Malawi Travel Guide

A Malawi Travel Guide for people traveling through Malawi as well as an Information Guide for Malawi. There is no country in all of Africa that has its geography so sculptured and determined by Africa's Great Rift Valley, the 3000 kilometer long geological formation that bisects much of Africa from Egypt to Botswana.

Towering mountains, lush, fertile valley floors and enormous crystal-clear lakes are the hallmark of much of the Rift Valley. This is what Malawi is all about. It is a little known gem of a country in the heart of Central Southern Africa that offers a true African experience at a relatively minimal cost.

Malawi is landlocked. It is a long and narrow country, covering more than 1000 km from north to south. Lake Malawi, nearly 600 km long and up to 80 km wide, dominates the countryside. When David Livingstone arrived at the lakeshore in 1861, he was the first foreign explorer to see the lake. He was so in awe that he started missions here.

Kasungu National Park

This park is Malawi's second largest park.The park's vegetation consists of natural woodland, and bush. Poaching has decreased the numbers of some species of animals but there is still a variety of wildlife to be seen, and Kasungu provides some of the best game viewing in the country.
Kasungu National Park

Lake Malawi National Park

This National Park, was appointed as a national park in 1980 to protect the unique diversity of tropical fish inhabitating its waters, nearly all of them being endemic to the park, which makes the underwater game viewing just as spectacular as the game viewing on land.
Lake Malawi National Park

Lengwe National Park

Lengwe National Park is most renowned for its nyala antelope, which is not seen in the more northern parks of Malawi. With the parks dense vegetation sightings of animals are harder than in Malawi's other national parks. The parks bird life is very attractive, with over 300 species recorded.
Lengwe National Park

Liwonde National Park

The vegetation of Liwonde National Park is extremely diverse and ranges from swamps to grassland in the better drained areas, whilst in other areas there is some woodland and other, dense woodland. The park features the largest elephant population in all of Malawi's parks.
Liwonde National Park

Majete Wildlife Reserve

This Reserve is off the main M1 road, forty miles south of Blantyre, in the Lower Shire Valley. Many animals have been translocated into Majete Wildlife Reserve during 2006. The Reserve's infrastructure has been upgraded, including the construction and maintenance of 150km of new roads.
Majete Wildlife Reserve

Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve

With an area of under 350km², Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve is Malawi's smallest national park and because of the parks remoteness it is also the least accessible. Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve features a wide variety of habitats including woodland as well as open savanna and riverine areas.
Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve

Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve

Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve's vegetation is mainly woodland and rain forest, making game viewing sometimes difficult, the reserve is a paradise for birdwatchers and those that enjoy sport fishing. Nkhotakota is difficult to access because there are few roads or drive able tracks.
Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve

Nyika National Park

Nyika is Malawi's largest park with an area of no less than 3200 km². The name, Nyika means "where the water comes from" as the plateau's elevation makes it wetter. There is a wide variety of wildlife to be seen and the majestic scenery of Nyika National Park makes your visit worthwhile.
Nyika National Park

Vwasa Wildlife Reserve

Vwasa Wildlife Reserve's vegetation consists mainly of plain and marsh. The parks birdlife is plentiful, with more than 300 recorded species. Herds of thirty or forty elephants are regularly seen in Vwasa Wildlife Reserve with Lake Kazuni being famous for its hippo population.
Vwasa Wildlife Reserve

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