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Malawi General Information |
- Area: 118,500 sq km²
- Capital: Lilongwe
- Currency: Kwacha
- Climate: The wet season runs from mid October or early November to mid or late April; the dry season lasts from May to October/November. Average daily highs' peak around 32°C in October (although it can get a few degrees hotter in the inland areas such as the Shire Valley); July is the coolest month, with daily highs around 21°C.
- People: Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuko, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, European
- Official language: English
- Time: GMT plus two hours
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Malawi: Malawi (also spelt Malaŵi) is a nation in east Africa. It is bordered by Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique. This is a country known as ‘the warm heart of Africa’. Malawi’s scenery is gorgeous and varied, and Malawians tend to be extremely friendly toward travelers. Malawi is a long thin country that Nature-lovers adore with national parks and game reserves, mountain hiking and plateau trekking.
The beaches and tropical fish life of Lake Malawi, the third largest lake in Africa are breathtaking. It is dominated by the vast lake, as well as the Great Rift Valley that cuts through the country from north to south, creating fertile valleys, cool mountains and verdant plateaus. The lake is home to the biggest variety of fish species - more than any other freshwater lake on earth, most of them protected within the Lake Malawi National Park (at its southern tip). Most visitors head for the small, restful village at Cape Maclear -with its offshore islands - is part of the park. Equally popular, Nkhata Bay to the north has bays, beaches and various water activities. Spread along the length of the lakeshore are numerous traditional fishing villages, and the fishermen, in their dugout canoes, form a quintessential postcard silhouette against the spectacular golden sunset.
History & Background: Malawi grew from the migration and the wars of the early African tribes and kingdoms which flourished throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. The arrival of European traders and the horrific slave trade prompted David Livingstone, to vow, to end this appalling human tragedy. Ultimately, this heralded the arrival of British missionaries and the beginning of British colonial rule. Malawi became an independent one party state in 1964 with Banda as president and a multi-party fledgling democracy in 1994 with Bakili Muluzi becoming the new president.
Best Time to travel: May through to July are cool and dry months, especially in the highlands, with November to March being warm with rain showers in the afternoon..
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Main Attractions in Malawi |
MOUNT MULANJE
Stunning scenery, easy access, clear paths and well-maintained huts make Mount Mulanje a fine hiking and trekking area. The mountain rises steeply and suddenly from the undulating plain to the highlands, surrounded by near-vertical cliffs of bare rock, many over 1000m high. Mulanje's peaks (including the highest in the country, Sapitwa, at just over 3000m) often just above the mist that frequently surrounds the upper slopes, giving the mountain one of its local names, 'Island in the Sky'.
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You can reach most of the peaks without resorting to technical climbing. If you're thinking of visiting, be prepared for sudden downward shifts in temperature, rain and poor visibility at any time of year. Buses run between Blantyre and Mulanje town, which is located in the South Eastern corner of Malawi, about 290km southeast of Lilongwe.
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MWABVI GAME RESERVE
In the southernmost tip of Malawi, Mwabvi Game Reserve is the country's smallest (under 350 sq km) and least-visited reserve. It's virtually a wilderness, with a hilly landscape of sandstone ridges, rocky gorges, fast-flowing streams and mopane woodland.
The scenery is unlike any other part of Malawi, and there are spectacular views over the Shire and Zambezi Rivers.
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Sadly, the place has been neglected and has suffered from poaching, leaving little large wildlife. Getting there and away generally takes a car and great determination. The gate is reached from the main road between Chikwawa and Nsanje.
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NYIKA NATIONAL PARK
The rolling hills of the Nyika Plateau of the Nyika National Park, averaging about 2000m above sea level, are covered with a mix of mopane grassland and mimbo woodland. Other areas are covered in dense evergreen forests, and there are pockets of damp grassy bog.
The park is famous for its wildflowers (including 120 species of orchid), which grow like mad after the rains (November to April), and attract a broad array of wildlife.
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Most common are the large roan antelope and the smaller reedbuck; you'll also see zebra, warthog, blue monkey (in the woodlands) and over 250 species of bird.
Many people see the park from a car. Although you're not allowed to enter the park on foot, once you're inside you can stroll as much as you like - though you'll have to be accompanied by a park ranger for hikes of more than a few kilometres. It's also possible to ride a horse across the grasslands, allowing you to get closer to the game than in a car or on foot.
