Mangochi Flights:
Flights to Mangochi
Right at the southern tip of Lake Malawi, Mangochi is a small city in Malawi that used to be known as Fort Johnston. It is not a popular tourist destination though there are several good nature parks within a very short drive of town.
The nearest airport for flights to Mangochi is the Chileka International Airport (airport code: BLZ), located about 140km away in Blantyre. You will likely only get a flight with South African Airways from Johannesburg, which operates a non-stop route to Blantyre. It tends to only run this flight on the weekends. If that doesn’t suit, you can arrive at the Lilongwe International Airport (code: LLW) instead. That airport is 180km away but does offer many more flight to Mangochi options. South African Airways, Kenya Airways and Air Botswana all have service.
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The Tourist Attractions of Mangochi:
You won’t find too many attractions right within the city but you can enjoy a little time just walking around the streets of Mangochi to see the city and its people. Otherwise, you’ll be heading out into Malawi to see the local sights.
Lake Malawi
The large lake is a popular attraction in itself, with places for fishing, swimming, scuba diving and snorkelling. It’s particularly well-known for the colourful cichlid fish that live there, many that are unique to the lake. Mangochi is not directly on the lakeshore, but you can get to the lake in a few minutes by heading north along the Shire River (that connects to the smaller Lake Malombe.
Liwonde National Park
To the south past Lake Malombe is the Liwonde National Park. It’s an excellent park for wildlife viewing, as there are populations of elephants, crocodiles, buffalo, hippos, and several different types of antelope all living there. There are game trails for safari treks through the park, as well as a few lodges for overnight accommodations if you wanted to stay for more than one day.
Namizimu Forest Reserve
The entry point to the Namizimu Forest Reserve is just a few kilometres outside of Mangochi, which makes it the most convenient nature area to explore first. It’s a region of mountain rainforest, with stunning scenery and a varied terrain for hiking. Lions, leopards and elephants are sometimes seen in the park but rhinos are no longer found within the Namizimu borders. Birds and butterflies are very abundant in the park.
Lake Malawi Museum
The small Lake Malawi Museum is a local museum with several cultural exhibits as well as many items of military interest and a large model steam engine. Its one of the few places to see that’s right in Mangochi itself, so you should plan on taking at least one quick tour of the building.
When Should You Visit?:
Most of the year will be over 30C (86F) in Mangochi, except for June and July when it dips down to 26C (79F) during the day. So it generally will be hot all through the year though the nights will drop by 5 to 10 degrees once the sun goes down for a little added comfort. You should try to avoid being in Mangochi in October and November because it will be at its hottest then at nearly 35C (86F).