Nestling at the southern extremity of the Great Rift Valley, landlocked Malawi is a green, fertile, densely populated country - one of Africa's most beautiful. Known as the Warm Heart of Africa, its people are renowned for their friendliness. Its mountains and plains, forests and rivers, conceal remote lodges and an exceptional array of birds - many of which are rarely found elsewhere.

Although one of Africa's smallest countries, Malawi has a huge variety of topography and scenery. It is divided into three regions: the northern province contains the Nyika Plateau and Vwaza Marsh; Lilongwe, the capital, and Liwonde lie in the central region, while Majete, Mount Mulanje and the Zomba Plateau are in the south. The lakeshore is dotted with resorts - you can choose between easy-to-reach but inevitably busier, or remote and more intimate...