Malawi : Authentic and unpretentious
It is time to put Malawi on your radar.
Whether it is chill time at the lake after a Safari or a deeper exploration of Malawi’s many marvels. We are sure you will feel this tiny nation’s warm and welcoming vibes.
Malawi is probably the most overlooked destination in southern Africa for travellers these days. Dubbed the Warm Heart of Africa in reference to its welcoming and unpackaged atmosphere, it is best known as the home of the magnificently scenic Rift Valley lake that shares its name and comprises 15 percent of its surface area. But following an ambitious postmillennial program of wildlife reintroductions, Malawi also ranks as a top-notch emergent safari destination, with the likes of Liwonde National Park and Majete Wildlife Reserve offering an outstanding Big Five experience that is uncrowded, unpretentious and relatively affordable.
Easily accessible from South Africa, Malawi is compact enough to be explored with a guide, or as self-drive road trip, passing through friendly villages and magnificent mountainous landscapes, and culminating with a few days chilling out on one of its many island and lakeshore resorts. Of course, the varied attractions of this beautiful country cannot all be squeezed into the space of a single vacation, but the ten sites recommended below form a good starting point for planning a Malawi itinerary catering to your individual tastes, interests and budget.
Lake Malawi - Crystal waters
Malawi’s defining geographical feature and most popular hotspot is this serpentine inland sea enclosed by the sheer Rift Valley escarpment. Africa’s third-largest lake, it extends for more than 350 miles from north to south, but is nowhere more than 50 miles wide. The lake is scintillatingly beautiful, all deep aquamarine waters and sandy beaches lined with palm and baobab trees from where fish eagles voice their evocative duet. Below the surface, a kaleidoscopic diversity of cichlid fish represents one of the world’s most important examples of radial evolution. Factor in the almost perfect climate and easygoing hospitality for which Malawians are renowned, and it isn’t difficult to see why so many travelers spend weeks chilling out on the lakeshore.
There are lakeshore resorts to suit all tastes and budgets. Nkhata Bay is a longstanding backpacker hangout, serviced by several excellent budget lodgings as well as the world’s cheapest diving courses. For stunning scenery, relaxed kayaking, and snorkeling in the company of otters and a whirl of colorful cichlids, the rocky islands and stretch of southern shoreline protected within Lake Malawi National Park (inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984 for its peerless piscine biodiversity) are hard to beat. Elsewhere, Kaya Mawa, on time-warped Likoma Island, is arguably the country’s most alluring upmarket boutique resort.
Nyika National Park - Home to over 200 types of Orchids
Set on the border with Zambia, Malawi’s largest and least visited national park protects a spectacular plateau of undulating grassland incised by wooded gorges. Although some large wildlife is present on Nyika (notably elephant, zebra, eland and central Africa’s densest leopard population), the park is best suited to keen hikers and ramblers. Botanical highlights include 200 orchid species. A checklist of 400+ birds includes the localized wattled crane, Denham’s bustard, mountain marsh widow and scarlet-tufted malachite sunbird.
Satemwa Tea Estate - Outstanding birding and a cozy lodge
A popular stop for many, thanks to the presence of a characterful boutique lodge called Huntingdon House, Satemwa is also the best place to explore the relict Thyolo forest, which has acquired legendary status among birdwatchers thanks to the presence of such rarities as green-headed oriole, white-winged apalis and Thyolo alethe.
Chongoni Rock Art - 2000 year old depiction of Chewa rituals
Inscribed as Malawi’s second UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, little-visited Chongoni comprises more than 120 painted rock faces representing an artistic tradition that dates back at least 2000 years yet also retains links to extant female initiation rituals practiced by the Chewa people. The most rewarding cluster of eight sites is scattered on a spectacular granite dome overlooking Mphunzi Mission. There’s little in the way of tourist infrastructure here, but the rock art is easily explored from the town of Dedza on the main road between Lilongwe and Blantyre.
UNESCO World Heritage Rock Art
Liwonde - A big five safari destination
Malawi’s most established safari destination is dominated by the atmospherically sluggish Shire River. The highlight of any visit here will be hippo- and crocodile -dodging boat trips that also usually yield plentiful elephants and a sensational variety of aquatic birds. As with Majete, Liwonde is now home to all the Big Five, thanks partly to an extensive program of reintroductions overseen by the NGO African Parks, which took over management in 2015. In addition to boat trips and 4×4 safaris, guided walks offer the opportunity to seek localized birds such as brown-breasted barbet, Livingstone’s flycatcher, Boehm’s bee-eater and Lilian’s lovebird.
Lower Shire - Wild and tropical
Enclosed by Mozambique on three sides, the Shire Valley south of Majete possesses a thrillingly wild and tropical character. Wildlife in the remote Lengwe National Park includes buffalo, nyala, greater kudu and samango monkey, and while the atmospheric Elephant Marsh is no longer populated by its pachydermal namesakes, it supports plenty of hippos and crocodiles along with a dazzling variety of aquatic birds.
Zomba Plateau - Forests and streams
Dominating the northern skyline above the former colonial capital of Zomba, this expansive plateau isn’t comparable in scale to Mulanje or Nyika, but it is easily accessed on an all-weather road and offers plenty of opportunities for gentle rambling among cool undulating grassland interspersed with plantation and indigenous forest.
Mount Mulanje - Walking or hiking, take your pick
Central Africa’s tallest mountain is essentially an overgrown version of the koppies associated with parts of Zimbabwe – an immense isolated granite massif that rises above the surrounding tea estates to 9,849ft. There are some lovely walking trails in the forested foothills, while serious hikers face the country’s greatest montane challenge in the form of the steep all-day ascent to a plateau serviced by a network of inexpensive mountain huts.
