Lilongwe

Lilongwe was made the capital in 1975 and built to a plan that left it in two parts: the Old Town with the markets and most of the ordinary commercial life, and Capital Hill some kilometres north with the ministries, embassies and newer building, with a belt of green between them. The Lilongwe Wildlife Centre in that belt takes in rescued animals, and the Old Town market is the busiest in the country.

History

Lilongwe was set up as a boma by the local leader Njewa around 1902 and became an administrative centre in 1904; in the 1920s its place at the meeting of several main roads made it a market for the farms of the Central Region plateau, and it was officially recognised as a town in 1947 (Wikipedia, Lilongwe).

Highlights

• The two centres - the Old Town and Capital Hill, separated by a green belt.
• The Old Town market - the largest and busiest market in the country.
• The Wildlife Centre - the rescue sanctuary in the green belt between them.
• The planned layout - a capital built to a scheme from 1975.

When to go

May to October is the dry season and most comfortable. October before the rains is very hot. Markets are busiest in the morning.

Things to know

The two centres are far apart and getting between them needs transport. There is little of historic interest; the city is entirely modern. Normal city care applies after dark.

Nearby

Dzalanyama is southwest, and Nkhoma Mountain is south.

Key facts