Malawi, 4th: The Bradt Travel Guide

The book was for those people going into the tourist areas not the less traveled areas.

Malawi is a small country by African standards, and has no high-profile star attractions. Few tourists visit more places than some beach resorts along the shores of its huge lake. Considering the above, the wealth of info on potential destinations included in this book is stunning. Not only is pretty much every sizeable town described, so are plenty of rural areas, notably obscure forest reserves, marshes and small lakes. The info on the country's wildlife and national parks is truly in-depth and very interesting. So is the background information on culture and history. Very good list of bokks recommended for further reading at the back. Also, all the practical details (with prices) on accommodation and transport options you might find in better-known series like Lonely Planet (which no longer publishes a separate Malawi guide). In fact, the only disadvantage of this book might just be that with all the recommendations, it might make you spend much longer in Malawi than you had originally planned! ;-)

This guide is one of very few devoted entirely to Malawi and the 4th edition was just published in 2006! With information about all types of travel (budget to 4 star hotel; safaris, overland trips, and rental car excursions) and a detailed chapter on the history and culture of Malawian people, this book will prepare anyone, first-timer to veteran, for an engaging, well-informed trip to the "warm heart of Africa."