Founded in 1906 on the banks of the namesake river, Lilongwe replaced Zomba as the capital of Malawi in 1975, and it is now the country’s largest city and main gateway for fly-in Tourism. Lilongwe comprises two distinct sections: the organic Old Town is a bustling commercial center, while the more contrived Capital City is a custom-built cluster of medium-rise office blocks, embassies and administrative buildings. 

Separating Old Town from Capital City, Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary is Lilongwe’s one genuine tourist attraction. A network of trails through a tract of riverine forest provides keen walkers with an opportunity to see a variety of naturally-occurring mammals and birds, from spotted hyena and gray duiker to Schalow’s turaco and African finfoot.

The award-winning Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, a private extension of the nature sanctuary, hosts a menagerie of some 200 confiscated, orphaned and injured animals.