Malawi Tourist Places to Visit in Malawi, Southern Africa, Africa

Malawi Tourist Places to Visit in Malawi, Southern Africa, Africa

Malawi is a small African country situated in the southeastern part of the continent, blessed with a rich diversity of flora and fauna. It shares its borders with Mozambique towards the west, east and south, Tanzania towards the northeast and Zambia towards the northwest. Lilongwe is the capital and largest city of Malawi. Malawi covers a total area of 118,000 sq. km while its population crosses 16,777,500 (as of the 2013 census). Malawi is popularly called “The Warm Heart of Africa”. Although its economy is not on the floor, Malawi is home to many scenic natural attractions like eye-catching landscape, epris lakes, winsome hills and fascinating wildlife sanctuaries.

History of Malawi:

Malawi takes its name from the Nyanja people, who are native to Malawi and were earlier called the Maravi. According to the archeological findings, Bantu-speaking people were the first known settlers of Malawi, who migrated to Malawi around the 10th century. As like the most African countries, Malawi had also seen the reign of the European powers and the British occupied the region Nyasaland what is today’s Malawi in 1891 and ruled until 1964 when the Malawi’s independence was proclaimed and renamed to its present name.

How to reach Malawi?

The Lilongwe International Airport is the gateway for Malawi, situated around 30 km north of the heart of Lilongwe. The airport handles flights from Addis Ababa, Lusaka, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Blantyre, Likoma, Mfuwe, Lusaka, Harare and many other African destinations.

The road transportation of Malawi is expanded to all over the country, served by buses, minibuses and rental vehicles.

By train, Malawi is linked to the cities of Cuamba and Nampula in Mozambique, departing from the 2^nd largest city of the country, Blantyre.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Malawi:

Chichewa is the official as well as a widely spoken language in Malawi while Chewa people cover the great percentage of the country’s population, nearly 33%.

Kwacha is the currency used in Malawi. Wood and soapstone carvings, textiles and potteries are the purchasable items in Malawi. When comes to food, Nsima is a popular fish in Malawi.

Places of interest in Malawi:

Lake Malawi National Park:

UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Lake Malawi National Park is situated at the southern tip of the Lake Malawi, having a status of the only national park of Malawi established with the purpose of protecting fish and aquatic habitats and it also features many small islands in Lake Malawi, around 800 years old huge baobab tree and typical animal species, Baboons.

Chongoni Rock Art Area:

The Chongoni Rock Art Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, comprising around 127 sites that are dotted in the forested hills of the Malawi plateau showcasing the Late Stone Age and the Iron Age periods’ rock art and paintings. This distinct site is located in Dedza District in the Central region of Malwai.

Liwonde National Park:

Founded in the year 1973, the Liwonde National Park is located in the southern portion of Malawi, covering a total area of 548 km². Other than 400 species of bird, the park is home to a wide range of animals, including elephants, buffalos and crocodiles.

Lake Chilwa:

The Lake Chilwa spans over a surface area of 600 km², making it the Malawi’s second largest lake. It is situated in the Zomba District, measuring a length of 60 km and width of 40 km. It is home to around 1.5 million of water bird population.

Kasungu National Park:

Situated around 170 km from Lilongwe, the Kasungu National Park is the Malawi’s second largest national park with an area of 2,316 km². It is very well known for bird watching, which can be enjoyed between June and September.

List of other places of interest in Malawi includes:

Nyika National Park
Kasungu National Park
Viphya Forest
Chichiri Museum
Mount Soche
Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve
Nkhotakota Game Reserve

Best time to visit Malawi:

Malawi generally experiences a tropical climate with rainy season from November to April while the rest of the year relatively receives no rainfall. The best time visit Malawi to explore its natural beauties from May to October.

Accommodation options in Malawi:

Although star rated hotels limited in number, Malawi houses many typical traditional accommodation options like lodges, guest houses and camping sites that serve visitors with the blend of traditional and modern facilities and services to make visitors’ tour memorable. List of the prominent hotels in Lilongwe in Malawi include: