City Center

Lilongwe is Malawi’s capital city and is located in the central region of Malawi. It is divided into a few dozen chronologically numbered areas, with Area 1 being the oldest part of town, Area 2 the second oldest etc. The city is mainly divided into two centres: City Centre which has trees lining most of the roads and modern buildings, it is home to ministries, parliaments, embassies, smart hotels and business offices; and Old Town is home to decent restaurants, guesthouses, bus stations, new malls and energetic markets.

Lilongwe is not known for its thoughtful urban design. On the contrary, the city is a sprawled out and uncoordinated collection of commercial clusters connected by a somewhat erratic network of traffic-prone tar and dirt roads. That being said, certain parts of the city have their charms, particularly the low-density residential areas and various pockets of greenery sprinkled throughout the city.

There is no shortage of places to stay in Lilongwe. A popular choice amongst visitors is in Area 43, about a 20-minute drive from Kamuzu International Airport, this is one of the safest and most affluent residential areas in Lilongwe.

While Lilongwe is a starting point for most visitors, the city itself does not have too much to offer in terms of tourist attractions and many visitors spend just a day or two here to rest prior to moving on to more exciting adventures outside the city.