Places to Visit in Blantyre, Malawi, Lilongwe, Southern Africa, Africa

Places to Visit in Blantyre, Malawi, Lilongwe, Southern Africa, Africa

Blantyre is one of the prominent cities of the southern African country, Malawi, located around 360 km south-southeast of the country’s capital and largest city, Lilongwe. It is the administrative centre of Blantyre District and Southern Region of Malawi. Blantyre is considered as the commercial hub of Malawi, holding the headquarters of the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, the Supreme Court of Malawi and the University of Malawi. When comes to tourism, Blantyre is famous for its historical structures like the Mandala House and St Michael and All Angels Church,.

Blantyre lies at an elevation of 1,039 meters, covering a total area of 228 sq. km and its geographical coordinates are 15°47′10″ S 35°0′21″ E.

History of Blantyre:

The history of Blantyre dates back to 1876 when it was originally founded with the same name assigned to a town in Scotland. Blantyre came under British consular in 1883 and two years after this, gained municipal status in 1895, which made Blantyre as the oldest municipality of Malawi.

Getting Blantyre:

Blantyre hosts an international airport, named Chileka International Airport, is located around 16 km away from centre of the city of Blantyre. This airport operates flights from and to Johannesburg, Beira, Harare, Lilongwe, Lusaka, Maputo, Tete and Nairobi.

The bus transportation of Blantyre extends to all the major cities of Malawi, including the national capital, Lilongwe.

The local transportation of Blantyre is catered by buses, minibuses and rental cars.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Blantyre:

Blantyre is a colorful city, having rich cultural features, which are showcased by the cultural centres in the city like La Caverna Art Gallery and Museum of Malawi.

Chichiri Shopping Center is a famous modern shopping option in Blantyre while traditional, especially Indian shops can be found at downtown area of Blantyre.

Here are famous midrange restaurants in Blantyre:

Aub’s Steakhouse
Blue Savannah
Baba Delhi Darbar
Alem Ethiopian Restaurant

Things to do in Blantyre:

The Responsible Safari Company tours
Shopping
Visiting museums

Tourist Attractions in Blantyre:

Mandala House:

The Mandala House is one of the oldest structures of Blantyre, situated atop of hill. Currently it houses the La Caverna Art Gallery and café. The museum showcases a great collection of carvings and pictures displaying the local culture. It is open from 8:30am to 4:15pm (Monday – Friday).

St Michael and All Angels Church:

The St Michael and All Angels Church was constructed during the foundation of Blantyre, may be around 1876 and was designed by a Scottish missionary with the aid of natives. The church is still good condition, attracting both devotees and tourists.

Chichiri Museum:

The Chichiri Museum or Museum of Malawi is a renonwe museum Blantyre, exhibiting the importance of Blantyre’s culture and history. It is also one of the major landmarks of the city.

Chichiri Shopping Center:

The Chichiri Shopping Center is the largest mall of Blantyre, facilitating with a wide range of shopping, restaurant and entertainment options. There are also bank with ATM’s.

Other attractive places in Blantyre include:

Mount Mulanje
The Way of the Cross
Liwonde National Park
Chifundo Artisan’s Network Art Studio Shop
Lengwe National Park

When to visit Blantyre?

Blantyre features a humid subtropical-highland climate with dry season is from May to October (the best time to visit Blantyre) and rainy season from November to April.

Hotels in Blantyre:

Blantyre boasts around 30 upgraded accommodation centres hotels, vacation rentals, BB and inns of which most accept credit cards and offer advance booking facility through online for visitors’ convenience. Some top end hotels in Blantyre in Malawi are provided below: