool, and a pocket of indigenous forest provides a haven for birds and native flora just steps from your door.
This is not a hotel that was built — it is a home that was opened. And that distinction is what makes The Thyolo House unique.
"This is not a hotel that was built — it is a home that was opened."
Artist, Host, Visionary
Flavia
At the heart of The Thyolo House is Flavia Conforzi — artist, chef, and the creative force behind the transformation of the family estate into a boutique retreat. Her kitchen draws from the estate's own chemical-free garden, where fresh herbs, vegetables, and edible flowers grow year-round.
Flavia's art studio sits on the grounds, and her work — vibrant paintings and mixed-media pieces inspired by Malawian life, nature, and colour — adorns the walls of the house and the rooms. Guests are invited to join her for creative workshops, a hands-on experience that has become one of the most loved parts of a stay here.
In the kitchen, her Italian heritage meets Malawian ingredients. The result is a menu that is fresh, seasonal, and entirely her own — garden-to-table cooking that draws on family recipes, local produce, and flavours from around the world.
Sustainability
The Garden
Sustainability at The Thyolo House is not a marketing exercise — it is simply how things have always been done here.
Chemical-Free Garden
Our kitchen garden grows herbs, vegetables, and edible flowers without chemicals — supplying the restaurant with the freshest possible ingredients, year-round.
Local Sourcing
What we cannot grow, we source locally — from Lake Malawi fish to free-range chicken, Thyolo tea, and Malawian coffee. Our supply chain starts at the garden gate.
Community
The Thyolo House is part of the fabric of the Thyolo community. Our staff are local, our suppliers are neighbours, and our story is inseparable from this place.
"Our supply chain starts at the garden gate. What we cannot grow, we find within the surrounding hills."
Come and See for Yourself
The Thyolo House is best experienced in person. We would love to welcome you.