Malawi: Nature, Wildlife and Culture

In southern Malawi, Liwonde National Park borders the Shire River. Lake Malawi National Park focuses on forests, islands and a range of lakeshore and wetland habitats, while Nyika and Majete each have their own distinctive wildlife and landscapes. In addition to national parks, Malawi offers cultural points of interest such as St Peter’s Cathedral on Likoma and the Chongoni Rock-Art Area. This gives you a choice of wildlife, landscapes and culture for your travel plans, rather than just a single nature theme.

National parks and wildlife

Nyika National Park is home to 85 mammal species and more than 420 bird species. Species counts may change over time depending on the survey methods used. The park also offers trout fishing in three reservoirs and most rivers. If this activity is important to your plans, check access in advance. Nyika thus combines its diversity of mammals and birds with a specific fishing opportunity.

Habitats along Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi National Park includes miombo woodlands on land, an aquatic ecosystem and a total of 13 islands. Its habitats range from rocky shores and sandy beaches to wooded hillsides, swamps and lagoons. Land and water habitats sit side by side here, while the islands and varied shorelines add to the range. This gives the park a different focus from places known primarily for their wildlife species.

Woodland, savanna and wildlife in Majete

Majete Wildlife Reserve includes moist miombo woodlands and dry savannas. It is home to more than 4,000 animals, including elephants, lions, leopards, black rhinos, buffalo, eland, nyala, zebras and hippos. There are also more than 300 bird species, including four vulture species and bateleur eagles. Animal numbers and potential sightings may vary. Majete is in southern Malawi and is considered one of the few places in the country where the Big Five can be seen year-round. Compared with Nyika National Park, Majete combines diverse wildlife with moist woodland and dry savanna; Nyika complements its species diversity with the opportunity to fish.

Church architecture and rock art

On Likoma, St Peter’s Cathedral is one of the largest churches in Africa. The Chongoni Rock-Art Area features rock art from farming traditions as well as paintings by BaTwa hunter-gatherers dating back to the Late Stone Age. The area is not officially open to the public without trained staff permanently stationed on site. Factor this access requirement into your plans before considering a visit. Likoma and Chongoni add distinct cultural points of interest to the nature themes.

Highlights for your trip

The three parks each offer a different focus: Nyika combines species numbers with trout fishing, Majete brings wildlife and varied vegetation types together, and Lake Malawi National Park draws attention to islands and land and water habitats. This lets you weigh your travel interests and decide which of these perspectives matters most for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Likoma, Nsanje, Lilongwe, Southern Region, Central Region, Northern Region, Comoros, Guinea

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