"The warm heart of Africa", and for once the hype is true. Malawi's scenery is gorgeous and varied and Malawians tend to be extremely friendly toward travellers. Nature lovers will adore the national parks and game reserves, mountain hiking and plateau trekking.

Malawi is landlocked. It is a long and narrow country, covering more than 1000 km from north to south. Lake Malawi, nearly 600 km long and up to 80 km wide, dominates the countryside. When David Livingstone arrived at the lakeshore in 1861, he was the first foreign explorer to see the lake.

Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu BANDA the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution which came into full effect the following year.

Current President Bingu wa MUTHARIKA, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, has struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor, who still leads their shared political party. MUTHARIKA's anti-corruption efforts have led to several high-level arrests and one prominent conviction.

Official Name : Republic of Malawi

Capital City : Lilongwe

Languages : English (official), Chechewa (official), Chitumbuka (in the north), others

Official Currency : Malawain Kwacha

Religions : Protestant, Catholic, traditional beliefs

Population : 13,013,926

Land Area : 118,480 sq km (45,745 sq miles)

When to Visit
The best time to visit Malawi overall is in the dry season, which lasts from late April to October or November. If you're coming to see wildlife, make it late in the dry season, when animals converge at water holes. But beware, the heat can be unpleasant, especially in the lowlands. The landscape is much more attractive and conditions less oppressive from May to July, but there are fewer animals about. The early dry season is the best time for birdwatching; it's also exceedingly hot, exceptionally wet or both.

Weather
Malawi has a single wet season, from December to March, when daytime temperatures are warm and conditions humid. May to August is dry and cool. September and October can become extremely hot and humid, especially in low areas. Average daytime maximums in the lower areas are about 21°C (70°F) in July and 26°C (79°F) in January. In the higher areas, the climate is pleasant, with temperatures averaging around 20°C (68°F)between November and April, and 27°C (81°F)from May to October. Average night-time temperatures in the highlands are low, sometimes dropping below freezing on clear nights in July. On the lakeshore temperatures are higher.

Climate
The variable altitude of Malawi provides wide differences in climate. The lowest point is where the Shire Valley approaches its confluence with the Zambezi River, at about 100 ft above sea level. The vast water surface of Lake Malawi also profoundly affects the climate. The margins of the lake have long hot seasons and high humidity, with mean annual temperatures of 24°C (75°F). The temperature generally decreases and the rainfall increases with altitude. Malawi is noted for its rapid transitions from low to high rainfall. Trade winds and cool maritime air bring clouds and drizzly rain to the mountains in the east which rise to over 1,830 m (6,000 ft). The tea belt profits from both winter and summer rains, and the high plateau area offers opportunities for afforestation because of heavy rainfall. Winters are cool, with occasional spells of cold weather.

In general, the seasons may be divided into the cool (May to mid-August); the hot (mid August to November); the rainy (November to April), with rains continuing longer in the northern and eastern mountains, and the post-rainy (April-May), with temperatures falling in May. Zomba has extreme temperatures of 35°C and 7°C (95°F and 45°F) and considerable rainfall. Lilongwe, in central Malawi, at an elevation of 1,036 (3,400 ft) has a moderately warm climate with adequate rainfall and extreme temperatures of 36°C and -3.4°C (97°F and 26°F)

The ultra-violet rays are very strong in Malawi and burn times very short - great care should be taken

Getting Around/Transport

Air: Flights to Malawi from Europe -Kenya Airways,KLM

Internal Flights
Internal air connections can be made from Lilongwe to Blantyre, Koronga, Mzuzu and Club Makokola on the southern Lakeshore

Lake Ferry : Two ferries, the MV Ilala and MV Mtendere, travel between Monkey Bay and Chilumba once a week. The ferries are inexpensive but are not up to tourist standards. The Ilala is the better of the two

Railways / Train Services: Services by rail are slow, overcrowded and erratic, they offer no advantages over road travel and are therefore not used by tourists. The rail connects Lilongwe to Blantyre via Salima and Blantyre to Nsanje near the border where it extends into Mozambique to Biera. It is possible that this route may now be developed in the near future.