Best Tourist Places to Visit in Mzuzu, Malawian, North Africa, Africa

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Mzuzu, Malawian, North Africa, Africa

Mzuzu is a Malawian city, functioning as the capital of the Northern Region of the country, lying at 11.45807° S latitude and 34.015131° E longitude. It is the 3^rd largest city of Malawi in terms of population, after the national capital, Lilongwe and Blantyre. Mzuzu is situated to the north of Viphya Forest, which is considered as the Africa’s largest man-made forest. Mzuzu is also famous among tourists as its nearness with the largest park of Malawi, Nyika National Park and Lake Malawi.

Hotels like Mzuzu Hotel and Key Lounge have inbuilt entertainment venues that are frequented by both visitors and locals. The areas surround the city are well known for the production of tea, rubber, and coffee. Mzuzu is home to the Mzuzu University.

History of Mzuzu:

Mzuzu was not in growth until the middle of the 20^th century and it emerged in the year 1947 around the Tung Oil Estate belonged to the Commonwealth Development Corporation. Mzuzu gained city charter in the year 1985.

How to reach Mzuzu?

Mzuzu is situated around 350 km north of Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. By road, Mzuzu is connected to all the major southern and northern Malawian cities, including Lilongwe, served by buses and minibuses.

By air, Mzuzu is only linked to Lilongwe, catered by Swiftair.

Due t its small size, Mzuzu can be explored by foot and also the city is served by buses, minivans and rental cars.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Mzuzu:

Tumbuka people dominate the population of Mzuzu, who use their own dialect Tumbuka language to speak. A type of fish botolo fish is widely used in the preparation of local dishes.

When comes to shopping, Mzuzu is limited to traditional shops only, in which Green Shop is the famous one, offering fresh vegetables, herbs and local specialties like honey and spices.

Things to do in Mzuzu:

Trekking
Hiking
Day tours

Places to see in Mzuzu:

Viphya Forest:

The Viphya Forest is the Africa’s largest man-made forest, located to the south of Mzuzu. Established in 1964, the park is spread over an area of 560 km², home to a wide range of birds, including Olive Woodpecker, Red-faced Crimson-wing and Scaly Francolin.

Nyika National Park:

Situated around 100 km north of Mzuzu, the Nyika National Park is the largest national park of Malawi covering an area of 3200 km. The park is mainly noted for its rich vegetation and other features include a neolithic rock shelter, Lake Kaulime, waterfalls, and opportunities of mountain biking, horse riding safaris and trekking. The park is also home to around 400 bird species.

Chikwina:

Chikwina is a village situated on the shore of Lake Malawi, where visitors can enjoy the beauties many white sandy beaches and also involve themselves in different water sport activities. Chikwina is located not more than 50 km away from Mzuzu.

Entertainment centres in Mzuzu:

Mzuzu itself houses different entertainment centres of which most are housed within the hotels of the city. Entertainment centres at Key Lounge and Mzuzu Hotel are the major among them, attracting tourists from all around the country.

List of other places of interests in and around Mzuzu include:

Mzuzu University
Mzuzu Airport
Mzuzu Central Hospital
Likoma Island
St Peter’s Church
Chizumulu Island
Nkhata Bay
Chongoni Rock Art Area
Lake Malawi National Park
Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve
Lake Chilwa
Kaningina Forest Reserve
Nkotakhota Wildlife Reserve
Kasungu National Park
Liwonde National Park

Best time to visit Mzuzu:

Probably during the months between May and October is the ideal time to visit Mzuzu in Malawi while the weather in condition.

Accommodation Options in and around Mzuzu:

Hotels in Mzuzu have uniqueness, housing a wide range of entertainment centres within other than providing basic facilities and services. These features are highly admired by visitors coming to the city occasionally. Some prominent hotels in Mzuzu are listed below: