An Overview of Malawi

When I told a South African colleague that I was heading to Malawi, they exclaimed, “Wow! Heading into deepest, darkest Africa, huh?” It was an indication that not even hardened travel veterans put Malawi on their radar. Yes, many folks know Lake Malawi—it is the dominant geographical landmark of the country. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find another country so singularly tied to a single physical feature.
And I must confess, I have been drawn to Lake Malawi since I stumbled across a book about it in the library when I was around ten years old (admittedly, a long time ago). It described how the lake formed from the Great Rift Valley and was nestled snugly by the surrounding mountain ranges. Plus, it noted, there were all the cichlids—hundreds of different species of fish found nowhere else in the world except in Lake Malawi.
But Malawi offers so much more than its fantastic namesake lake. There is history to be absorbed (from the Bantu peoples migration, to the arrival of the Portuguese and Arab slave traders to Dr. David Livingstone, onward to its time as the British colony [Nyasaland] to independence). The people are so friendly and welcoming that Malawi is know as the “Warm Heart of Africa,” and they won’t disappoint. And there are hiking and climbing opportunities on the Zomba Plateau with Mount Mulanje.
But what gets overlooked is the safari potential. Malawi has made great strides in preserving natural habitats and helping threatened species rebound or relocate. The result is several areas you can visit for game viewing that have an abundance of wildlife with very few other humans around.

I thought I would give you a quick overview of how I got there and the area, then I’ll jump into the big four areas I visited in the next sections.
I started in South Luangwa National Park in neighboring Zambia and drove overland to the Malawian border. As is required, I applied for an e-visa before departing on my trip. However, I failed to pack a hard copy of the e-visa and was held up by a very strict immigration officer. Luckily, the folks escorting me where able to find a solution, but that experience drove home the point—keep a copy of that e-visa with you! Note: air arrivals usually have an easier time than crossing a land border.
We drove to Lilongwe, the capital, and stayed in Kumbali Lodge, which is apparently where Madonna stays when she visits. It is quaint and fairly secluded, but know this—the roads are not great. Not in the city and certainly not in the countryside. Malawi gets big swings in weather that good roads just don’t last. Speaking of weather, for optimal game viewing, I recommend visiting between May to October when it is warm to hot during the day and more pleasant in the evenings. For birders, November to April would be ideal as resident species are bolstered by migratory visitors.

From Lilongwe, I flew to Blantyre, the colonial capital. It was a short flight, about 40 minutes gate to gate. But knowing what I know about the roads, it was well worth it. Driving to Blantyre could range from four to six hours, depending on road conditions, traffic, and other factors. The flight was lovely.
And from Blantyre, you are close to Majete Wildlife Reserve and the Zomba Plateau. And then you can work your way up to Liwonde National Park and and the Shire Valley before you reach Lake Malawi at Cape Maclear. That was my route, and I’ll give more details on each stop.