Southern Region, Malawi · Africa
Chikwawa sits on the route: 40 minutes from Blantyre.
Chikwawa is in Southern Region, Malawi, with about 7,000 people. The nearest town is Blantyre, about 35 km away.
Chikwawa is a town with a population of 6,114 according to the 2018 census located in the Southern Region of Malawi on the west bank of the Shire River. It is the administrative capital of the Chikwawa District. Chikwawa lies almost 50 kilometres (30 mi) south of Blantyre, the commercial capital of Malawi.
Chikwawa,Read more
then known as Chibisa's village, was the first town in Malawi to be seen by European explorers, when visited in March 1859 by David Livingstone's second Zambesi expedition. Their way upstream was blocked by the Kapachira Falls, and they returned in August for land exploration which reached Lake Malawi on 18 September. Two of the missionaries accompanying Dr Livingstone, belonging to the Universities Mission to the Central Africa (UMCA) Dr Dickinson and Rev. Scudamore died in the district and were buried in Chisanja-Julius Village along the Shire River, a walkable distance from the Kamuzu Bridge.
The surrounding region was ravaged by Portuguese slave traders in the nineteenth century.
The Majete Wildlife Reserve, the Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve and Lengwe National Park lie in the vicinity of Chikwawa. Large numbers of hippopotamus and crocodiles inhabit the Shire River area.
Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.
Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.
Compare before you book!
Prices can vary significantly between platforms. We recommend checking at least 2-3 sites to find the best deal for your stay in Chikwawa.
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Chikwawa.
Chikwawa is in Southern Region, Malawi, about 35 km from Blantyre.
Road trip
Add it as a stop and the planner works out the driving, the nights and what's worth seeing on the way.
Start planningSwipe through places to go
Places within a drive of Chikwawa. Keep the ones you like and add them to your trip.
Year-round
Tropical latitude: plan around the wet season rather than temperature.
Other places to explore near Chikwawa.
Your trip starts here
Pick the days, drop in the stops, and share it with whoever's coming.