Lake Malawi is the reason most people come. The third-largest lake in Africa, it stretches 580 km from north to south and is home to more freshwater fish species than any other lake on earth — nearly all of them cichlids found nowhere else. Cape Maclear, at the southern end, is the classic backpacker base: cheap beach lodges, snorkelling straight off the shore, and kayaking to nearby islands. Nkhata Bay in the north is calmer and arguably more beautiful. Likoma Island, reachable by light aircraft or the Ilala ferry, has a startling cathedral and a remote, unhurried feel.
Liwonde National Park has become Malawi's most rewarding wildlife destination following a major restocking effort by African Parks, which took over management in 2015. Elephant and hippo are plentiful along the Shire River. Lion, cheetah, and wild dog have been reintroduced and are establishing themselves. Boat safaris on the river are among the best wildlife experiences in southern Africa — genuinely world-class, and rarely crowded.
Nyika Plateau in the far north is unlike anything else in Malawi: a vast, treeless upland at 2,200–2,600 m, green and rolling in the rains, golden and windswept in the dry season. You can ride horses through herds of eland, hike for days across the plateau, and watch roan antelope against a horizon that stretches for 50 km. Wildlife density is not as high as in southern parks, but the landscape itself is extraordinary.
Mount Mulanje dominates the southeastern sky — a dramatic granite massif rising to 3,002 m, the highest point in central Africa. A network of Forest Department huts makes multi-day traverses possible without camping equipment. The climbing is non-technical for most routes, but the weather can change quickly. Start at Likhubula and hire a local guide.
Zomba Plateau is closer to Blantyre and easier to reach than Mulanje. The plateau top sits around 1,800 m and is cool even in summer, with forest walks, a trout stream, and views down over the Shire Valley. Good for a day trip or an overnight.
Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve near Mzuzu is low-key and genuinely wild — a floodplain reserve with large herds of elephant and buffalo and very few visitors. If you want to sit in camp at dusk and watch hippo emerge from the marsh, this is the place.