Most international visitors to Malawi
arrive at Lilongwe, the capital; hence
their first view of the country is
the Central Region. It gives easy
access to the rest of the country,
including the Lake, as well as being
an exciting region in its own right.
Anyone staying in the Central Region
and not venturing outside its limits
could be forgiven for being unaware
that the region is actually part of
the Central African Plateau. Gently
undulating landscapes give the area
the appearance of a plain and its
altitude of some 4000ft (1200m) is
not immediately evident. Only in the
east, close to the Lake, where the
plateau forms the edge of the Great
Rift Valley, do its occasionally steep
sides reveal the truth.
The plateau is crossed by numerous
rivers making their separate ways
to the Lake and, here and there, isolated
hills, called inselbergs, punctuate
the gentle landscapes. North-east
of Lilongwe is Dowa, a steep–sided
plateau adding another 1000ft (300m)
to the general altitude. To the south
a narrow upland rib forms the border
with Mozambique – this is the Dedza
Highlands.
The scenery in Central Malawi is
less dramatic than elsewhere in the
country but it has the same attractive
variety that makes Malawi a wonderful
place to tour. Its importance stems
largely from the fact that its regional
centre, Lilongwe, is also the national
capital. This, and the pivotal position
of the region, give central Malawi
a status which distinguishes it from
the rest of the country.
Though not in Malawi's Central Region,
or actually in Malawi at all, Zambia's
South Luangwa National Park, on eof
the continent's greatest game reserves,
is most easily accessed from Lilongwe.
