Lilongwe

At first glance it appears that Malawi's capital city holds little of interest for travellers. However, Lilongwe is well set out with a New and Old City: the former has smart hotels, embassies and offices while the latter has markets, bus stations, cafes and interesting restaurants.

Lilongwe is often used as a stopover when arriving or leaving the country but a day in this lively city could be interesting: try a visit to the market on Malangalanga Rd or look into some of the old Indian spice and cloth shops. It's a relatively laid-back and friendly city and at night there are a number of good restaurants and nightclubs.

Lilongwe is the perfect place to restock after lazing on the beaches of Lake Malawi to the east or to prepare for a trip into the northern wildlife reserves like Nyika or Kasungu National Park's and the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve.

There is also a Nature Sanctuary on Kenyatta Rd, which thankfully isn't like a zoo, and there are good sporting facilities at the Lilongwe Golf Club. You can also visit the tobacco auction floors. Tobacco is Malawi's most important cash crop, so this gives an interesting insight into the country's trade.

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