Mzanzi Travel - Local Travel Inspiration (Issue 5)

Explore Africa
Dedza-Salima Forest Reserve, Thuma Forest Reserve, Dowa Highlands and
Ntchisi Forest Reserve. Here you also find the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve
and the Kasungu National Park.
The closest point of Lake Malawi to Lilongwe is Senga Bay, an hour and
half’s drive from the airport and boasting a range of hotels and lodges
overlooking lovely beaches. Further north lies the lakeside town of
Nkhotakota, once a centre for the slave trade, whilst around the town
of Dwangwa a giant sugar estate covers most of the area. South-east of
Lilongwe is the ancient Chongoni Rock Art Area, a UNESCO World Heritage
Site and the densest cluster of stone-age rock art found in central Africa.
Nearby is Dedza, a pleasant forestry town that is home to a thriving arts
and crafts industry.
Southern Malawi
The Southern Malawi region is the country’s most populous and is
dominated economically by the old colonial town, Blantyre, with its
modern shops and a number of interesting historical buildings. Zomba was
the capital in colonial times and here you still find a gymkhana club, war
memorials and colonial buildings that are all worth a visit.
In terms of scenery the area is dominated by the great Shire Valley,
through which the Shire River drains Lake Malawi as it snakes southwards
to Mozambique and the sea. And while the region is Malawi’s lowest point,
just over a hundred kilometres away is Malawi’s highest mountain peak,
the great Mount Mulanje which towers over 3,000 metres high.
Dennis Richardson / Shutterstock
Southern Malawi has more national parks and wildlife reserves than any
other region of the country. They include Majete Wildlife Reserve which is
currently being re-stocked to become a ‘Big 5’ destination; Lengwe National
Park with its variety of antelope, including the beautiful nyala; Mwabvi
Wildlife Reserve which is now being developed under a community-based
conservation project; the Elephant Marsh notable for its birdlife; Liwonde
National Park, Malawi’s premier game park, which offers boat safaris in
addition to the usual walking and 4X4 safaris; and Lake Malawi National
Park at Cape Maclear.
Lake Malawi National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also in this
area, between the port of Monkey Bay and historic Mangochi you’ll find
the greatest concentration of hotels and lodges, dotted along a shoreline
of wonderful sandy beaches known as the Mangochi Lakeshore.
Northern Malawi
Image: Erichon / Shutterstock
Mzuzu is the regional capital of Northern Malawi, a small but rapidly
growing town. The north is characterised by its great highlands, plateaus
and mountains forming a forested spine running from Central Malawi to
Tanzania. Within this area is Nyika National Park, the largest in Malawi
covering some 3,200km2.
These northern Malawian highlands are also the cause of some of the
most dramatic shoreline along the lake, with fishing villages nestling at
the base of cliff-like escarpments accessible almost only by boat. Here
you will find Chintheche, with some of the most beautiful of Lake Malawi’s
Dennis Richardson / Shutterstock
MZANZI TRAVEL| www.mzanzitravel.co.za|ISSUE 5| 35