Holiday Ayo - Malawi is known as Africa for beginners because of it’s ease to travel around, tourist charm and local friendliness. A lot of people volunteer in Malawi from the American Peace Corps to NGO’s and doctors. It might well be one of the poorest countries in Africa but Malawi packs a punch for it’s incredible landscape filled with mountains, beaches and turquoise waters.

And let’s not forget about the Malawian people. It’s true what they say, Malawian people are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet!

1. Start At Malawi’s Capital City, Lilongwe

source: X

If you are flying into Lilongwe, it’s the biggest city in Malawi and the place to stay as a traveller would be Mabuya Camp run by a British family. We stayed at Longonots because it was cheaper for a double room and a bit nicer but Mabuya has a swimming pool and is more of a sociable place.

There’s not a huge amount to do in Lilongwe but you’ll find yourself heading back there often. The best thing are supermarkets where you can stock up on Western foods. Shoprite and Game are the big supermarkets, we even found a healthy cafe around the corner from Game which was so exciting! You’ll see that this is a total luxury!!

2. Visit Mzuzu In Malawi

source: Travopo

A good place to go to after Lilongwe would be to jump on a bus north to Mzuzu which will take about 6 hours. Buses can be a bit dramatic as you’ll often see about 20-30 people crammed into a 9 seater. Try to jump on one of the bigger buses if possible. If you want to stay the night in Mzuzu then I recommend Muzoozoozoo for great food and friendly little place.

Mzuzu is brilliant for its brand new Shoprite and cracking clothes markets. I’ve found so many gems at these markets, from H&M to Levi’s, the list goes on. This is generally clothes donated from around the world which you’ll get for next to nothing. You’ll also find a lot of expats living here who are volunteering one way or another.

3. Relax In The Beautiful Nkhata Bay

source: Crowdfunder UK

Nkhata Bay in Malawi is a huge place for travellers and volunteers. A lot of volunteers flock here from all over Malawi for a good break from their work for the weekend or a week.

From Muzoozoo, jump on a mini bus for 1 hour’s drive to Nkhata Bay which is a small town right on Lake Malawi. The two top places to stay are next door to each other called Myoka and Butterfly Space which are both right on the beach. I’ve stayed at both places and ended up coming back to Butterfly Space to live for two months to I volunteered for them.

Mayoka Village is run by a British woman and her South African husband. It’s a gem of a place to stay and they hold amazing parties as well. It’s probably the best standard of accommodation I’ve seen in Malawi. We stayed in a bungalow right on the cliff, it was amazing and it’s a very sociable place to meet other travellers.

Butterfly Space is run by two British women who are so passionate about Malawi. They met as backpackers and have been living in the country for years and run Butterfly as a Nkhata Bay backpackers accommodation but also have many community projects for volunteers to get involved in.