Malawi map & highlights
Aside from the boats that tack between shore and islands on Lake Malawi, travel in Malawi is by road and road alone. By African standards, the roads are good; they’re tarmacked, but potholes, people and animals may slow you down, so don’t expect speedy progress. Moving between the wildlife parks of the south and Lake Malawi involves travel times of between two and six hours. Small group adventures of two weeks or more often combine Malawi with a mix of neighbouring countries – Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique – traveling overland to scoop up a huge gulp of southeastern Africa.
Our Malawi Vacations
Malawi self drive vacation
Discover Malawi at your own pace on this self-drive trip
From
£3150
10 days
ex flights
Zambia & Malawi small group safari
Unique adventure safari kayaking, game viewing & hiking
From
US $3450
16 days
ex flights
Malawi tailor made vacation
A luxury guided trip introducing you to magnificent Malawi
From
£3250
13 days
ex flights
Malawi & Zambia culture and nature tour
Explore Malawi's unique areas and Zambia's National Park
From
£2625 to £3095
15 days
ex flights
Malawi tailor made vacations
Magical Malawi combined with a walking safari in Zambia
From
£3375 to £5600
13 days
ex flights
Malawi volunteering vacation
Volunteer at Africa's top wildlife sanctuary
From
£1370 to £4350
14 days
ex flights
Malawi safari and beach vacation
A gorgeous two-center Malawi safari and beach vacation
From
£3200
10 days
ex flights
7 day veterinary medicine course in Malawi
Wildlife veterinary course at top African sanctuary
From
£1000
8 days
ex flights
Veterinary externship in Malawi
Gain veterinary experience at Africa's top sanctuary
From
£1370 to £4350
14 days
ex flights
Malawi conservation volunteering experience
2-12weeks exploring and researching the Wild Heart of Africa
From
£1370 to £4350
14 days
ex flights
Malawi wildlife conservation vacation
.Aid animal conservation at the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre!
From
£1507 to £4785
15 days
ex flights
Student research placement in Malawi
Conduct your own independent research in beautiful Malawi
From
£1360 to £6970
4 weeks
ex flights
Malawi short safari in Liwonde
Discover Liwonde, a world-class wildlife-watching destination
From
£2495 to £5050
6 days
ex flights
Zambia and Malawi tailor made safaris
A fabulously varied itinerary including waterfalls wildlife and lakes
From
US $11393
15 days
ex flights
Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe expedition safari
Expedition trip through Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.
From
US $4070
20 days
ex flights
Malawi safari vacation in Majete
Exciting safari to Malawi's Majete Wildlife Reserve
From
£2250 to £4650
6 days
ex flights
Safari adventure vacation, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique
An extraordinary camping safari across South Eastern Africa
From
US $3030
22 days
ex flights
Zambia safari and Malawi beach vacation
This wonderful combination of safari & beach will suit all.
From
£4500
11 days
ex flights
East African budget overland tour
3-week wildlife odyssey in the heart of East Africa
From
£2299
20 days
ex flights
Malawi wildlife safari, off the beaten track
Adventurous safari to little-visited Northern Malawi
From
£1695
11 days
ex flights
Malawi & Zambia vacation, safari & beach
An unique and unusual safari and beach combination
From
£6105
13 days
inc UK flights
Malawi animal conservation and safari vacation
The perfect trip for animal lovers and adventurers
From
£1800
15 days
ex flights
Zambia safari and Lake Malawi, tailor made
Safari and Beach with a difference, Zambia and Malawi
From
£6105
13 days
inc UK flights
Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe expedition
Expedition through the wildlife havens of Zimbabwe & Zambia
From
US $3350
20 days
ex flights
1.
Kuti Wildlife Reserve
2. Lake Malawi
3. Likoma Island
4. Lilongwe
5. Liwonde National Park
6. Mount Mulanje
7. Nyika National Park
8. Shire Highlands
9. Thyolo
10. Zomba Plateau
2. Lake Malawi
3. Likoma Island
4. Lilongwe
5. Liwonde National Park
6. Mount Mulanje
7. Nyika National Park
8. Shire Highlands
9. Thyolo
10. Zomba Plateau
Kuti Wildlife Reserve
1. Kuti Wildlife Reserve
This 2,000 hectare community owned reserve just outside the town of Salima is a patchwork of diverse habitat, with woodland and grasslands, wetlands and marshes. It’s home to a good range of large mammals, including giraffes, wildebeest, impala and zebra, and its herds of sable antelope can number 100 or more. Take an afternoon game drive, walk or hop on your bike to explore.
Lake Malawi
2. Lake Malawi
An iridescent inland sea fringed by a shoreline of golden sand, Lake Malawi puts you instantly in mind of the Caribbean – minus the crowds. Peppered with gorgeous wooden lodges tucked away along the tree line, Lake Malawi is often where people go post-safari to really relax, though kayaking, scuba diving and snorkelling are just a few of the watersports that energetic travelers can pursue.
