Misuku Hills

The Misuku Hills in the far northern corner of Malawi rise to around two thousand metres and carry patches of Afromontane forest, Mughese being the largest, that hold species reaching their limit here and several birds recorded nowhere else in the country. The smallholders around the forest grow arabica coffee that has a good reputation, sold through a cooperative. The area is remote and receives almost no visitors. The hills sit in the corner where Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia come close together, and the forest patches on them are the southern end of a chain that continues north into Tanzania.

What you actually see

• Mughese forest - the largest surviving forest patch in the hills.
• The rare birds - species recorded in Malawi only in these forests.
• The coffee smallholdings - the arabica grown around the forest edges.
• The remoteness - a district that receives almost no visitors.

When to go

May to October is the dry season and best for the roads. The rains make access very difficult. Nights at altitude are cold.

Honest expectations

The roads in are rough and the district is a long way from anywhere. There is essentially no visitor infrastructure. Forest patches are small and under pressure from clearing.

Nearby

Chitipa is west, and Karonga is southeast.