Malawi — Where to Go
Top Things to See
• Discover Mzuzu, the capital of the northern region. There are two game areas in the region: the beautiful and unique plateau of Nyika National Park and the Vwasa Marsh Wildlife Reserve. The famous Livingstonia Mission, with its interesting museum, is nearby.
• Explore Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital. Alongside the traditional Old Town, with its interesting markets, is the modern city and seat of government with its imaginative architecture in a garden setting.
• See Blantyre, Malawi’s commercial capital and largest town, established at the end of the 19th century. It is really two towns: Blantyre and Limbe, joined by a development corridor. Sights include the National Museum, St Michael and All Angels Church (associated with Dr David Livingstone) and Mandala House (the oldest European building in Malawi).
• North of Blantyre, be mesmerised by the stunning views at the top of the 2,100m (6,890ft) Zomba Plateau. Its vast forests and waterfalls tower above Zomba, a university town and the former capital.
• Behold the magnificent Mulanje Massif. The highest point of this huge block of mountains, which cover more than 640 sq km (250 sq miles) and rise to over 3,000m (10,000ft), can be see at Sapitwa.
• Spot the difference in the Lower Shire Valley. Because it is low lying, hotter and dominated by the great river which drains Lake Malawi, this part of the country looks and feels different. There are also vast sugar plantations to see at Sucoma.
• See the 24,000 sq km (15,000 sq miles) lake that lies in the deep, trough-like rift valley, running the length of the country. Lake Malawi contains more fish than any other lake in the world and some of the rarest tropical fish are unique to it.
• View the many markets, including Nkhotakota, on the central lake shore, which is one of Africa’s oldest market towns and was once a center of the slave trade. Further north is Nkhata Bay, a busy port and market and a favorite stopping place for visitors.
• See the Anglican Cathedral, built by missionaries over 100 years ago, on Likoma Island. Located on the east side of the lake, near the Mozambique shore, the island also offers excellent swimming.
Top Things to Do
• Go wildlife and game viewing in the national parks, without the tarred roads filled with convoys of 4-wheel drive vehicles. Top parks and reserves include Nyika, Vwasa Marsh, Liwonde and Lengwe.
• Look for elephants during the early mornings and evenings in Kasungu National Park, where they appear to drink from dambos (river channels). The grasslands support large herds of buffalo and some varieties of antelope, such as kudu and reedbuck.
• Visit the world’s first freshwater national park and its renowned settings and attractions. Lake Malawi National Park, close to Monkey Bay, lies towards the southern extremity of the lake. Snorkeling or scuba-diving reveals tropical fish and further inland klipspringer, bushbuck and vervet monkeys can be seen.
• Try out the range of watersports available along the length of Lake Malawi. Snorkeling and scuba-diving are increasingly popular here because of the attraction of seeing the brilliantly colored fish, the mbuna. Swimming, waterskiing, sailing and kayaking are all available along the lakeshore.
• Go fishing on the southern lakeshore north of Mangochi and at Senga Bay. There are opportunities to fish for yellow fish, lake salmon and lake tiger. Angling for trout is easily arranged at Chelinda on Nyika Plateau and on Zomba Plateau.
• Hike the Nyika Plateau, a popular attraction for trekking and walking. There is excellent walking on the Zomba and Viphya Plateaux and climbing on Mount Mulanje, which, at 3,000m (9,850ft), is the highest mountain in central Africa. Dedza, Michiru, Ndirande and Chiradzulu also offer challenging slopes.
• Ride a horse on the Nyika Plateau, where safaris on horseback are popular, and on Zomba Plateau, where there is a dressage school.
• Cycle through Nyika, Luwawa Forest and along the lakeshore.
• Watch traditional dance, which plays a part in most ceremonies in Malawi. The Gule Wamkulu (performed by the Chewa and Mang’anja), with its heavily carved masks, feathers and skin paint, is an important dance in Malawian culture.
