Travel Guide

Lilongwe travel guide

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Lilongwe is the official capital of Malawi and has grown over the years. The city started as a small fishing village, today it is the second largest city in Malawi, and an important trading center. Most of the commercial activities take place in here. Lilongwe is partitioned into an old town, a new and a modern quarter. The New Town has several commercial structures and buildings, the Old Town is still little backward and lacks development but has some charm attached to it.

Lilongwe is known as the Garden City, surrounded by flowering trees, fascinating sceneries, and awe-inspiring landscapes that complement its modern architecture and parklands. Most of the people visit this city in warmer months when several bright flowers are blooming, beautiful migratory birds can be seen and there is chirpiness all around.

More about Lilongwe

Tourist Attractions - Best Places to visit	Food	Shopping
Activities	Local Transport	Getting Around

Fast Facts

Country	Malawi.
Population	The total population estimated in 2008 was 866,272.
Languages	English is the official language. But Tumbuka, Chiyawo, Chilomwe are commonly spoken.
Currency	Kwacha.
Region	Central Region.
Geographic Coordination	13°59'S 33°47'E.
Climate and Weather	The city has a moderately warm climate with rainfall throughout the year.
Best Time to Visit	The recommended time to visit Lilongwe is from May to August.

Tourist Attractions - Best Places to visit

The best places to visit in Lilongwe are :

√ Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary and Wildlife Centre

This sanctuary is located in the heart of the city and is a home to a rich variety of wild animals. All those looking for wilderness and thrill, this is the perfect place to visit.

√ Lake Malawi National Park

It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its importance in the study of evolution.

√ Cape Maclear

Cape Maclear is a small fishing village on Lake Malawi.

√ Salima

It has several great resorts and lovely beaches, perfect place for leisure activities. You can relax and enjoy the silent moments.

Food

The town has a few good Indian and Chinese restaurants in both the Old and New area. They serve excellent food at very reasonable prices. Some of them are : -

Ali Baba's
Amina's Take Away
Buchannan's Grill

You can also try street food like there are plenty of street kiosks serving up fried food and greasy chips, chicken sandwich etc.

Shopping

If you are looking for western-style shopping then visit the Shoprite and the Nico Centre. Another shopping center, located near the Mchinji round-about is famous for expensive boutiques and brands. The Pacific Shopping Mall is a favorite hangout for the youngsters.

You can roam around and take pleasure in window shopping.

Activities

Lilongwe offers some of the very exhilarating and blood chilling activities like : -

Hiking
Mountaineering & Rock Climbing
Bird Watching
Sport Fishing
Scuba Diving
Golf
Horse Riding.

Local Transport

Lilongwe is served by Malawi Railways and Shire Bus Lines. There are several local and minibuses that runs between Old Town and City Centre. The bus is the chief mode of transport for the locals and is fairly cheap. Taxis are also available but they are generally hired by the tourists. You can even travel around boats. Ferries will take you around almost anywhere and aren’t expensive.

Getting Around

Luxurious bus services are available throughout Malawi that carries passengers daily from Lilongwe to other main cities of Malawi. There are direct flights also to reach here. Reaching Lilongwe by planes is the most comfortable way. You can even come by road but then the journey is long and tiring.