Top tourist attractions in Malawi
Here is a list of top tourist attractions in Malawi. Only the topmost tourist destinations are presented here. To see other destinations, please check the images from Malawi section.
Curious if any of these place from Malawi made it our best tourist attractions in the world list? Read the aformentioned article in order to find out.
You can also view all tourist attractions in Malawi and other countries on our tourist attractions map.
Lake Malawi National Park
Lake Malawi National Park is a national park located in Malawi at the southern end of Lake Malawi. It is the only national park in Malawi that was created to protect fish and aquatic habitats. Despite this, Lake Malawi National Park does include a fair amount of land, including several small islands in Lake Malawi. It is also home to other animals such as baboons. A large baobab tree, purportedly over 800 years old, is said to have been a favourite of Dr. David Livingstone as a place where he could give sermons and speak with other missionaries. The graves of five early missionaries are also found in the park. The many endemic fish species make it a key example of specialized evolution. For this characteristic, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Fishes of Lake Malawi 1. Fishes in Lake Malawi World’s Interest to Lake Malawi Lakes, rivers and oceans are the three major environments where fish live. Since a lot of water is kept closed inside a lake, the environment of the lake does not change easily. It is also true, however, that a lake environment cannot be recovered easily once it has been damaged. The life-span of a lake is generally about some 10,000 years, with the lake keep becoming shallower due to silt from the rivers. However, Lake Malawi and other African Great Lakes have an especially long history and they are still becoming deeper as a result of tectonic action. Lake Malawi is thought to be about 3,000,000 years old.
Lake Chilwa is the second-largest lake in Malawi after Lake Malawi. It is in eastern Zomba District, near the border with Mozambique. Approximately 60 km long and 40 km wide, the lake is surrounded by extensive wetlands. There is a large island in the middle of the lake called Chisi Island. The lake has no outlet, and the level of water is greatly affected by seasonal rains and summer evaporation. In 1968, the lake disappeared during exceptionally dry weather. When David Livingstone visited the lake in 1859, he reported that its southern boundary reached as far as the Mulanje Massif, which would have made the lake at least 20 miles longer than it is today. The Danish International Development Agency has been working to ensure preservation of the lake and its wetlands. 335 villages with over 60,000 inhabitants engage in fishing the lake, and pull in over 17,000 metric tons each year, 20% of all the fish caught in Malawi. The lake supports a waterbird population of around 1.5 million with about 160 different species. Some of these migrate along the Asian - East African Flyway from Siberia each year. With twelve bird species, the number is over 1% of their total flyway population. The surrounding human population is dense and growing, and waterbirds are hunted for food when the water level is low and fishing is problematic. Efforts are being made to ensure that hunting is done in a sustainable manner.
Liwonde National Park
Liwonde National Park is a national park in Malawi. It is located on the upper Shire River plain, east of the river, 140 km north of Limbe. Its southern gate lies about 6 km from the town center of Liwonde, and is accessible by bicycle taxi or walking. There are several affordable lodges near this entrance gate, the most famous being Liwonde Safari Camp and Bushmen's Baobab. The one main lodge inside the park is Mvuu Camp. All lodges provide accommodations and game viewing on walking tours, drives, and boat/canoe trips. The park is home to several species of antelope, elephants, buffalo, crocodiles, hippopotamus and many other mammals. Also there are more than 400 species of bird found in this park.
Nyika National Park
Nyika National Park is Malawi’s largest national park, with an area of 3200 km².
Kasungu National Park
Kasungu National Park is a national park in Malawi. It is located west of Kasungu, about 175 km north of Lilongwe, extending along the Zambian border. Kasungu National Park, established in 1970, is the second largest in Malawi at 2,316 km² and lying at approximately 1,000m above sea level on average. It is located in the Central Region approximately 165km north of Lilongwe. The vegetation consists mainly of Miombo woodland with grassy river channels, known locally as Dambos. A number of rivers flow through the park, notably the Dwanga and the Lingadzi and its tributary, the Lifupa, which creates an important spot for hippo surveyal in the park at the Lifupa Lodge. Kasungu is known for its population of elephants although is threatened by poaching. Other animals native to the park include Sable antelope, roan antelope, kudu, impala and hartebeest and zebra and buffalo. Predators in Kasungu National Park include, hyena, wild dog and serval. Most years the park is closed during March, during the wet season. The park is warm from the months of September to May and cooler from June to August. During the summer months a large variety of birds migrate to the park and bird watching is common between June and September.
Chongoni Rock Art Area
Chongoni Rock Art Area is located in the Central Region of Malawi. This was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006.
Lengwe National Park
Lengwe National Park is a national park in Malawi located near the town of Chikwawa and about 40 miles southwest of Blantyre. Lengwe's topography is unusual for Malawi and consists of open deciduous forests and dense thickets. It is the home of the reclusive Nyala antelope. The climate of Lengwe is hot and dry, and the only source of consistent water is from the rain. Many man-made water holes have been constructed to attract and maintain the animal population. The government operates the Nyala Lodge for visitors.
Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve
Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve is a nature reserve founded in 1927 in Malawi. It is operated by the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust.
Nkhotakota Game Reserve
Nkhotakota Game Reserve is a national game reserve in Malawi. It is located at Nkhotakota. According to Lonely Planet it has a significant elephant population. The reserve is also home to several antelope species, buffalo, and leopards. Several large rivers cross this reserve.