Stunning scenery

Despite its poverty, Malawi has a natural wealth.  Its biodiversity and pleasant climate make Malawi an attractive tourist destination – and the service sector is growing increasingly important to the country’s economy.

The greatest draw for tourists remains Lake Malawi, which provides stunning scenery, beaches and a range of snorkelling, scuba-diving and water-sport activities.

As well as becoming the first freshwater National Park, Cape Maclear (named after Livingstone’s friend, the astronomer Thomas Maclear) plays host to the longest freshwater yachting race in the world.  With a course which runs over 500km, this is no easy sailing competition, since the mwera south-easterly winds can stir up some rough water as they are funnelled through the Great Rift Valley.

Travelling around

For the tourist who wants to see much more of Malawi, travelling around is not always easy.  The major highways running between the key towns and cities provide reasonable connections (though accident rates are high).  But many of the lesser and rural roads are not so well developed – only around half of the country’s roads are paved.  During the rainy season, some routes are passable only in four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Private cars are rare in Malawi and most people travel by matola (small pickup trucks or vans) or on motorcycles.  Large buses also run between the main cities, though these are often packed and usually quite slow.  Small and medium-size buses provide faster transport, but with potholed roads and over-crowded vehicles, journeys aren’t always very comfortable.

Once again, Lake Malawi proves its value to the country, by offering an inexpensive means of transportation.  Passenger and cargo boats operate along the lake, linking up to the main towns and ports and the Chipoka railway junction in the south.

The Shire River, which runs from Lake Malawi in the south of the country, is only partially navigable because of its rapids and shallow stretches.

Improving communications

There is still a serious shortage of telephone landlines in Malawi, though communications are improving with microwave radio links and mobile networks. But mobile services are mainly limited to urban areas, with little coverage over remote parts of the country.