Malawi’s only national park is a stunner, encompassing a section of Lake Malawi and its adjacent land.
The lake is one of the African Great Lakes, and the world’s ninth-largest by area. A southern portion of the 350-mile-long lake was given park status in 1980, partly to protect its abundant aquatic life.
The hundreds of species of cichlids found here are of special interest, as scientists say they’re the fish equivalent of Charles Darwin’s finches in terms of evolutionary radiation.
Other wildlife abounds on the shores and lake islands – including familiar African animals such as monkeys, hippos and leopards, as well as some less common animals, like swallow-tailed bee-eaters and (adorable!) klipspringers.
