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Lilongwe

Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2025

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        (Photo credit should read AMOS GUMULIRA/AFP/Getty Images)

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Overview

Sprawling, vibrant and bustling with commerce, Lilongwe feels fit to burst. It may lack Blantyre's charm, but Malawi's capital soon grows on visitors. It's worth spending a day or two here to eat at some great restaurants, ferret out the best malls and discover its hidden leafy oases. It's even got a small wildlife sanctuary at its heart.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • MALAWI - 2016/05/29: A Vervet monkey (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) in a tree in Liwonde National Park, Malawi. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)

    Lilongwe Wildlife Centre

    Lilongwe

    This 1.1-sq-km wilderness area is Malawi's only sanctuary for orphaned, injured and rescued wild animals, and plays an active role in conservation. Local…

  • Parliament Building

    Parliament Building

    Lilongwe

    To get up close to Malawi’s movers and shakers, head to the home of the national parliament. It moved in 1994 from Zomba to the ostentatious palace of…

  • The Mausoleum to Dr Hastings Kamazu Banda, first post-colonial leader of Malawi, stands on Presidential way.

    Kamuzu Mausoleum

    Lilongwe

    This marble and granite mausoleum is the final resting place of Malawi's 'president for life', Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Between four pillars bearing the…

  • Main Market

    Main Market

    Lilongwe

    The main market near the bus station in Old Town is a pocket of frenetic activity with all manner of things on sale: bicycle parts, live chickens,…

  • Tobacco Auction Floors

    Tobacco Auction Floors

    Lilongwe

    To experience Malawi’s economic heart, visit the public gallery overlooking the auction floors at the vast Auction Holdings warehouse. It's about 7km…

  • Reserve Bank Building

    Reserve Bank Building

    Lilongwe

    A landmark in central Lilogwe.

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