© Lonely Planet Publications 157 M a l a w i Flick through the glossy tourist brochures and the clichés come thick and fast. Malawi is ‘the warm heart of Africa’ or ‘Africa for beginners’, and its lake ‘the lake of stars’. It all seems too good to be true, but, with stunning and varied scenery and supremely friendly natives, along with the relative ease of travel here, Malawi really does live up to the hype. Malawi’s big draw is the lake – a magnificent shard of crystal water stretching some 500km along Malawi’s eastern border, separating it from the wild and mountainous coast of Mozambique and Tanzania. Isolated villages pepper the northern lakeshore, and the beautiful Liwonde National Park rests at its southern tip. Around 500 species of fish inhabit the lake, and the freshwater diving and snorkelling here are excellent. Malawi’s not just for waterbabies and sun worshippers though, there’s plenty here to keep you active, and Malawi’s landscape is surprisingly diverse. Head for the misty peaks of Mt Mulanje or to the Nyika Plateau, where you find sheer escarpments, dramatic peaks, endless rolling grassland and some of the most enjoyable hiking routes in the whole of Africa. MALAWI Many travellers only pass through the country for a couple of days on their way else- where, intent on racing through to Africa’s ‘bigger’ attractions. This is a shame, as Malawi has much to offer. Take some time to explore the highland wilderness, dive and swim in the lake’s warm waters, or simply soak up the vibrant local flavour and you’re sure to find yourself seduced. FAST FACTS Area: 118,484 sq km Capital: Lilongwe Country code: %265 Famous for: The lake, laid-back beach resorts and friendly locals Languages: English, Chichewa Money: Malawi kwacha Phrase: Muli bwanji? (How are you?) Population: 12 million 158 MALAWI •• Highlights lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com MALAWI •• History 159 can reach the wild open spaces of Vwaza 0 100 km southern Malawi from western Mozambique, MALAWI 0 60 mi HOW MUCH? Marsh ( p184 ) and Nyika Plateau ( p181 ) and displacing the Maravi, while groups of Zulu 100mL bottle of Nali (Malawi’s own the colonial hilltop town of Livingstonia migrated northward to settle in central and chilli sauce) US$0.80 ( p179 ). Then head for Nkhata Bay ( p188 ) northern Malawi (where they became known for some fun in the sun, before catching as the Ngoni). 30mL sachet of Malawi Gin US$0.30 T A N Z A N I A the Ilala ferry over to Likoma ( p192 ) and Live chicken US$2.50 Lake Chizumulu Islands ( p194 ). Charter a flight Rukwa The Rise of Slavery Mt Kaluwe Bottle of wine US$10-20 or wait for the Ilala to take you back to (2656m) Slavery, and a slave trade, had existed in Africa the mainland. for many centuries, but in the early 19th cen- Carving US$12 One month With a month or longer you Mbeya tury demand from outside Africa increased LONELY PLANET INDEX could encompass all of these highlights considerably. Swahili-Arabs, who dominated and more: check out the southern beach Tunduma Tukuyu the trade on the east coast of Africa, pushed Songwe Njombe 1L of petrol US$1 resorts of Cape Maclear ( p201 ); go hippo River Kyela into the interior, often using the services of spotting on a canoe in Liwonde National Chitipa Songwe powerful local tribes such as the Yao to raid 1L of bottled water US$2 Kaporo Park ( p206 ); or head to the little-visited Chisenga and capture their unfortunate neighbours. Karonga Bottle of Kuche Kuche US$0.90 Isoka Nganda but beautiful wilderness spots of the Peak (2607m) Several trading centres were established in Souvenir T-shirt US $10 Majete Wildlife Reserve ( p224 ) and Lengwe Ngara Malawi, including Karonga and Nkhotakota – Nyika Chilumba Muyombe NP Plate of chips US$1 National Park ( p224 ). towns that still bear a strong Swahili-Arab Mt Vitumbi Chitimba (2527m) ὈὈὈKatumbi Livingstonia influence today. Muhuju Songea Vwaza CLIMATE & WHEN TO GO Mbinga Marsh Rumphi HIGHLIGHTS Malawi has a single wet season, from No- Chama WR u Ruarwe Early Europeans a Usisya Lake Malawi ( p187 ) Explore the untouched vember to April, when daytime temperatures e Mbamba Bay The first Europeans to arrive in Malawi were M t 9 a Mzuzu islands by kayak, commune with the are warm and conditions humid. The best l Nkhata Bay Mitomani Portuguese explorers who reached the interior Z A M B I A P Mt under water world or kick back on a near- time to visit Malawi is during the dry season Mpamphala Chintheche from Mozambique. One of these was Gaspar (1954m) MALAWI deserted beach. from April/May to October. From May to Mzimba Bandawe Chizumulu Is (Malawi) Bocarro who, in 1616, journeyed from Tete M ὈὈὈM Likoma Is (Malawi) 1 