Valley near Malawi

Answer: The National Museum of Malawi houses artifacts from the Marawi and Nyanja culture, including traditional masks and eighteenth-century ritual objects. Capital Hill Market showcases the flavor of the local trade with wood, cloth and spices. The Lilongwe Nature Reserve is famous for its population of hippos and 300 species of birds, which are watched from wooden bridges.

Answer: The Malawi Parliament Building was built in the 1960s in a brutalist style with elements of traditional African architecture. The Kamuzu Memorial Tower is dedicated to the country’s first president, Hastings Kamuz Bande, and combines modernism with symbols of independence. The Catholic Church of St. Paul was erected in 1975 with stained glass windows depicting scenes from the Bible in an African context.

Answer: Lilongwe Zoo contains Malawi-endemic antelope kudu, crocodiles and rare rhinoceros birds. The Botanical Garden contains 200 species of plants in the region, including the elephant-leg trees (Adansonia digitata). Cultural Center Cultural Village offers master classes in traditional Cheva dancing and pottery craft.

Answer: The observation deck at the Independence Monument on Nhoma Hill provides panoramas of the city with baobabs in the foreground. Lilian Lake in the center of Lilongwe is surrounded by blossoming jacarandas, especially picturesque in October. The murals on the walls of the Central Bank of Malawi depict scenes from the history of trade in the Nyasaland region.

Answer: The rock of Mvindizi near the Lilongwe River is considered the habitat of ancestral spirits, where the chiefs of the Chewa tribe conducted rain rituals. Legend has it that the Mlandje tree near the Capital Hill Market was planted in 1895 by a sorcerer to protect against drought. The National Museum houses the Chikulambe Drum, an artifact that is believed to have predicted attacks by slavers.

Answer: The Mtamba Gallery in the Old Town area showcases Malawi’s contemporary art, including sculptures made from recycled materials. An abandoned railway station built in 1915 preserved the original British drawings of the Shire Highlands route. The butterfly garden at Beery Hill's private estate contains 50 species, including the endemic Papilio pelodurus.