Central Malawi market town on tobacco plains, linked to Kamuzu Banda and Kasungu National Park.
Kasungu is a market town in central Malawi, 124km north of Lilongwe on the M1 highway. It sits on the fertile Kasungu-Lilongwe plain, surrounded by tobacco farms — tobacco has long been the economic engine here.
The town is best known as the home of Malawi's first president, Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda, who built the Kamuzu Academy nearby — a grammar school modelled on Eton that is still sometimes called "the Eton of Africa." To the west, Kasungu National Park protects a large area of miombo woodland, with Lifupa Lodge as the main base for visitors.
If you are in the area during a ceremony or festival, look out for the Gule Wamkulu — the masked dance tradition of the Chewa people, recognised by UNESCO. The dancers in their elaborate costumes emerge from the bush to perform at funerals, initiations, and other important occasions.
Guide
Getting There
Kasungu sits on the M1, the main north-south road through central Malawi, 124 km north of Lilongwe and about 240 km south of Mzuzu.
By bus. Regular minibuses run from Lilongwe to Kasungu through the day — the trip takes around two hours in good conditions, longer if the bus stops at every village. AXA coaches and a handful of other long-distance operators run between Lilongwe and Mzuzu and stop in Kasungu.
By car. The M1 is paved and in decent condition. Allow two and a half hours from Lilongwe, four to five from Blantyre. Petrol is available in town.
To Kasungu National Park. The park entrance is about 35 km west of town along a gravel road that becomes slow and rough in the rains. A 4x4 is recommended in the wet season.
Guide
When to Go
The dry season — May to October — is the best time. Wildlife in Kasungu National Park concentrates around the remaining water, the roads are firm, and the days are warm without being unbearable. Late September and October are hot and dry; visibility is at its best for game viewing.
The rainy season runs from November to April. The bush turns lush, birding peaks, and the park is at its prettiest, but many tracks become impassable and accommodation in the park may shut. The tobacco auction floor is busiest from April to September — Kasungu town itself has more energy then.
