Malawi travel guide 2027: best months, parks and how to get around

Malawi has been picked as one of 25 destinations to visit in 2027, with its combination of wildlife reserves and Lake Malawi singled out. For travellers, the practical picture is a year-round destination with two international airports, direct flights from Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Johannesburg, and the most comfortable weather between May and August.

Key facts

• Best weather: May to August, the driest and most comfortable months, with moderate temperatures in much of the country
• Best for wildlife spotting: September and October, when animals gather around waterholes
• Main airport: Kamuzu International, about 17 miles north of the capital Lilongwe
• Second international airport: Chileka, about 10 miles north of Blantyre
• Top parks: Liwonde National Park, Majete Wildlife Reserve and Nyika National Park

When is the best time to go?

Malawi is described as a year-round destination. May to August brings the driest, most comfortable weather and moderate temperatures across much of the country, although the highlands can be cold after dark at this time of year.

September and October are hotter and drier, and elephants and other animals concentrate around waterholes, which makes them easier to spot. Wild orchids speckle the grasslands of the Nyika Plateau in October and November. From November to April the country is hot, humid and rainy, but the season suits photography and birdwatching: landscapes are lush and dotted with wildflowers, and migratory birds are present, many in breeding plumage.

What can travellers do?

Liwonde National Park is presented as Malawi's top wildlife-watching region, home to the Big Five as well as abundant hippos and crocodiles. Alongside scenic drives and bushwalks, boat trips on the Shire River are highly recommended. Majete Wildlife Reserve is a close second and has benefited from significant species reintroduction initiatives in recent years; it is also a Big Five reserve where cheetahs and wild dogs can often be seen.

Lake Malawi, one of the largest and deepest freshwater lakes in the world, covers more than 20 percent of the country's area in its western portion. Its sandy shores are lined with laid-back settlements offering freshwater beaches, water sports and fresh fish. Likoma, the larger of the lake's two inhabited islands, is also worth visiting.

Inland, Mount Mulanje is a 9,800-foot peak of granite cliffs, sacred to the Yao, Mang'anja and Lhomwe peoples, who believe it to be the dwelling place of their ancestral spirits. It offers exhilaratingly remote hiking trails. Nyika National Park, Malawi's largest, centres on the Nyika Plateau, a favoured destination for trekkers, where zebras graze in the grasslands.

How do you get there and around?

Kamuzu International Airport, about 17 miles north of Lilongwe, is served by direct flights from Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Johannesburg. Chileka airport, about 10 miles north of Blantyre, the country's finance hub and second largest city, handles international flights too. Domestic flights link the two airports with Likoma Island and Chelinda Camp, a highlands retreat in Nyika National Park.

Most visitors travel with an organised tour and a guide, though independent trips are possible by public bus and coach, or with a rental car for more flexibility.

What this means for travellers

Travellers planning a trip should decide first whether they want the dry-season comfort of May to August, the concentrated wildlife viewing of September and October, or the greener, bird-rich rainy season from November to April. Route planning is straightforward: fly into Lilongwe or Blantyre and use domestic flights, tours, buses or a rental car to reach the parks and the lake.

The article does not cover Malawi's visa or entry requirements, so travellers should check the current rules for their nationality separately before booking.