Kasungu can be viewed on two scales: the Kasungu National Park in the district and the broader cultural themes of the Central Region. The park was established in 1970 and covers 2,316 square kilometers. Kasungu National Park is characterized by Miombo and dambo landscapes and is home to a preserved traditional iron-smelting site. Cultural attractions such as the Chamare Museum and Chongoni, on the other hand, belong to the wider Central Region; for travel planning, it makes sense to keep these geographic levels distinct.
Landscape in Kasungu National Park
On the Central African Plateau, the park protects Miombo, or Brachystegia, woodlands and open, grassy dambo drainage systems. The landscape therefore brings together wooded areas and open grass dambos; both are part of the protected area described here. Notable tourist attractions include Wang’ombe Rumen, an inselberg formation near the park’s western boundary. It is part of a group of inselbergs and adds a distinctive landscape feature alongside the woodland and dambo areas.
Historical and transboundary connections
Malawi’s only surviving original traditional iron-smelting site is located in Kasungu National Park. It is intact and well preserved. The park is also part of the transboundary Malawi-Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Areas. The protected area’s profile therefore combines a historic iron-smelting site with its inclusion in a transboundary conservation framework.
Getting to Lisitu Gate
The only vehicle access to Kasungu National Park is Lisitu Gate on the southeastern boundary. From Kasungu Boma, it can be reached via the unpaved D187 road. Access is therefore via a specific gate and a named road. As the road is unpaved, check current road and gate conditions before setting out.
Culture in the wider Central Region destination
The Chamare Museum displays Gule Wamkulu masks and structures, which serve as bearers of the ancestors’ moral teachings for the Chewa. The museum also presents the history of the Mua Mission and explores the relationship between faith and culture, also known as inculturation. The collection includes cultural artifacts of the Ngoni and Yao. The exhibition on the Chewa, Ngoni and Yao includes detailed photographs and explanations by Claude Boucher Chisale.
Visitors are welcome to watch the carvers at work in the botanical garden on the Kungoni grounds; much of their work takes place there in public view. The Kungoni Dance Troupe performs at the adjacent Bwalo dance arena. These arts and cultural themes also belong to the wider Central Region destination.
The Chongoni Rock-Art Area comprises 127 sites in wooded granite hills on the plateau of central Malawi. Chewa farmers practiced rock painting there well into the 20th century; the sites remain connected with Chewa ceremonies and rituals. The boundaries of the area are also complex: the vast majority of the sites lie within its boundary, which matches the boundary of the Chongoni Forest Reserve. Five of the 127 designated sites lie outside this boundary but within the buffer zone.
Discover more destinations: Linyangwa, Nkhotakota and Salima.
See the wider travel overview: Central Region.
