Karonga, Northern, Malawi, East Africa, Africa

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Cultural & Museum Centre Karonga

Top choice in Malawi


This museum, off the M1, celebrates the numerous fossil discoveries made in these parts, and the skeleton of the Malawisaurus (or a copy of it, anyway) takes pride of place. Visits take the form of a guided tour, with information panels in English adding detail. You’ll enjoy a whistle-stop journey through the history of the planet, with particular reference to the Karonga district, 'from dinosaurs to democracy' via milestones such as the rise of humans and Malawi’s fight for independence.

Following the path of a giant snake along the museum floor, you'll encounter some fun exhibits along the way: a viewfinder you can look through to find a prehistoric human staring back at you; displays of late-19th-century warriors’ dress and smoking pipes; and colourful wall murals by local artists defining the themes of the museum's various sections – from a prehistoric family sitting by the lake to 'president for life' Hastings Banda waving his trademark fly whip.