"Lilongwe - Malawi Gold" a Lilongwe Travel Page by Kurtdhis

The capital city of Malawi is well set out with a New and Old City. The former has smart hotels, embassies and offices while the latter has markets, bus stations, cafes and interesting restaurants. However, it doesn’t hold much interest for travellers and is usually just used as a stop over for arriving or leaving the country. But a day in this lively city could be interesting, with a visit to the market on Malangalanga Rd, and a look into some of the old Indian spice and cloth shops. There is also a Nature Sanctuary on Kenyatta Rd, which thankfully isn’t like a zoo, and there are good sporting facilities at the Lilongwe Golf Club. You can also visit the tobacco auction floors. Tobacco is Malawi’s most important cash crop, so this gives an interesting insight into the country’s trade. At night there are a number of good restaurants and nightclubs.

Since 1975 Lilongwe has been the capital of Malawi. It is located on the inland plains and is the nation's second largest city. Blantyre is its largest city and commercial capital. Lilongwe can also be considered as an agricultural market centre for the fruitful Central Region Plateau.

In 1965 it was selected by President H. Kamuzu Banda as an economic growth point for northern and central Malawi. Lilongwe's development as the new national capital began in 1968. It is situated in the Central Region on a 1000m high plain, about 300km north of Blantyre. The city supports a population of over 223,000.

There are two distinct parts to the city – Old Town or the original Lilongwe which is far more inspiring. This part of Lilongwe can be characterized by busy African markets and many Asian shops, hotels and restaurants.