Lake Chilwa
Lake in Malawi
Malawi's second-biggest lake after Lake Malawi, in eastern Zomba District near the Mozambique border.
Photo: NASA, Public domain
MW · Curated travel guide
Malawi: 10 places worth the journey
Lake Chilwa, Likoma Island, Shire Highlands and 7 more — what each one is, and why it is worth the detour.
- Places
- 10
- Language
- Chichewa, English
- Currency
- MWK
What to see in Malawi
Chosen from everything Wikidata knows about Malawi and ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions describe them, which is about as close to "famous" as open data gets.
.jpg?width=800)
Likoma Island
Island in Lake Malawi
The bigger of the two islands in Lake Malawi, in East Africa; the smaller is Chizumulu, close by. Both belong to Malawi, and together they form Likoma District.
Photo: Ulanwp, CC BY-SA 3.0
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg?width=800)
Shire Highlands
Plateau in southern Malawi
A plateau east of the Shire River in southern Malawi, important for farming, and the part of Malawi where people live most densely.
Photo: David Davies from Birmingham, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Kapachira Falls
Waterfall in Malawi
A waterfall on the lower Shire River in Malawi, near Chikwawa town and the Majete Wildlife Reserve.
Photo: Stonyyy, CC BY-SA 3.0
Majete Wildlife Reserve
Wildlife reserve in Malawi
A nature reserve in south-western Malawi, protected since 1955. Poaching and other human activity wiped out much of its wildlife in the late 1970s and the 1980s.
Photo: Stonyyy, CC BY-SA 3.0
Lake Malombe
Lake in Malawi
Lying on the Shire River around 14°40′0″S 35°15′0″E, in Malawi's Southern Region, a lake about 20 km (12 mi) south of the much bigger Lake Malawi.
Photo: Unknown, Public domain
Zomba Plateau
Mountain in southern Malawi
Also called the Zomba Massif: a mountain in southern Malawi's Shire Highlands, with an area of about 130 square kilometres (50 sq mi) and a top 2,087 metres (6,847 ft) high.
Photo: Felefuchs, CC BY-SA 3.0
Chizumulu Island
Island in Malawi
The smaller of Lake Malawi's two islands; the larger, Likoma, is close by, and together they form Likoma District. Both lie a few kilometres from Mozambique and are wholly surrounded by Mozambican waters, yet they belong to Malawi.
Photo: Ulanwp, CC BY-SA 3.0
Karonga Museum
Local museum in Malawi
Commonly called Karonga Museum, and properly the “Cultural & Museum Centre Karonga (CMCK)”: a museum and cultural centre in northern Malawi's Karonga District.
Photo: Michaelphoya, CC BY-SA 4.0
Chambe Peak
Mountain in Malawi
A peak of the Mulanje Massif, one of Southern Africa's highest mountains, 3,002 meters (9,849 ft.) high. A steep path gives wide views over Mozambique and southern Malawi on clear days. The plateau on top is part of the Mulanje Cedar forest, and Chambe also has a farm and hut accommodation run by Malawi's Forestry Commission.
Photo: Dr. Ferdinand Groeger, CC BY-SA 3.0
About Malawi
Officially the Republic of Malawi, a landlocked country of Southeast Africa, with Zambia to its west, Tanzania to its north and northeast and Mozambique to its east, south and southwest. It covers over 118,484 km² (45,747 sq mi) and has 22,224,282 people.
Officially The Republic of Malawi. Known locally as Malaŵi, Malawi.
Based on the Wikipedia article, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0: the facts are Wikipedia's, the wording is this site's.
Questions travellers ask
What is worth seeing in Malawi?
This guide lists 10: Lake Chilwa, Likoma Island, Shire Highlands and Kapachira Falls and others.
How were these places chosen?
By machine, from open data, with no human ranking them and nobody able to pay for a place on the list. Everything Wikidata records in Malawi that is a building, a landform, a protected area or a tourist attraction, has coordinates, a photograph and an English Wikipedia article, is ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions wrote about it. Provinces, cities, airports, stations and stretches of sea shared with the neighbours are filtered out.
What language is spoken in Malawi, and what currency?
Chichewa, English. The currency is MWK.
How do I get mobile data in Malawi?
A travel eSIM is usually the cheapest way, and avoids a roaming bill. The plans suggested at the foot of this guide start at $5.80 for 1GB per day. The eSIM is data-only and sits alongside your normal SIM, so calls, texts and WhatsApp keep working on your own number.
Which networks would my phone use in Malawi?
Airtel. Your phone picks whichever has the best signal where you are, the same way a local phone does.
One practical note: staying online
Maps, tickets and translation all want data, and roaming is the expensive way to get it. A Computatus eSIM eSIM connects to Airtel once you land, and installs by QR code before you leave.
See 13 Computatus eSIM plans for Malawi from $5.80
| Plan | Data | Valid | Price | Order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1GB per day Cheapest | 1 GB | 1 day | $5.80 | Get it → |
| 1GB for 7 days | 1 GB | 7 days | $6.44 | Get it → |
| 1GB per day | 1 GB | 1 day | $8.36 | Get it → |
| 2GB per day | 2 GB | 1 day | $12.89 | Get it → |
| 2GB per day | 2 GB | 1 day | $15.88 | Get it → |
| 3GB for 15 days | 3 GB | 15 days | $17.18 | Get it → |
No app needed. Install by QR code before you fly, keep your own number for calls, and it connects the moment you land.
Airtel 4G
A commission on plans bought through these links is what pays for this guide. Nothing above depends on it: the places are chosen before any price is looked up.