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After a quick flight from Lusaka, I landed in Lilongwe airport. I met with Phillimon, a stocky Malawian looking very professional in a suit. His rental company, Sputnik, organized a car for my stay.

We had a friendly chat on the drive to Sunbird Capital. After settling in, I went on a tour of the city with Ambrotious from the hotel concierge. He was very excited to introduce me to his city and didn’t stop smiling the entire time.

Lilongwe

Lilongwe is the capital of Malawi, while Blantyre is the commercial capital. Founded in 1906 during the British colonial rule as a trading post, the city was named after the Lilongwe river. Today it is one of the largest cities in the country with around a 1m population and serves as an important transportation hub.

Kamuzu Banda Mausoleum

Our first stop was at the tomb of the first president and founder of the nation, Dr Banda. On approaching the marble columned structure, we found it deserted except for a guide and two women playing an African board game.

The guide eagerly explained the history of the president and the significance of the edifice. He mentioned that the date on the plaque is off by a year. Walking up the stairs and stepping inside, the guide explained that the tomb we saw was an exact copy of the real tomb below which is forbidden to visit. The four main pillars, Unity, Loyalty, Discipline, and Obedience represent the cornerstones (literally) on which the country was built and the smaller surrounding pillars represent the states of Malawi. This was completed in 2006 which is quite recent considering the president died a decade earlier.

Next door is the newly constructed Parliament Building.

King’s African Rifles War Memorial

We drove to the nearby WWI and WWII war memorial set in a large square. In front of the memorial tower is a statue of the first president.

While studying the monuments, a guardian came by to see if we would like to visit the top of the tower. He was explaining that it was forbidden, but he could do us a favor.

This tower climb was definitely not for tourists. The guardian unlocked the back door and we started up this windy staircase to the top. The last few levels could only be reached by a rickety ladder. Stand on the sheet metal floor of the highest point, I had some great views of the city. It was surprisingly green and rural.

What a special private tour!

Market

Next we visited the craft market laid out near a shopping mall. The sellers mostly sold handmade wooden cravings and masks. There wasn’t a huge selection though. We also walked around the mall to have a look at the modern stores available in the city, from large grocery stores to small boutique clothing stores.

Lilongwe Wildlife Center

Our last stop was the sanctuary set up in 2007 to rescue and rehabilitate wildlife in Malawi. Unfortunately it was too late to tour the park, but it was interesting to walk around a bit and what animals were housed at the park. They have programs for monkeys, hyenas, and elephants.

I ended the day back at Sunbird Capital where I met with the GM of the hotel who gave me an insider tour of the property.

In the evening I had a drink with Chris from Wilderness Safaris. Originally from England, he’s been in Malawi for around 25 years. He gave me some pointers about driving through the country and an introduction to Mvuu Lodge. We had a friendly chat over a beer and I learned about his interesting background and how he ended up in Malawi.

The next morning I would start my drive to Malawi Lake!