Malawi

Philip Briggs is a travel writer specialising in Africa. Born in the UK and raised in South Africa, he first backpacked between Nairobi and Cape Town in 1986 and has been travelling the highways and byways of Africa ever since. Published in 1991, his Bradt Guide to South Africa was the first such guidebook to be published internationally after the release of Nelson Mandela. Over the rest of the 1990s, he wrote a series of pioneering Bradt Guides to destinations that were then - and in some cases still are - otherwise practically uncharted by the travel publishing industry. These included the first dedicated guidebooks to Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Ghana and Rwanda (co-authored with Janice Booth). Philip has visited more than two dozen African countries in total and written about most of them, whether it be for guidebook publishers or for specialist travel and wildlife magazines including Africa Birds & Birding, Africa Geographic, BBC Wildlife, Travel Africa and Wanderlust.

Introduction ix
PART ONE GENERAL INFORMATION 1
Chapter 1 Background Information 3
Geography 3, Climate 4, History 4, Government and administration 22, Economy 22, People and culture 24
Chapter 2 Flora and Fauna 27
Vegetation 27, Conservation areas 29, Wildlife 31
Chapter 3 Practical Information 47
When to visit 47, Itineraries 47, Tourist information 50, Tour operators 50, Red tape 52, Getting there and
away 52, Safety 55, Women travellers 59, What to take 59, Electricity 61, Money and banking 61, Getting around 63,
Accommodation 66, Eating and drinking 67, Public holidays 69, Shopping 69, Media and communications 70, Cultural etiquette 73
Chapter 4 Health 75
Before you go 75, On the ground 80
PART TWO LILONGWE AND SOUTH-CENTRAL MALAWI 89
Chapter 5 Lilongwe 91
History 91, Getting there and away 94, Orientation 94, Getting around 95, Tourist information 96, Tour operators and safari companies 96, Where to stay 96, Where to eat 105, Entertainment and nightlife 107, Shopping 108, Sports and swimming 109, Other practicalities 109, What to see and do 111, Short trips from Lilongwe 113
Chapter 6 Senga Bay and Surrounds 119
Getting there and around 119, Where to stay 120, Where to eat 122, Shopping 122, Other practicalities 122, What to see and do 123
Chapter 7 Dedza and Surrounds 127
Dedza 127, Chongoni Rock Art Area 131, Mua Mission and surrounds 136
Chapter 8 Lake Malawi National Park 139
Monkey Bay 139, Cape Maclear (Chembe) 144, Inside Lake Malawi National Park 150
Chapter 9 Mangochi and the Southern Lakeshore 153
Mangochi 153, From Mangochi to Monkey Bay 156
PART THREE SOUTHERN MALAWI 163
Chapter 10 Liwonde 165
Liwonde Town 165, Liwonde National Park 168
Chapter 11 Zomba and Surrounds 177
Zomba town 177, Zomba Plateau 183, Lake Chilwa 187, Chikala Pillars 189
Chapter 12 Blantyre 191
History 191, Getting there and away 193, Orientation and
getting around 194, Tourist information 195, Tour operators and safari companies 195, Where to stay 195, Where to eat 201, Entertainment and nightlife 204, Shopping 204, Other practicalities 205, What to see and do 206
Chapter 13 Mulanje and Surrounds 211
Mulanje Town 211, The Mulanje ring road 215, Mulanje Massif 218, Thyolo 225
Chapter 14 Lower Shire Valley 227
Getting around 228, Chikwawa 228, Majete Wildlife Reserve 228, Lengwe National Park 232, Nchalo Sugar Estate 235, Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve 236, Bangula 237, Nsanje 237, Elephant Marsh 238
PART FOUR NORTH-CENTRAL MALAWI 243
Chapter 15 Inland from Lilongwe to Mzuzu 245
Ntchisi Forest Reserve 245, Kasungu 246, Kasungu National
Park 248, Mzimba 249, South Viphya Forest Reserve 250
Chapter 16 Nkhotakota and Surrounds 255
History 255, Getting there and away 256, Tourist information 256, Where to stay and eat 256, Shopping 257, Other practicalities 257, What to see and do 257, Beaches south of Nkhotakota 257, Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve 259
Chapter 17 The Lakeshore from Dwangwa to Chintheche 263
Dwangwa 263, Kande 264, Bandawe 265, Chintheche 267
Chapter 18 The Lake Ferry and the Islands 270
The Lake Ferry 270, Likoma Island 273, Chizumulu
Island 277
Chapter 19 Nkhata Bay 279
Getting there and away 279, Tour/activity operators 281,
Where to stay 282, Where to eat and drink 284,
Shopping 285, Other practicalities 285, Around Nkhata
Bay 286
PART FIVE NORTHERN MALAWI 289
Chapter 20 Mzuzu 291
History 291, Getting there and away 291, Tourist
information 293, Where to stay 293, Where to eat
and drink 295, Nightlife 296, Shopping 296, Other
practicalities 296, What to see and do 297
Chapter 21 Nyika and Vwaza 299
Rumphi 299, Nyika National Park 301, Further afield 306,
Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve 307
Chapter 22 Livingstonia and the Northern Lakeshore Resorts 311
Kandewe Cultural Heritage Site 311, The lakeshore from
Chiweta to Ngala 312, Livingstonia 315
Chapter 23 Karonga and the Far North 323
Karonga 323, Chitipa 328, Misuku Hills 329
Appendix 1 Language 331
Appendix 2 Further Information 335
Index 340
Index to advertisers 342