Why You Should Visit Malawi

Malawi, in Chichewa means fire and is a landlocked country in Southeast Africa bordering Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania. Malawi has a mixed of different tourism offerings and really should be on anyone’s radar. 

Malawi’s slogan is “the warm heart of Africa” which accurately depicts the warm hospitality that Malawian exhudes to welcome visitors. The country is working on making infrastructure more suitable for international travelers and there are huge pushes in tourism which makes it a very exciting time to visit. The main attractions in Malawi are safari (Liwonde, Majete and Nyika), Lake Malawi and Mulanje.

As Malawi is in the beginning of tourism development, the true luxury lodge are limited, but there are good midrange and budget options that will allow you to experience the beautiful country with a fraction of the cost comparing to neighboring countries.

Safari

In terms of safari, Liwonde which is connected to the Shire River, the longest river in Malawi offers a mix of land and water safari for visitors. The novelty that comes with Liwonde is that you won’t find other boats or vehicles to compete with the view. We had a beautiful sunset boat ride on the Shire river which allowed us to see lots a hippos up close and personal and accompanied with a fiery sunset. We spotted 5 lions during our game driver in the morning, the pride had an unsuccessful kill attempt as the warthogs escaped before the lions could close the chase. Lots of waterbucks, which is the primary antelopes here in Liwonde National Park. Elephants were easy to pot here and there is also successful translocation of rhino. Liwonde is about 4 hours from Lilongwe by road.

The big 5 park in Malawi is Majete. Majete is closer to Blantyre in south of Malawi, you can reach there by flight or a longer road transfer if you have time to spare. There are beautiful waterfalls and granite formations in Majete aside from the obvious draw.

Last but not least, Nyika National Park in the north of Malawi is a beautiful plateau with abundant birdlife and beautiful mix of grassland and wooded valleys. The recent cyclone has destroyed the road leading to Nyika as I am typing, however, in the recent Malawi International Tourism Expo, the country is enphasizing in fixing the infrastructure so visitors can see the beautiful Nyika again.

Lake Malawi

The biggest attraction of Malawi. Lake Malawi is the third largest lake in Africa and has the most colorful cichlids freshwater fish in the world and they are only found here in Lake Malawi. Being such a big lake, there are two main resort towns being Mangochi in the south and Salima in the north. However, if you are keen to do water activities like snorkeling and scuba diving, Cape MaClear about 1 hour away from Mangochi is the place to go. There in Cape MaClear you will also find the reception for Mumbo Island which is a beautiful eco lodge located in the middle of the lake with stunning rock formations, good service, a small boutique beach.

Luxury options around the lake are Kaya Mawa based in Likoma island and Pumulani in Lake MaClear.

Other larger and nice 4 star or 3.5 star resorts (in my own personal opinion) like Makokola Retreat in Mangochi are beautiful, relaxing and popular for good reasons. Makokola retreat has 2 pools and bars, a beautiful coffee lounge and by all means could ascend to a full five star if they wish to make the jump. However, lake activities can be limited in this region of the lake as a precaution due to some sightings of crocodiles. The highlight while staying here in Makokola Retreat is the proximity to the nearby village XXXX. You could walk or get a ride there or stay at the back of a local bicycle. The vibrant village welcomes you with bustling week day markets that sells second hand clothing, some new clothes, charms that can make someone fall madly in love with you and local cinema in which movie is played in thatched hut and one person translate english from the movie to local language (Yao or Chichewa) to the audience. Kids from the school will come say hi to new visitors and you are truly experiencing something authentic not a tourist site.

Mt Mulanje

Malawi has beautiful hill ranges and Mt Mulanje in the southern part of the country would be the most iconic of mountain range in Malawi. Getting up there is challenging but I have met experienced guides who are confident to make your trip safe and rewarding. 

I would love to hear from you on your upcoming trip to Malawi and any neighbouring countries. Do not hesitate to contact me via li@luxtrvlco.com