Lilongwe

Lilongwe is a very young city, created in the 1960s and 1970s. It was named after the Lilongwe River. It became Malawi's capital in 1975, taking over that position from Blantyre. Apart from the busy market and some nice bars there is little of interest for travellers in this city.

Since it's a very young city, most buildings in what is usually referred to as the New City or City Center, are modern administrative ones. In this area you will find ministries, embassies, travel agencies and the area called Capital City Shopping Center, which is a mere collection of office buildings and mini-malls. In the outskirts there are mainly the usual shanties.

In the Old Town, situated a few kilometers to the southwest, you will encounter a huge market, where handicraft artifacts are being manufactured out of scrap metal, causing a deafening noise; it is full of small stalls selling household goods, car parts, plastic stuff, fruit, vegetables, live stock and music cassettes. It truly amazing to just wonder around here and see all the thousands of people doing their business; be careful for pickpockets though. Also in this area there are some restaurants and cafes, the bus station and all sorts of accommodation.

The Lilongwe Golf Club admits a small number of campers on a designated area of its golf course. There is a small fee, but they mainly admit travellers so their members can meet people from different cultures and backgrounds. The Golf Club is nearby the market place.

A large space between the two parts of the city somehow escaped development and sits empty. It's a 150 ha (370 acres) area of woodland and has been declared Nature Sanctuary. There are various walking-tracks through the area and there is a wildlife information center. The Lingadzi River flowing through the area is home to crocodiles and various species of mammals live in the sanctuary as well. A few hyenas, leopards and tigers are held in captivity and the sanctuary has a great variety of birds.

The tobacco auction floors at the vast Auction Holdings warehouse, situated 7 km (4 miles) north of the New Town are also worth a visit. You can watch groups of buyers, sellers moving along hundreds of bales of tobacco displayed in long lines across the floor, from the public gallery that overlooks the huge space. Groups of buyers talk rapidly to the auctioneer snapping up bales all the time. Each day around 15,000 bales of tobacco change owners in this way. There is a sign on the wall that reeds 'Thank you for smoking.' The easiest way to get to the auction floors is by car, although a taxi or even private tours can also get you there.

Malawi's main airport is 25 km (15 miles) north of Lilongwe.