Lonely Planet Malawi 2/E

This book rocks. After eight trips to Malawi I know never to go without it because I now know I can rely on it. The book is well organized, up-to-date, and gives accurate and practical advice. It's also tightly organized and so it's smaller and more easily portable than most but packed with good information. The publisher has anticipated what we need to know most and there are numerous subjects highlighted in boxed sections, easy to find--health tips, ferry schedules, driving rules, sample itineraries, special sites to visit in each region, etc. The opening section on history and culture is particularly good. Maps, throughout the book, are clear and useful. The photos are wonderful. The lodging and eating recommendations are excellent and, again, reliable. If you're going, get this one.

Having previously been to Malawi and with the intention of going back to see more of the country, I found this book very helpful. It gives a nice range of accomidations and travel methods and is very realistic about what to expect from each. More so helpful is the political and cultural history the book gives so that one knows what is and is not acceptable from a foreigner traveling within the country. This book indicates that Malawi is a great place to start an African adventure and additionally gives info about getting to the countries surrounding Malawi (i.e. Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique) and what to expect from them.