Malawi

Malawi has one of Africa’s varied landscapes made possible by a range of altitudes in a small area where the highest peaks reach 3 000m and the lowest point is barely above sea level. Generally it is a green, lush country, with highlands plateaux, forests, mountains and plains, escarpments and dramatic river valleys.

Although. Malawi is totally landlocked, the vast body of freshwater that is Lake Malawi is like an “inland sea”, with fishing villages scattered along the shore and long stretches of totally uninhabited beaches of golden sand, lapped by crystal clear waters. Lake activities available include kayaking, sailing, snorkeling, water skiing and scuba diving at some of the best freshwater diving sites in the world.

Eight land-based national parks and wildlife reserves offer in a wide variety of natural wilderness environments with opportunities for game viewing safaris, excellent trekking and mountain biking.

Much of Nyika Plateau, a rolling whaleback grassland plateau unique in Africa, and the highest and most extensive high plateau surface in central Africa, is gazetted as the Nyika National Park; the rolling scenery at its best in the rainy season when over 200 types of orchid are in flower, also counts over 400 recorded bird species. An area like Elephant Marsh near Lengwe National Park is also a bird watching paradise where fish eagles, storks, kingfishers, herons and countless other species will be seen even on a short visit.