Must-see attractions in Zambia, Malawi & Mozambique

  • Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage

    Zambia

    On a farm deep in the African bush, about 65km northwest of Chingola, is this impressive chimpanzee sanctuary that's undoubtedly the standout highlight in…

  • North Luangwa National Park

    Zambia

    This park is large, wild and spectacular, but nowhere near as developed or set up for tourism as its southern counterpart. The big draw of North Luangwa…

  • African Bush Elephant

    Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve

    Malawi

    This 1000-sq-km reserve isn't on the mainstream tourist track, but its plentiful wildlife means it shouldn’t be overlooked. As well as a plethora of…

  • Lusaka National Museum

    Lusaka

    This big square box of a building resembling a Soviet-era Moscow ministry has upstairs galleries displaying exhibits on urban culture and Zambian history…

  • Nsumbu National Park

    Zambia

    Hugging the southern shores of Lake Tanganyika, little-visited Nsumbu National Park is a beautiful 2020 sq km of hilly grassland and escarpment,…

  • Lochinvar National Park

    Zambia

    This small, 410 sq km park, northwest of Monze, consists of grassland, low wooded hills and the seasonally flooded Chunga Lagoon – all part of a huge,…

  • Praca da Independencia, Maputo, Mozambique, Africa

    Praça da Independência

    Maputo

    This wide and imposing plaza is the gateway from the upper part of town to the baixa. It's rimmed by several notable buildings and well worth a stroll.

  • Moto Moto Museum

    Zambia

    This museum in a 1970s modernist building is well worth a visit if you’re in the area. It has a large and diverse collection, much of which details the…

  • Goa Island

    Northern Mozambique

    This tiny island (known locally as Watólofu) is about 5km east of Mozambique Island. It has a lighthouse that was built during the 1870s, and is today run…

  • Kasama Rock Art

    Zambia

    Archaeologists rate the Kasama rock art as one of the largest and most significant collections of ancient art in Southern Africa, though their quality is…

  • Fort of São João Baptista

    Northern Mozambique

    At the island’s northern end is the star-shaped Fort of São João Baptista, built in 1791 and designed to accommodate up to 300 people. When Ibo was linked…

  • Niassa Reserve

    Northern Mozambique

    About 160km northeast of Lichinga on the Tanzanian border is the Niassa Reserve, a vast tract of wilderness with the largest wildlife populations in…

  • Choma Museum & Crafts Centre

    Zambia

    Based in a former school dating from the 1920s, set east of the centre along the highway, this museum's exhibits concentrate on the Tonga people, most of…

  • Elephant Orphanage Project

    Zambia

    Set up in 2008 by Game Rangers International (a wildlife conservation NGO), the Elephant Orphanage Project focuses on rescuing injured or orphaned…

  • Chishimba Falls

    Zambia

    About 35km west of Kasama are the stunning Chishimba Falls, a series of three waterfalls, two natural and one formed by a small hydro-electric power…

  • Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte

    Northern Mozambique

    In the shadow of the São Sebastião fort on the island’s northern tip is the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte, built in 1522 and considered to be the…

  • Nayuma Museum

    Zambia

    This small, dusty museum has some good info on the Lozi people, the litunga (Lozi king) and Kuomboka ceremony. It has various artefacts and cultural…

  • Railway & Gateway Jewish Museum

    Livingstone

    While there are some beautiful 19th century locomotives to clamber onboard in the Railway Museum, the background information is a bit on the dry side. The…

  • Mua Mission Church

    Malawi

    Ask at the Kungoni Centre of Culture & Art for the key to this brick building dating to 1907. The exterior has carved wooden doors and painted panels…

  • St Michael and All Angels Church

    Malawi

    This magnificent red-brick Church of Central Africa Presbyterian building was preceded by a simpler structure, built by Scottish missionary Reverend DC…

  • Praça dos Heróis Moçambicanos

    Maputo

    The large Praça dos Heróis Moçambicanos, along Avenida Acordos de Lusaka near the airport, is notable for its 95m-long mural commemorating the revolution…

  • Museum of Malawi

    Malawi

    Malawi’s interesting national museum has a few gems, including a royal ceremonial stool dating from the 16th century and a display on Gule Wamkulu dances…

  • Ngonye Falls

    Zambia

    Home to the beautiful and impressive Ngonye Falls, this park would be a major attraction if it wasn’t so difficult to reach. Imagine something almost as…

  • Stone House Museum

    Malawi

    The fascinating museum in Stone House (once the home of Livingstonia founder Dr Robert Laws, and now a national monument) tells the story of the European…

  • Paquitequete

    Pemba

    If you only visit one of Pemba's bairros (townships), make sure it's Paquitequete, located beside the bay downhill from the centre. Dominated by its…

  • Fishing Village

    Malawi

    Life in Senga Bay revolves around the sea, and there's always something happening on the beach. Go early in the morning to see the boats coming in from…

  • Carlsberg Brewery

    Malawi

    Thanks to a Danish foreign minister who visited Malawi during the independence celebrations in 1966 and wasn't too impressed by the beer available, a…

  • Namwandwe Gallery

    Lusaka

    Featuring the impressive private collection of businessman and patron of the arts John Kapotwe, Namwandwe is hands-down the best in the country for…

  • Manchewe Falls

    Malawi

    This impressive waterfall thunders 125m into the valley below, about 4km from Livingstonia (towards the lake). Follow a small path behind the falls and…

  • Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios

    Northern Mozambique

    This isolated church, tucked behind the mangroves close to the shore, retains a rare beauty enhanced by both its age and its setting. Built on the orders…

  • Mandala House

    Malawi

    This is the oldest building in Malawi, built in 1882 as a home for the managers of the African Lakes Corporation. It’s a quietly grand colonial house,…

  • Catapu Forest Reserve

    Mozambique

    Catapu is a 250-sq-km sustainable forestry concession situated 30km south of Caia on either side of the EN1. It's home to the M'phingwe Lodge and is known…

  • Sena Island

    Northern Mozambique

    About 2km south of Goa Island is Sena Island. It takes its name from its location along the old sea route aiming towards the trading centre of Sena, on…

  • Luambe National Park

    Zambia

    Hidden in between South and North Luangwa, is the rarely visited Luambe National Park. Though tiny in size, it's one of the country's oldest parks …

  • Mt Gorongosa

    Mozambique

    Mt Gorongosa (1862m) is Mozambique’s fourth-highest mountain. Located just outside Gorongosa National Park, it's steeped in local lore and known for its…

  • Limpopo National Park

    Southern Mozambique

    Together with South Africa's Kruger National Park and Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou National Park, Limpopo National Park forms part of the Great Limpopo…

  • Casa das Conchas

    Northern Mozambique

    There's no mistaking how the house of shells (sometimes called the Cowrie House) got its name. The whole facade is covered in them and they make a unique…

  • Casa dos Novios

    Mozambique

    This isolated house high above the tea fields has become a ruin since the erstwhile guard left about 10 years ago, but it's still a good target for a day…

  • Livingstonia Church

    Malawi

    Dating from 1894, this mission church has a beautiful stained-glass window featuring David Livingstone with his sextant, his medicine chest and his two…