Check out the Freemeteo feeds on the Home page (but remember that conditions can be very different at altitude).
Malawi has a tropical climate, with three seasons. From April to August the weather is usually warm and dry, getting considerably hotter through September, October and early November. From early November to March it's hot and wet, sometimes very wet, and Mulanje in particular can be dangerous in wet weather.
Many people choose to visit in the Malawi winter, between May and October when the weather is drier, but the mountain areas of Mulanje, Zomba, Dedza and Nyika are enjoyable at any time. Game viewing is better in the dry, but the wet season brings (relatively) warmer nights and a profusion of vegetation, as well as many species of visiting birds.

From Blantyre, if you have a car, drive down the Kamuzu Highway to Limbe and continue out of the town, leaving Limbe Country Club and the Illovo sugar headquarters on your left. You will come to a roundabout where the road splits, with the old main Mulanje road (M2) heading off right to Thyolo and Luchenza and the more recently upgraded Midima Road (Robert Mugabe Highway) carrying straight on. The former is a prettier drive, through tea estates. They join up again some kilometres west of Mulanje and you then follow the main road into Chitakali (where the road to Phalombe and the west side of the mountain begins) and then Mulanje Boma.
There are also several buses a day between Blantyre and Mulanje, as well as innumerable minibuses (matolos) which leave from Limbe towards the Mozambique border.Minibuses from Chitakali towards Phalombe are less regular, and there is practically no pubic transport on the east side of the mountain.

Food, no (so take what you need, plus a bit extra for emergencies). Drink, yes (the water in streams is safe and cold, and enterprising watchmen at some huts may have brought up a few bottles of Coke and 'Green' to sell to thirsty visitors).
You'll be able to stock up on supplies in Blantyre or Limbe, or on a smaller scale at Chitakali or the vegetable market at Mulanje Boma.

It depends where you want to go and what you want to do. The routes up to Mulanje plateau are quite steep in places and you will be walking for three to five hours before you reach a hut. It can also be very hot on the lower slopes. Once you're up, tracks between the huts are generally easier and it will be cooler (and possibly wetter!). Many people find going down at least as tiring as going up. It helps to have a stick or walking poles on the trickier sections.
The Mulanje peaks are real mountains and, together with the weather, should never be underestimated (see the Mountain Safety section). Most involve some easy scrambling, but some have short sections of hard scrambling or low-grade rock climbing which become hazardous in wet weather.

There are basic facilities at all the Mulanje huts, generally one or more huts for washing and bucket-showering and another one or two for what older guidebooks politely refer to as 'pit latrines' but you will probably recognise as the infamous 'long-drop'. A recent joint programme of improvement has been carried out by MCM and MMCT. Take your own paper, use water sparingly and please keep the streams and pools clean (see the Environment section).

The name of the highest peak on Mulanje (and indeed in central Africa, at 3,002m) Sapitwa is generally said to mean 'Don't go there' in the Chichewa language. 'Musapite' certainly means 'You should not go', but the name is really probably a contraction of a slightly different phrase, 'sapitidwa', which translates as 'a place one cannot reach'.
You can decide for yourself whether (as many Malawians will tell you) the peak is out of bounds for spiritual and cultural reasons, or just because it's difficult to get to. Bear in mind that there are many myths surrounding mountains in general, and Mulanje in particular, which are deeply rooted and widely believed by local people. You may well decide that there are indeed spirits on Mulanje who deserve to be treated with care and respect.

Sorry, there probably isn't one, much, although the author J R R Tolkien did apparently visit Malawi, and may well have visited Mulanje too.
Tolkien is generally thought to have got his inspiration for Hobbits from the countryside around Birmingham, England, where he lived as a boy (having been born in South Africa). It has also been suggested that The Shire and its surroundings were inspired by the Forest of Dean or the area around Stonyhurst College in Lancashire, where he often stayed and wrote during the 1940s. There is a Tolkien Trail in the Ribble Valley, Lancashire.
There are some odd similarities, though, including the name 'Shire', which echoes the Shire River that flows out of Lake Malawi and down past Mulanje to join the Zambezi. The name of the river is pronounced quite differently, however, as 'SHI-ray'. And of course there are the legends of little people living on Mulanje, probably derived from the ancient Batwa or Twa people, who can still be traced in southern Africa.

You will need to have access to a map with huts and main routes to follow these route descriptions.
If you have 5-10 days, consider starting from Likhubula (Forestry Office or Forest Lodge or CCAP House – all of which have safe parking) and head for Chambe. Chambe basin is not the most beautiful part of the mountain at present as there were big pine plantations there that are now being eradicated However, it is an easy access point to start your hike and, if you wish, the climb up Chambe Peak is fabulous. Then on to Chisepo Hut from where you can climb Sapitwa. If you don’t want to climb Chambe Peak, it is possible to get from Likhubula to Chisepo in a day – probably in about 6 hours.
Next day you can make your way to Thuchila Hut. There are a number of peak options on the way, including Dzole and Khuto, but the most accessible is Nandalanda, which is directly behind the hut. From Thuchila you can then hike into the Chinzama/Minunu valley. Chinzama and Minunu are smaller and generally less well used huts. Chagaru Peak from Chinzama is a good one – it has an interesting cave to negotiate on your way to the peak. Dzole Peak can also be accessed from Minunu Hut. Then there is a great track back to Chisepo from Minunu.
You can return to Likhubula a different way by heading for the Lichenya Plateau and having a night at Lichenya Hut if time permits, or you can head directly down the 'Milk Run' back to Likhubula. This route will take you through a number of different vegetative zones. A small variation on this would be to go from Likhubula to Lichenya and then take a different and slightly more challenging route up Sapitwa.
Alternative routes that would allow you to experience dense, indigenous forest would be to access Chisepo from Ottos (now called Thuchila Farm), or to start your hike from the Lujeri Tea Estate and go up to Minunu Hut (there is a track from the Hydro to Minunu although it is not shown on the map). Both these routes climb through forest. Both these access points, and especially the Lujeri one, are more difficult to get to without your own transport.
With more days (or more speed?) you could add on side trips to Sombani Hut with the very accessible Namasile Peak, and even on to Madzeka Hut from where there is an unmarked route back to Minunu (GPS coordinates available) but you will probably need a month if you are to exhaust all these wonderful possibilities!
How much of this you manage will depend on the number of days you have and how many peaks you want to climb – and of course what pace you want to go at to really enjoy Mulanje's splendour.
Remember, it is essential to take a guide if you are unfamiliar with Mulanje and if you intend to climb peaks. Hiring a porter to help with your pack will also enhance your experience and create local employment.
Finally, read and follow the safety advice available on this site.