The country of Malawi is located in southeast Africa and has a population of about 14 million people. The capital city is Lilongwe and other major centers include Mzuzu,
Blantyre, Monkey Bay, Chilumba, Limbe, and Salima. The official language is English, but you’ll find that Chichewa is spoken by more people. The nation gained its independence from
Great Britain in 1964.
The best time to visit is the winter as it’s the driest. This is between May and October. June and July can be a bit cooler, especially throughout the highlands. In between November
and April it’s generally hot, humid and rainy and it can make driving pretty hard on unpaved roads.
Lilongwe is a pretty and green city as it’s filled with trees and grassy areas. It’s basically divided into the old town in the south and the new town in the north. The Lilongwe Nature
Sanctuary lies between the two sections and offers some wonderful scenery and wildlife.
The city of Blantyre is the country’s commercial and educational center as well
as the capital city of the Southern Region. It’s also close to
the Michiru Mountain Conservation Area.
Another good place to visit is the National Museum which sits between Blantyre and Limbe. This is an ideal place to learn about the local history and culture. Blantyre also has several
pubs, sports bars and restaurants.
The main airports are located in Lilongwe and Blantyre. You can get around Malawi by road, rail, air, and boat. The best way to see the countryside is by car, but beware that the roads
aren’t the greatest. You can also get taxis and buses. There is limited train service and it can sometimes be slow, but it’s another great way to see the scenery. There’s a passenger
ferry that runs on Lake Malawi between Chilumba and Monkey Bay and it stops at numerous charming villages and towns.
The countryside is wonderful and there are several exceptional places to view it. Lake Malawi National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to the most species of fish in
the world. There are also some interesting historical sites here, some of them dating back to the fourth century and many types of African wildlife on display. Cape Maclear is a
wonderful fishing village that sits on the lake and is an ideal place to view the local lifestyle.
The town of Salima has some fantastic resorts and beaches, including Livingstonia Beach Resort. It’s close to the Kuti Wildlife Park which is great for camping and barbequing. Mount
Mulanje is one of the best places for hiking. There are also many game reserves and national parks to enjoy the outdoors as well as activities.
The country’s restaurants and hotels offer European, Chinese, Korean and Malawi dishes. The fresh fish that comes from Lake Malawi is a specialty, especially Tilapia. There’s also some
good trout from local streams. Some of the other local dishes are white maize, vegetables, meat, banana bread, and sweet potato and cinnamon cookies. The locally brewed beer is quite
good as is the Malawi gin. The nightlife is relatively quiet, but some restaurants and hotels offer entertainment and dancing.
Malawi offers some of Africa’s most spectacular wildlife and scenery and there are plenty of activities to do and sites to see to keep yourself busy while visiting.
About Malawi