Malawi

Liwonde National Park

Malawi's flagship wildlife destination, set along the Shire River where floodplains, mopane woodland, and riverine forest converge. A decade of intensive conservation work by African Parks has transformed Liwonde: lion and cheetah have been reintroduced, elephant populations have stabilised, and rare species like sable antelope and black rhino are being brought back. Boat safaris on the Shire River past wallowing hippos and basking crocodiles are among the most atmospheric wildlife experiences in southern Africa.

Lake Malawi

One of the African Great Lakes and the southernmost lake in the East African Rift, stretching 580 kilometres between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania. It holds more species of freshwater fish than any other lake in the world, most of them found nowhere else on earth. Known as Lake Niassa in Tanzania and Mozambique, its clear warm waters make for exceptional snorkelling; the shoreline villages of fishermen launching dugout canoes at dawn are as timeless as anything in Africa.

Mt Mulanje

A massive granite massif rising abruptly from the surrounding tea estates to over 3,000 metres, often called "the island in the sky." Newly designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it offers serious multi-day hiking through montane forest, past natural waterfalls and water springs, and across plateaus rich in endemic flora found nowhere else on earth. Local guides from the villages at the mountain's base bring a depth of knowledge about the ecology and traditions of the massif that formal guides rarely match.

Lilongwe

The capital of Malawi: a quiet, green, unhurried city that splits into the colonial Old Town and the planned new capital built in the 1970s. The Lilongwe Wildlife Centre rescues and rehabilitates animals destined for the illegal trade. The craft markets in Old Town sell genuinely local work. It is a city that asks nothing of you, and is better for it.

Blantyre

Malawi's commercial capital and largest city, set in the Shire Highlands at nearly 1,000 metres. Named after David Livingstone's birthplace in Scotland, it retains colonial architecture, a lively market culture, and proximity to both Mt Mulanje and the Shire River. The St Michael and All Angels Church, built entirely by Scottish missionaries and local workers between 1888 and 1891, is one of the most remarkable colonial buildings in southern Africa.