Lilongwe

The capital of Malawi, Lilongwe has a population of about 1.1 million (2015).

The town is very spread out so getting around can be a bit of a chore. You can pick up taxis from the Lilongwe Hotel (in the Old Town) and the Capital Hotel (in the Capital City). If you're feeling adventurous, you can take a minibus. It's very cheap, but you will be getting very familiar with your fellow passengers. There are several routes you can take, including one that goes from the large blue bank in the new town and drops you off in the heart of the old town, next to Shoprite surpermarket.

• 🌍 Lilongwe Wildlife Centre (on the opposite side of the road to the old nature sanctuary). It is back down towards old town by the bridge over the river, look out for the sign. It is a wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre that provides excellent tours of the centre and its wilderness zone, a wide range of wildlife and good value for money. Volunteer opportunities are available. (updated Jan 2023)
• 🌍 Kumbali Cultural Centre (Kumbali Cultural Village), ☏ +265 999-933-252. See the traditional Malawian dancing and traditional Malawian drumming. Includes live acoustic Malawian music and traditional Malawian dinner. (updated Jan 2023)

• Golf Lessons, Lilongwe Golf Club. Very cheap compared to western prices with an excellent 18-hole course. Challenging for even pros. 

If you're interested in volunteering with animals,the LSPCA (Lilongwe Society for the Protection & Care of Animals) takes volunteers from various backgrounds including veterinary, IT, marketing and animal care and management.

The volunteer programme is an affordable with a minimal commitment of 2 weeks required. With a shortage of vets available to the majority of Lilongwe's residents, the LSPCA undertakes vital work in Lilongwe in helping to promote higher animal welfare standards of domestic and farm animals.

As a volunteer, your work would include visiting local schools to educate them about the importance of animal health and care, community vaccination clinics (rabies and Newcastle disease), spay and neuter clinics, and farm day clinics.

• 🌍 Old Town Mall (Off Chilambula on the left just as you're driving away from the Lilongwe Sunbird). Catering mostly to the tourist, expat, and wealthy Malawian community, Old Town Mall offers two art and craft galleries, a DVD rental shop, grocery store catering - lightly - to expat tastes with imported food and wine and a book store. Serendipity Cafe and Mamma Mia's Italian Restaurant (see below) are here as well. (updated Jan 2023)
• Crossroads Complex, Mchinji Roundabout. With a couple of decent gift shops, a post office, a petrol station, pharmacy, an Indian grocery, ATMs and a couple of fast food joints - South African brands Steers (burgers) and Pizza Inn. Cappucino's coffee shop and cafe is here too - with good breakfast and lunch and iced coffee.
• 7-Eleven. No relation to the American outfit, this is just a popular supermarket (complete with in-house butchery and bakery) that stocks a wide range of products local and imported.
• Shoprite. South African chain supermarket, smack dab in the center of town and pretty hard to miss. Most of the tourists passing through town will stop here to stock up. The forex in the same complex has closed so you'll need to cross the street and use the one in the mall (don't bother with the guys on the sidewalk). 'The Grill House' is like Nando's - including menu and sauces. There is also a nice, relatively cheap Chicken Inn, which sells ice cream.
• Game. Walmart USA-owned Hypermarket opposite Shoprite. Stocks food - a shop for hardware, toys, sport equipment, etc. Expensive, but is the only place to buy certain objects - tents for example.
• Spar. International chain. Very good bakery, fruit and veg selection and cheap sandwiches, hot lunches, etc. from the deli counter. Expensive food, but sells a good, quality selection. Very Western.
• Foodworths. Another popular supermarket with a rather impressive produce spread, sandwiches and other ready-made snacks, biltong, a full bakery, and a nice assortment of meats, dairy, other basic foods, and wine. Very expat. In the same complex as a Total petrol station, on Kenyatta b/t Mzimba and Youth Drive.
• Chipiku. Another popular supermarket selling mostly non-perishables plus a few dairy items, locals shop here to stock up in bulk. Cheapest place for imported alcohol, wine and bulk South African cigarettes. Near the corner of Chilambula and Mzimba.

Drinking is a lot of locals favourite past times, most are friendly however girls should be wary of over-protective Malawian men!

The only beer brewed in Malawi (bar Chibuku - a grainy, sand like beer coming in cartons!) is Carlsberg. Carlsberg is very local (brewed in Blantyre) and comes either normal (known as a 'Green') or Special Brew, Classic, Stout, Elephant or Light. You can also buy 'Kuche Kuche' - still brewed by Carlsberg but coming in a bigger bottle, less percentage and aimed more for tourists. Glass bottles come in a deposit form in Malawi (so expect to pay 25 kwacha extra per bottle, unless you return some). It is possible to buy other beers in certain bars and clubs - for example Castle, Carling Black Label, Kronenbourg and Heineken. However these are more expensive. Ciders and wines also are available but are imported and more expensive.

