Malawi

Landlocked Malawi is a small but stunningly varied country, lying within the Great Rift Valley in southern Africa. Known as 'The Warm Heart of Africa' Malawi's people are as friendly as its name suggests.

The country’s main feature is Lake Malawi – an inland sea 350 miles long that occupies a fifth of the country’s total area. Fringed with sandy beaches and fishing villages, the lake is popular for watersports and has some of the best freshwater diving sites in the world.

Malawi has long been a favourite of both Original Travel and Tim Best Travel, so while the lake is the focal point for tourism, we can recommend much more to see besides. There are scenic highlands such as the Nyika Plateau in the north and the Mt Mulanje region in the south – both of which offer excellent trekking. One of the best parks for game viewing is Liwonde, most of which comprises the wide flood plain of the Shire River that flows out of the lake. The Vwaza Marshes also provide good game-viewing and budding botanists should enjoy the 200-plus species of orchid that grow here. Finally, for a most unusual and enjoyable holiday try a riding safari up on the montane grasslands of Nyika among the resident wildlife.

Each of Malawi’s regions, and the country as a whole, can offer itineraries at upmarket and mid-market levels. They can be relaxed, or packed with a variety of activities. There are also plenty of specialist niche activities/tours which can be catered for, including: cycling; diving; eco-tourism; trekking; birdwatching; weddings & honeymoons; and many more.

Nowadays it’s also fairly straightforward to combine sections of Malawi with neighbouring Zambia, particularly as Lilongwe is so close to the South Luangwa National Park, making Malawi the perfect 'beach add-on' to a Zambia safari. Malawi and Tanzania or Mozambique can also be combined in a wider itinerary using air charters.