Chongoni Rock Art Area Travel Guide: Top Sights in Malawi, Tours &

⁰

Chongoni Rock Art Area- Travel Tips What to See, How to Plan & Tours: Natural Scenery; Malawi; 5 Reviews

+1 Photos

Suggested Duration: 5 hours

The Chongoni Rock Art Area, located in the forested hills of the Malawi Plateau, contains 127 rock art sites spread across 126.4 square kilometers. The art, created by both hunter-gatherer BaTwa and farming Chewa communities, dates from the Stone Age to the Iron Age. These sites feature various styles, including geometric patterns and zoomorphism, with some created using red and white clay. The area is considered the densest cluster of rock art in Central Africa and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006. The rock art is linked to rituals and ceremonies, with particular significance to the Nyau secret society of the Chewa people. The sites are protected under national laws and located within the Chongoni Forest Reserve, which ensures their preservation.

Operators offering tours in Malawi

Attractions in Malawi

Lake Malawi

4.4

Liwonde National Park

3.4

Majete Wildlife Reserve

Lilongwe

Mulanje

4.6

Nyika National Park

Likoma Island

4.6

Zomba Massif

3.6

Reviews of Chongoni Rock Art

YAGH

5
Reviewed: 2024-07-26

A beautiful unique place, the art is mysterious as they come and a treat for the imagination. Guidance was very good - it is not an easy path by motor
Ngonidzashe Munzeiwa

5
Reviewed: 2024-03-13

We had a very good time Chongoni Rock art area is a good place with friendly hike and good place to visit to learn more about the early settlers of Malawi ..We went as a group and the name of the group is Greatness Adventures which is based in lilongwe below are some of the pictures we took at the site
Dominic McEvoy

4
Reviewed: 2021-12-13

Amazing how close you can get. Difficult track to drive on to get too.
Mike Dumakude Ngoma

5
Reviewed: 2021-08-09

Went to UNESCO #WorldHeritage site CHONGONI ROCK ART AREA, Linthipe Dedza Malawi. we started our climb at Namoni Katengeza Lay centre, a priest who used to oversee things when the missionaries left hence being named after him, we had two goals...to get to the highest point and to visit the cave paintings close to the peak (sort of) The highest point has an altitude of about 1900m above sea level, then we descended to the cave paintings,They reflect the comparatively scarce tradition of farmer rock art, as well as paintings by BaTwa or akafula hunter-gatherers who inhabited the area from the late Stone Age. The Chewa agriculturalists, whose ancestors lived there from the late Iron Age, practised rock painting until well into the 20th century. The symbols in the rock art, which are strongly associated with women, still have cultural relevance amongst the Chewa, & the sites are actively associated wt ceremonies and rituals.Situated within a cluster of forested granite hills & covering an area of 126.4 km2, high up the plateau of central Malawi, the 127 sites of this property feature the richest concentration of rock art in Central Africa, The rock art of the Chongoni sites records the cultural history and traditions of the peoples of the Malawi plateau: the transition from a foraging lifestyle to food production, the subsequent Ngoni invasion of the Chewa people, and the coming of the white man.
Jyo

5
Reviewed: 2021-04-30

Must visit. Before walking down the distance from entrance to Rock art site we climbed the Rock on the right hand side of the entrance. Trust me it was really exciting, challenging and rewarding experience. The view from the top of the Rock is breathtaking. Throughout your journey from entrance to Rock art site and then hike to forestry college you will witness many beautiful sceneries, which includes vibrant cosmos and other flowers, varieties of trees, several rocks of different shapes and tiny tiny streams.