We spent the afternoon in Zomba, Malawi’s fourth-largest city, located in the scenic Shire Highlands. The city sits at the foot of the majestic Zomba Plateau, a vast 130 km² mountain massif whose highest point, Malombe Peak, rises to 2,087 metres above sea level. The plateau is covered with dense pine and cedar forests and criss-crossed by streams, waterfalls, and small lakes.
Zomba was established as the administrative centre of the British Central Africa Protectorate and later the Nyasaland Protectorate. Following Malawi’s independence in 1964, it served as the country’s capital until 1975, when the government relocated to Lilongwe, although Parliament remained in Zomba until 1994. The city also played an important military role as a base for the King’s African Rifles (KAR). Today, it retains strong academic ties as the historic home of Chancellor College, the largest constituent college of the University of Malawi.
We began by exploring some of the city’s historic landmarks, including the Zomba Gymkhana Club, the Old Parliament Building (now used as the High Court), and the King’s African Rifles War Memorial Tower. Afterwards, we hired a motorbike and rode past Mulunguzi Dam (🎟️500 MWK) up to the plateau, which features breathtaking viewpoints described during the British colonial era as “the best in the British Empire”—and it is easy to understand why.
Parking location – Zomba: 15.3834417S 35.3165090E