Malawi is bordered by Tanzania to the north, Zambia to the west, Mozambique
to the south, south-east and south-west and Lake Malawi to the east. Malawi
is well known as the warm heart of Africa. Its people are very friendly and
the country has developed a strong tradition of welcoming foreign tourists
and making them feel at home.
The main feature of the country and its primary tourist attraction is Lake
Malawi. The lake is 584 kilometres long and forms part of the southern
extension of the Great Rift Valley. A number of tourist lodges and hotels
have been established on the lakeshore and the Cape Maclear National Park
provides access to one of the most beautiful areas on the lakeshore.
A number of reserves preserve a wide variety of bio-diversity within the country
ranging from Kasungu National Park, the highland moorlands of Nyika National Park,
tropical riverine forests, lakes and rivers in Liwonde National Park, to the hot
and sultry bushlands of the Shire River Valley south of Blantyre and Mount Mulanje
on Malawi's south-eastern border with Mozambique.
Situation
Malawi is bordered by Tanzania to the north, Zambia to the west, Mozambique to the
south, south-east and south-west and Lake Malawi to the east. Malawi is well known
as the warm heart of Africa. Its people are very friendly and the country has
developed a strong tradition of welcoming foreign tourists and making them feel at
home.
Lake Malawi
The main feature of the country and its primary tourist attraction is Lake Malawi.
The lake is 584 kilometres long and approximately 84 kilometres wide and forms part
of the southern extension of the Great Rift Valley. A number of tourist lodges and
hotels have been established on the lakeshore and the Cape Maclear National Park
provides access to one of the most beautiful areas on the lakeshore.
Mountains and National Parks
Kasungu National Park is Malawi's premier wildlife reserve with a wide variety of big
game and other wild creatures, which inhabit the area. A number of other reserves
preserve a wide variety of bio-diversity within the country ranging from the highland
moorlands of Nyika National Park, tropical riverine forests, lakes and rivers in Liwonde
National Park, to the hot and sultry bushlands of the Shire River Valley south of Blantyre.
Mount Mulanje on Malawi's south-eastern border with Mozambique rises dramatically above
the surrounding plains and is a mecca for walkers, birders and outdoor enthusiasts. The
summit areas are reminiscent of the vegetation of the mountains of the south-western Cape
in South Africa, 3 500 kilometres to the south-west, and temperatures can plummet
dramatically in sharp contrast to the sultry, tropical climate experienced at the base
of the mountain.
Travelling
Malawi is connected regionally by air to South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya.
Internationally, Malawi is connected by air to the United Kingdom via Zambia. Road
connections through the Tete Corridor in Mozambique from Zimbabwe are good. Road connections
via Mbeya in southern Tanzania and Chipata in Zambia provide the easiest road connections
into Malawi. Road connections to Mozambique are very poor. The internal road network is
relatively good.
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