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LIWONDE NATIONAL PARK
Liwonde National Park is the best national park in the country, well-managed with a good stock of game and beautiful scenery. Lying south of Lake Malawi, it includes part of Lake Malombe and the Shire River. Thousands of hippos and crocodiles live in the Shire, and hundreds of elephants can be found in the park. There are several species of antelope and a pair of re-introduced rhinos. Most of the game can be seen in the northern part of the park. There's also great birdlife.
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Much of the park closes in the wet season (November to April), though the main lodge and camp stay open (you'll have to get there by boat). The park is located 205km southeast of Lilongwe. The main gate is 6km east of Liwonde, from where there's no public transport available to the park, but hitching is feasible, especially on weekends. Buses and trains run between the capital and Liwonde.
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LILONGWE
Nearly created whole in the late 1960s and early 1970s to become the country's new capital in 1975, Lilongwe is a sprawling place with limited interest for travellers. Although a day in this lively city could be interesting, with a visit to the market on Malangalanga Road, and a look into some of the old Indian spice and cloth shops.
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There is also a Nature Sanctuary on Kenyatta Road, which covers 150ha of indigenous woodland that escaped development. There's a wildlife information centre and several walking trails through the woods.
The Lingadzi River flows through the reserve bearing crocodiles. Birders prize the sanctuary highly for its ornithological variety. There are also several mammals roaming about, as well as a few hyenas, leopards and tigers in cages.
You can also visit the tobacco auction floors. Tobacco is Malawi’s most important cash crop, so this gives an interesting insight into the country’s trade. The public gallery at the tobacco auction floors at the vast Auction Holdings warehouse overlooks a space the size of several aircraft hangars, crammed with buyers, sellers and hundreds of bales of the weed displayed in long lines stretching across the floor. Groups of buyers move down the line talking rapidly to an auctioneer, snapping up a bale every six seconds. About 15,000 bales a day get moved in this fashion, making for an exhilarating scene. The sign on the wall of the main auction hall reads, 'Thank you for smoking.' The auction floors are located 7km (4mi) north of New Town and are reached most easily by car, although private tours and taxis can also get you there.
An interesting part of the city is Old Town, a few kilometres to the southwest, where you'll find the market, several restaurants and cafes, the bus station and a good range of accommodation. The heart of Old Town is the market, which is jammed with stalls selling everything from pots and pans, car and bike parts, empty plastic containers, fruit, vegetables, toothpaste, live chickens and dried fish. It's worth poking around even if you don't buy anything.
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NKHATA BAY
About 50 km from Mzuzu, lies Nkhata Bay. This is Malawi's most scenic lakeside town. It is difficult to imagine that this beautiful town is not somewhere on the Indian Ocean: there are beautiful stretches of white, sandy beaches lapped by the gentle waves of Lake Malawi. The Bay is actually a number of small bays, with winding dirt roads connecting them, and at each bay there are a number of different restaurants and hotels to give them all a very different feel.
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It is the northern rival of Cape Maclear as a great backpacker’s destination, with bays and beaches, hostel accommodation, a bustling market and good opportunities for kayaking and scuba diving. The Lake Malawi steamer also stops of here, and it is a busy fishing port with an interesting market full of fresh fish and vegetables. Lazy days can be spent lying on the beaches, and young traders will bring their wooden carved wares to you for bargaining.
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LAKE MALAWI
The islands of Chizumulu and Likoma are both fairly low-key places to unwind and take in the spare beauty of the surroundings in Lake Malawi. Likoma is the larger of the two. It's not exactly an island paradise, but it does have some excellent beaches and snorkelling, with baobab trees scattered about. It's a densely populated place, with 6000 people packed into 17 sq km.
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Although this northern island is in Mozambique waters, they are territorially Malawian. It is linked to the country by steamer, and is highly populated. The island is covered in plantations of cassava and rice.
The coastline is alternatively rocky, with a few sandy bays, as well as marshy in certain areas, and you need to watch out for crocodiles when swimming or snorkelling. It is best to ask the locals where the safe places are to swim. The market is an interesting and lively place, and a huge baobabs. There is a dhow ferry running between Likoma Island and Chizumulu Island, which is a good place to spend a day snorkelling or diving.
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