Nyika National Park ( p181 ) A sweeping, July the landscape is attractive and vegetation 5 (on the Zambezi River) through the Shire Lundazi Lake Cóbuè Jenda Malawi magnificent wilderness filled with ante- green and lush, and temperatures cooler. The a y h p i V Valley to Lake Chilwa (to the south of Lake MOZAMBIQUE Dwangwa MALAWI lope and zebra, to be explored on foot, months of October and November, at the end Malawi), then through the south of what is Nkhotakota Metangula by bike or on horseback. of the dry season, are the best time for wildlife WR Mphonde now Tanzania and back into Mozambique. Mt Mulanje ( p219 ) Hike the majestic peaks viewing; however, the temperatures can be un- Kasungu Kasungu Nkhotakota The most famous explorer to reach this area NP Mbobo and take in the dramatic views. comfortably hot. Average daytime maximums M M was David Livingstone from Scotland, whose 1 7 Lichinga Liwonde National Park ( p206 ) Cruise past in the lower areas are about 21°C in July and ὈὈὈNtchisi Peak exploration heralded the arrival of Europeans Ntchisi hippos and crocs on the Shire River, or 26°C in January. In highland areas, average Mponela (1705m) in a way that was to change the nature of the Mt Chiponde Dowa Senga (1607m) Bay take a walking safari and get up close and daytime temperatures in July are between 10°C LILONGWE region forever. Mchinji Salima Cape Mt Msondole personal with the elephants. and 15°C, while in September they reach 20°C Chipoka Maclear (1800m) Munduni (2056m) Monkey Off the beaten track ( p225 ) Head to the and above. See p742 for climate charts. Bay Livingstone & the First Missionaries Dzalanyama Dedza Mtn Mua little visited swamplands of the Elephant (2198m) Dedza Chiponde Livingstone’s first foray into Malawi was un- Mangochi Mandimba Marsh to enjoy some of the best bird- HISTORY Mt ChirobweὈὈLake planned. Returning to Africa in 1858, after a watching in Malawi. The pre-colonial history of Malawi is linked (2023m) M Malombe short spell drumming up missionary support M O Z A M B I Q U E 1 Ulongwe Liwonde NP Nayuchi to the history of Southern Africa as a whole. Balaka back home, he found his planned route up the Liwonde ITINERARIES For more detail see p37 . Zomba M Zambezi was blocked at Cahora Bassa, so he Matope Lake Plateau 3 Chilwa Three days Head down to Senga Bay ( p198 ) Zomba followed a major Zambezi tributary called the Songo Mwanza Mwinje from Lilongwe ( p167 ) for a couple of days Early Migrations (1458m) Shire into southern Malawi. He reached Lake Zóbuè Blantyre Phalombe of sun worshipping, then visit the mu- Since the first millennium, the Bantu people Majete Limbe Mt Malawi in September 1859, named it Lake ὈὈὈWR Mulanje Mulanje seum at the Mua Mission ( p200 ) for an eye- had been migrating from Central Africa into Chikwawa M (3001m) Nyasa and provided fodder for thousands of Tete Zambezi Lengwe ὅὅThyolo 2 Muloza opening glimpse into Malawi’s cultural the area now occupied by Malawi. Migration NP tourist brochures to come by reportedly dub- Nchalo Milange heritage. to the area stepped up with the arrival of the Elephant Mchacha James bing it the ‘lake of stars’. He returned in 1861 Marsh River ὅὅMakhanga One week Head down to Blantyre ( p212 ) Tumbuka and Phoka groups, who settled Bangula with some fellow missionaries to establish a Mwabvi through the hills and waterfalls of the around the highlands of Nyika and Viphya GR mission in the Shire Highlands, and later on Zomba Plateau ( p210 ), then meander during the 17th century, and the Maravi ὈNsanje the Lower Shire. In 1864, ravaged by malaria through Malawi’s stunning tea planta- people (from whom the modern-day Chewa Marka and other illnesses, and plagued by conflict tions before getting in some hiking on are descended), who established a large and LEGEND with slave-traders and local people, the sur- the misty peaks of Mt Mulanje ( p219 ). powerful kingdom in the south. GR Game Reserve viving missionaries withdrew to Zanzibar. NP National Park Two weeks Head north from Lilongwe The early 19th century brought with it two WR Wildlife Reserve In 1866 Livingstone returned to Malawi ( p167 ) to Mzuzu ( p185 ), from where you more significant migrations. The Yao invaded again, on his quest to find the source of the 160 MALAWI •• History lonelyplanet.com lonelyplanet.com MALAWI •• History 161 Nile. He died near the village of Chief Chi- Colonial rule brought with it an end to tambo, southeast of Lake Bangweulu in slave-traders and intertribal conflicts, but it BANNING THE PRESS David Else Zambia, in 1873. also brought a whole new set of problems. It’s worth noting that it wasn’t only works of literature that incurred the wrath of President Banda.