Likoma Island
3. Likoma Island
Lying off the eastern shore of Lake Malawi, Likoma Island is an intriguing little slice of Malawian territory just 7km from Mozambique. A natural nirvana of white sand, transparent turquoise water and swaying palms, it is the larger of two neighbouring inhabited islands and has a sizeable cathedral decorated beautifully with stained glass and carved soapstone.
Lilongwe
4. Lilongwe
Malawi’s capital doesn’t feature heavily on tours, which usually just stop here to stock up on supplies before heading on to Lake Malawi, but any time spent here will immerse you in a sprawling and slightly chaotic city, busy with markets and commerce. Malawi’s only wildlife sanctuary lies right at the city’s heart, where you can volunteer, learning about rehabilitation techniques and caring for resident animals.
Liwonde National Park
5. Liwonde National Park
Egrets resting on the backs of hippos; families of elephants bathing in the river; and countless crocodiles camouflaged against the banks – you will see all of these spine-tingling safari moments at Liwonde National Park, plus loads more. Packed with wildlife including leopards, black rhino and exceptional birdlife, you can safari on foot, on a dawn or dusk game drive, or by boat.
Mount Mulanje
6. Mount Mulanje
A bare mass of dark rock, rising to 3,000m, Mount Mulanje is crowned with clouds and influences rain patterns in the area. It looks like some sort of mystical, hooded soothsayer – apt, as there are many spiritual beliefs about the mountain entwined in local folklore. Drive, walk, or climb your way around it to find plateaus and valleys within which rivers rage.
Nyika National Park
7. Nyika National Park
Sat some 2,500m above sea level in Malawi’s north, Nyika National Park is especially atmospheric: vast, rolling scenery of lush grasslands, forested valleys and shimmering trout pools. You can choose a trekking, mountain biking or horse riding safari to explore the verdant landscape and it’s a birder’s Arcadia too with over 400 species being spotted including the endemic red-winged francolin.
Shire Highlands
8. Shire Highlands
The Shire Highlands of southern Malawi are home to a range of somewhat unsung attractions, including Game Haven, a park where giraffe, zebra, numerous antelopes and loads of birdlife live amongst indigenous forests and grasslands. Malawi’s second city, Blantyre, is here, too, founded by Scottish settlers in 1876 and named in honour of Blantyre in South Lanarkshire.
Thyolo
9. Thyolo
This district in the southeast forms the heart of Malawi’s tea producing region with rolling hills of immaculately cultivated, emerald green plantations and some of the oldest estates in the country. The Satemwa Tea estate was founded here in the 1920s by Scotsman Maclean Kay and you can take a tea tasting workshop. Nearby is Thyolo Mountain, a twitcher’s paradise with excellent views of the lower Shire Valley.
Zomba Plateau
10. Zomba Plateau
Underrated and really quite quirky, Malawi’s former capital, Zomba, is all at once a haunting throwback to colonial times – all disused dusty buildings including a decrepit cricket club – and very intriguing, with a lively market and welcoming, wide streets to explore. The Zomba Plateau is a great swathe of mountain criss-crossed by drivable, forested tracts alongside lakes and waterfalls.
Our top Malawi Vacation
Malawi self drive vacation
Discover Malawi at your own pace on this self-drive trip
From
£3150
10 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirements
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Malawi or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
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Travel times in Malawi
The following times give you a rough idea of the travel times between the main attractions in Malawi.
South Luangwa National Park, Zambia – Lilongwe: 4.5 hours
Lilongwe – Cape Maclear, Lake Malawi: 3.5 hours
Lilongwe – Kuti Wildlife Reserve: 1.5 hours
Kuti Wildlife Reserve – Mount Mulanje: 5 hours
Mount Mulanje – Liwonde National Park: 2.5 hours
Liwonde National Park – Cape Maclear, Lake Malawi: 2.5 hours
More about Malawi
The best time to visit Malawi is right after the December to March rainy season, when temperatures are warm, but not scorching, and the landscape is still lush and green.
Our Malawi travel guide will help you explore an African country that’s as well-known for its hospitable and friendly people as its wonderful wildlife parks including Nyika and Liwonde national parks.
Huge efforts have been made over the past decade or so to revitalise the country’s national parks and reserves, and a safari is now one of the essential things to do in Malawi.
Once run-down and depleted due to years of poaching and neglect, Malawi’s national parks and reserves are beginning to thrive, thanks to successful conservation programmes.
Also known as the Lake of Stars, Lake Malawi is part of the Great Rift Valley chain of lakes, and is the country’s top travel destination, ideal for snorkelling.
Liwonde National Park has some of the best river-based wildlife viewing in Africa, and recent conservation efforts have bolstered big game numbers.
Read insider tips from our vacation companies and fellow responsible travelers – on everything from the best way to get around Malawi to what to pack for a trip here.
The drive to make the tourism sector in Malawi more responsible is ever-increasing.
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