By admin The capital of Malawi, Lilongwe is also the country’s most populated city (~1 million residents). I’ll admit that it is not much of a tourist destination, but if you’re visiting any of the region’s national parks from abroad, you’ll most likely fly into Lilongwe. During our two week visit to Malawi and Zambia, we actually spent five nights in Lilongwe: two nights after our stay on Lake Malawi and three nights after our visit to Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park before catching our flight back home to the U.S.
The main reason that we spent so much time in Lilongwe was necessity. We were traveling in late April/early May 2021, and while we were fully vaccinated, we needed to show negative COVID-19 PCR tests to enter Zambia and to return home. The only place in the area that offered travel-certified tests was Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, and they followed a strict schedule for sample collection and results pick-up.
Fortunately, we found a couple decent hotels in Lilongwe, a solid wine shop and some unique restaurants serving a variety of international cuisine. There wasn’t really all that much to DO in Lilongwe, especially with the pandemic, but the weather was perfect throughout our entire visit, and we enjoyed having some time to relax by the pool, read, and simply relax. The city felt accessible and safe, despite numerous people begging on the street, at the gas station, and at the supermarket–but is that really all that different than a major city in the U.S.?
So, if you happen to find yourself in Lilongwe for a day or two (or more), read on for my recommendations.
Where to Stay in Lilongwe
We split our time between two different hotels, which gave us the opportunity to experience a diverse set of accommodations.
Latitude 13
First up, we stayed at Latitude 13, a trendy, design-forward refuge in one of Lilongwe’s upscale residential neighborhoods. Not just a hotel, the property appeared to be embracing the coworking trend; we saw many people come just for the day to work or to hold meetings. Latitude 13 was also marketing their two story suites as long stay apartments, complete with kitchens and complimentary laundry service.
After four days in rather rustic accommodations on Lake Malawi, Latitude 13 felt like the lap of luxury. They had wifi that actually worked? A shower that didn’t spray water all over the bathroom? Wine that came out of a bottle — and was cold — and served in a wine glass?!
Aside from all that, our Garden Suite room was stylishly decorated, complete with local artwork, a large seating area, a porch overlooking the garden, a bathtub, walk-in shower and freshly fragrant bath products made from local botanicals.
The property featured two pools, a restaurant (breakfast was included with our stay, and was excellent), and a gym. There was also plenty of outdoor seating areas, an important consideration during a pandemic. I was ready to move in to Latitude 13 — those long stay apartments were looking pretty enticing.
Kumbali Country Lodge
As much as I enjoyed the modern aesthetic of Latitude 13, we decided to check out Kumbali Country Lodge for a change of pace upon our return to Lilongwe. While still technically in Lilongwe proper (it was a 20 minute drive from Latitude 13), Kumbali was located on an expansive tract of land including a working farm and extensive gardens. It also happened to be next door to the Presidential Complex, where Malawi’s president lived (as next door as you can get when two properties can be measured in square miles). Oh, I should also mention that Madonna has stayed at Kumbali during previous visits to Malawi in case that is of interest to you.
Befitting its surroundings, Kumbali’s aesthetic was more traditional than modern. Our room featured an extremely high thatched roof and furniture built from locally-sourced materials. We also had a spacious private balcony overlooking the luscious, exquisitely manicured gardens. While some of the facilities (i.e. bathroom) felt a bit outdated, the property felt well-maintained and cared-for.
The best part of the lodge was the owners. We were some of the only guests staying at the property, but we quickly ran into Maureen and Guy when wandering the gardens. They were both exceptionally warm and hospitable; Maureen checked in with us multiple times, always stopping to chat for a while. Once she learned that Reuben was interested in acquiring a lodge on Lake Malawi, she was extremely open about all the challenges (A LOT) that one would face and told us about her own story moving from South Africa to Malawi to open up the farm, followed by the lodge, and all the struggles they had faced. The story is way too long to recount here, but it didn’t sound easy.
During our full day at Kumbali, we got to experience an early morning birding tour (as Reuben had decided he was into birds after our time in South Luangwa) and a banana farm tour (because Maureen and Guy offered, and we figured, why not?) Guy was a particularly interesting character, asking me why I felt the need to wear a seatbelt while he drove us down the bumpy dirt road to the farm, chain-smoking cigarettes, and expressing very strong opinions about local politics over the ten minutes that we had together. While I didn’t necessarily agree with all his views, I found it refreshing to be around someone who felt comfortable being so open about potentially explosive topics. Living in NYC, I had become enmeshed in my political bubble and at times it felt like everyone in the U.S. had retreated to their like-minded havens for fear of actually having to have a conversation with someone who held an opposing viewpoint. In Malawi people didn’t hesitate about voicing their opinion–and I liked that.
Where to Eat & Drink in Lilongwe
This section is going to be short for two reasons: first, we visited Lilongwe during a pandemic. The city was still under curfew, so nightlife wasn’t really a thing. Second, regardless of any ongoing global emergencies, the F&B scene was quite limited. Regardless, there was a relatively diverse array of restaurants available, and nothing was located too far away. We had already eaten a good amount of local Malawian food (chambo and nsima) while staying on Lake Malawi, and were happy to have a larger variety of dining options available to us.
Wineworths
Not a wine bar, this wine shop was located in a strip mall down the street from Latitude 13. It was clean and well-stocked with South African wines and a handful of French Champagnes. I was excited to see bottles from some of the wineries I had visited in Stellenbosch and Franschoekk the previous couple years. Reuben is a snob about new world wines, but he finally agreed to give in because, well, he had no choice. We could either buy bottles from Wineworths or pay a marked-up price for a limited variety of South African wines at either of our hotels. And at least we weren’t going to be drinking warm wine out of a box…
The strip mall was a one-stop shop: we could also access the ATM, buy snacks at the supermarket, pick up Indian takeout, amuse ourselves watching costume-festooned locals takeover the parking lot with a party, and attempt to fend off the fruit hawkers who stalked Reuben with a vengeance. No complaints from me.
Seble Ethiopian Food
Reuben and I both have a huge appreciation for Ethiopian food, although I will admit that I’ve had rather limited experiences with the cuisine. However, it’s right up my alley–I love wrapping up mixes of spiced veggies in spongy injera with my hands and stuffing it into my mouth, then swishing it down with Ethiopian wine (yes, that’s a thing!). We found a charming Ethiopian restaurant that essentially operated out of someone’s home, complete with a festively-lit garden. There was only one other couple there, but we were happy to have the privacy. And the food was great.
La Cantina
Our last night in Malawi was May 4th. We’d be traveling on the 5th, so we decided to go for an early Cinco de Mayo celebration at La Cantina on the 4th–plus it seemed like one of the most upscale restaurants in town. Not too far from Latitude 13, it quickly became clear that La Cantina catered to Lilongwe elites and expats. In fact, this was the only place where we found any American expats. It seemed like they all flocked to this place with its trendy design, garden with fire pit, and extensive cocktail menu. To be honest, neither of us loved the food or drinks, but nothing was terrible. Along with Latitude 13, La Cantina felt the closest to a place I would visit in the U.S. – for better and worse.
In conclusion, I don’t expect that many people will be relying on my Lilongwe tourism recommendations in the near future. However, I’ll be curious to see how Malawi evolves over the next few years (and beyond) and I expect that a lot of changes will be in store for this developing country.
