We spent two nights in Nkhotakota, a historic lakeside town on the shores of Lake Malawi and one of the country’s largest traditional settlements. The town is best known for its complex 19th-century history as a major centre of the Arab-Swahili slave and ivory trade. Set between the waters of Lake Malawi and the dramatic escarpments of the Great Rift Valley, Nkhotakota is surrounded by a rugged and largely unspoiled landscape.
The slave trade was established here in the 1840s by the Swahili-Arab leader Jumbe Salim bin Abdullah. Over time, Nkhotakota grew into the busiest slave and ivory port in the region, with thousands of enslaved people transported across Lake Malawi each year. This dark chapter remains an important part of the town’s historical identity.
During his travels through Central Africa, the explorer David Livingstone visited Nkhotakota and famously appealed to Chief Jumbe to abandon the slave trade. The site of their meeting is commemorated by the historic “Livingstone Tree,” which remains one of the town’s most significant landmarks.
Nkhotakota also played an important role in Malawi’s modern political history. In the 1960s, it became a focal point of the independence movement when Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda held his first political rally here after his release from prison, marking a significant moment on the country’s path to independence.
The town is also the gateway to the renowned Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, Malawi’s oldest and one of its largest protected areas. Managed in partnership with African Parks, the reserve has undergone one of Africa’s most ambitious wildlife restoration projects, including the relocation of more than 500 elephants and numerous other species. These efforts have transformed it into one of Malawi’s premier wilderness sanctuaries. Unfortunately, we had to give it a miss, as we were unable to find suitable transport to explore the reserve independently.
Parking location – Nkhotakota (town): 12.9232979S 34.2834005E (🚻,🚿,🅿️30,000 MKW)
Parking location – Nkhotakota (beach): 12.9091481S 34.2990596E (🚻,🚿,💦,🍽️,🏊,🚢,🅿️10,000 MKW)