The North
The road from Kasungu to Mzuzu, a hitherto little-visited town in the north of the country, runs through the hilly grasslands of the Viphya Plateau. Further north near the Livingstonia Mission is the Livingstonia Escarpment and the Manchewe Falls in beautiful surroundings. There is a museum in Livingstonia. The entire region has recently become more popular with visitors. Mzuzu has a first class hotel and various smaller facilities and is a good base for trips to Nyika National Park and Nkhata Bay at. Another wildlife park in this region is the beautiful Vwasa Marsh Game Reserve.
- Andyeducation: Introduction to education system in Malawi, including compulsory schooling and higher education.
National parks
Malawi has five major national parks that are open to visitors.
The Nyika National Park in the far north is open all year round. The park, at an altitude of 2000-3000 m, covers almost the entire Nyika plateau. Rushing streams, coniferous forests, deep valleys and rolling grasslands are characteristic of this region. Rare birds, butterflies, big game and a wealth of flowers make every trip an experience. Chelinda Camp is perched high on the edge of a coniferous forest. From here you have a wonderful view over the reservoir. Accommodation is in cottages with an open fireplace. Chowo Forest near Chelinda is ideal for hiking and is one of the park’s last remaining natural forests.
The Vwasa Marsh Game Reserve is west of Mzuzu. A new camp with luxury cabins overlooks Lake Kazumi. Elephants, buffalo, rhinos and countless bird species live here in their natural habitat. The landscape consists partly of forests, open grasslands and wetlands. This reserve is a piece of untouched nature.
The Kasungu National Park is an approximately 2000 square km large forest area in the north-west of the middle region. It is 112 km away from Lilongwe. The main attraction of the park are the elephants that appear early in the morning and towards the evening to watch the Dambos or drinking river channels. The grasslands serve as food for the large herds of buffalo. The shy cheetahs, leopards and lions are rarely seen; Saber antelope, zebra, kudu and reedbuck, on the other hand, are widespread. Kasungu is usually open from early May to late December. Visitors can stay at the Lifupa Wildlife Lodge, a hotel complex of thatched cottages with a restaurant, swimming pool, day camp and basic toilet facilities.
The Lengwe National Park in the far southwest is only 130 sq km and is the northernmost habitat of the rare and shy nyala antelope. Bushbuck, Kudu, Hartebeest, Impala, Warthog and Duiker are also found here. All of these animals can be seen up close in hidden observation stands. Limited accommodation options are available at Lengwe Game Camp.
The Liwonde National Park stretches across the plains of the Shire Valley from Lake Malombe in the north to the urban area of Liwondes in the south. In rented boats you can drive through the reed swamps and watch hippos, elephants and waterbucks at the drinking trough. Forest and steppe animals such as sable antelope, kudu, duiker and baboons can be seen on car or bus trips. A waterbird sanctuary provides nesting sites for herons, ducks, geese, kingfishers and cormorants. The park is closed between November and May. Camping and cooking facilities are available at Mvuu Camp, operated by Wilderness Safaris. There are plans to establish a boat service between a hotel on the southern tip of Lake Malawi and the Liwonde Dam. For more information, please contact the Department of Tourism (seeaddresses ).
Established in 1980, Lake Malawi National Park encompasses the southern and central parts of the lake. Tropical fish are the main attraction here. Inland you can find klipspringers, bushbuck and vervet monkeys. The park is open all year round. Campsites are available. Good places to stay include Nkopola Lodge, Club Makokola , Mulangeri and Palm Beach.
In addition to the national parks, there are a number of other nature and landscape protection areas in which there are currently no accommodation options for visitors. Majete Game Reserve is approximately 40 miles north of Lengweis remote and poorly developed. It is home to numerous species of animals, including hippos, elephants and big cats. Southeast of Lengwe is the Mwabvi Game Reserve, home to small numbers of black rhino, impala, zebra and sable antelope. Other protected areas include the Nkhotakota Game Reserve in the middle region, Lizard Island near Salima, the Lilongwe Conservation Area in the capital and Michiru Mountain Park near Blantyre, a bird watchers paradise.
The South
Blantyre, the business center of the southern region, was established at the end of the last century. It actually consists of two towns: Blantyre and Limbe, which are about 7 km apart and separated by an industrial area. Halfway between Blantyre and Limbe, off the main road, is the National Museum. Excursions can also be made to the Church of St. Michael and All Angels as well as the Mandala House, the oldest European building in Malawi.
Southwest of Blantyre is Lengwe, the country’s smallest national park (see below). 60 km north of Blantyre is the university town of Zomba, which has an excellent market. A detour to Mount Zomba with its waterfalls, streams teeming with fish, spruce shelters and rare orchids is worthwhile. Its foothills frame one of the most beautiful golf courses in Africa on a terrain with streams, small waterfalls, trees and rock formations. Nearby is Chingwe’s Hole, said to be so deep that it cannot be measured. The extensive tea-growing areas from which the Mulanje massif rises extend in the south-east. At Sapitwa a peak towers over 3000 m high. Mulanje offers tourists a lot of variety, you can go mountaineering, hiking or, less strenuous, trout fishing. Paths and firebreaks open up most of the regions of the massif. Well-kept forest huts are ideal resting places for forays into the surrounding forests and mountains.
