Mangochi

Mangochi is the starting point for what is likely Malawi's most popular section of lakeshore. Located near the southern end of Lake Malawi, Fort Johnston was established in colonial times to limit slave traffic moving northwards towards the Lake and on to Zanzibar. It runs from town to the aforementioned Lake Malawi National Park, past palm-peppered Swahili fishing villages and accomplished resorts.

Mangochi now has several historical monuments dating back to the early twentieth century. These include a clock tower erected in Queen Victoria's honor and a Hotchkiss gun recovered from the Gwendolen, a gunboat that patrolled Lake Malawi from 1889 to 1940. A simple stone memorial to the 145 lives lost when the mv Viphya sank in 1946 stands alongside the clocktower. The town also has a museum and a modern Catholic Cathedral. Despite being just off the main M3 road, Mangochi is worth a visit and also serves as a very useful service center for those traveling from the south to the lakeshore. The most hotels and lodges on Lake Malawi can be found just to the north, between Mangochi and Monkey Bay – on what is known as the Mangochi Lakeshore.

• Location: Southern Region of Malawi