Malawi also has its own spirits - notably Malawi Vodka, Malawi Gin (surprisingly this is very good quality gin!), Malawi Rum, Gold Label Brandy or the upmarket Premium Brandy and the cane spirit Powers. These are all cheap spirits per bottle, Powers and Gold Label Brandy normally 600 kwacha a bottle. Mixing with the sugary, very tasty Fanta always works and you see many locals doing this! The Vodka, Gin and Powers can also all be bought in 30ml sachet forms.

Harry's Bar, in the old town, is a good place to have a drink and a burger during the day or to slam Malawi gin and tonic with an energetic local and expat crowd on weekend nights. More of a pre-drink place.

• Diplomats Pub, (in old town), ☏ +265 8553492. Offers good music and cold beers, also a braai (South African word for barbecue, pronounced "brr-eye") outside at weekends. Opens 5PM till 2AM. Great entertainment for the weekend and during the week when no other pubs are open. Popular with locals and expats. Good set of pool tables too (100 kwacha a token) - winner stays on! Also check out Inferno sports bar, behind Diplomats.
• Alexsander's Bar Around 10 minutes from the downtown by taxi. This bar used to be the hangout place of the Lilongwe white collar's and expatriates. The bar lies in the ground floor of a building that owned by a Malawi born westerner. This place can be a choice if you want to avoid the crowd and relax.
• Chez Ntemba International Nightclub, Area 47 (Behind Total Petrol Station). The locals' place to be on Fridays and Saturdays. Not the best looked after place in town but guaranteed good music and excellent atmosphere. If the dance floor gets too much there is always the open air area outside where you are always bound to end up talking to a few locals and expats - there's a Braii there too. Entry fee 500 kwacha at weekends. Only place open late on weekdays too - in the smaller side on bar. 
• Lonely Planet/Oasis (Casino), Off Chilambula Road. Not the most popular place now, still holds the famous 'Lollipop' club night every couple of months. Serves food at night too. 
• Chameleon Bar (Four Seasons), Presidential Way. Chameleon's is a Mzungu (White) owned bar in Lilongwe, run by a Scotsman. You will find more white expatriates in this place. The atmosphere is not very African but you can always guarantee an excellent atmosphere during the week to wind down with a cold green. Drinks and food are available. Friday nights and Sunday afternoons are the busiest time. Don't miss the live Jazz Jam sessions every Sunday afternoon. 
• Zanzibar Nightclub, known locally as 'Zanzi'. The major nightclub in Lilongwe. Packed every Friday and Saturday night. Normally 500 kwacha entry however this can raise on special events such as music concerts (have featured artists such as the Black Missionnaries and Naeto C.) Be very wary of money, wallets, bags and cameras in this place - lots of pick pocketing has been reported.
• The Shack, the place to be on Wednesday nights with lots of locals and expats coming every week. Busy only on Wednesdays, free entry too. If you come early (6PM) you can watch the weekly volleyball league teams play. You can even join one if you get talking. Good place but dies down about 2AM. Very sociable place to be.

4G mobile telephone service is available from Airtel and TNM. BBC World Service can be heard on 98.0MHz.

Transport is not always easy to get at late hours of the night so always make sure you have means of transport to getting back to where you're staying. Taxis are available. Lilongwe is said to be unsafe at night so don't walk alone after dark.

• Cape Maclear, a laid-back village on the south end of Lake Malawi.
• Salima, the easiest entry point to Lake Malawi, 1-2 hours away. Nice resorts (including Livingstonia Beach Resort) available with gorgeous beaches. A signposted turn off 3 km before Salima beckons travelers to Kuti Wildlife Park with camp sites, A-frame chalets, bar/braii facilities, Small restaurant,game drives and walks, Animals found in the park include sable, nyala, zebra, wildebeest, ostrich, giraffe and waterbuck. At night civets, genets, servals and aardvarks may be spotted. A great spot for birding too! If you plan to go during rainy season, be sure to take a 4x4 just in case. For more info ☏ +265 9563004 or ☏ +265 5236672.
• Chipata, the eastern gateway to Zambia, 1-2 hours away
• South Luangwa National Park – a fantastic wildlife reserve in Zambia. Kiboko Safaris (see Kiboko Town Hotel in Sleep section of this page) and possibly a few others run roundtrip excursions to the park, and with advance notice can arrange visa waivers. The park is great, and this is an easy way to see it if you've got time for a sidetrip.