Zomba's years as capital left it with an air of faded importance. The British chose it as the administrative centre of the Nyasaland Protectorate because of the plateau's cooler climate -- a preference shared by colonial administrators throughout tropical Africa, who governed from hilltops wherever possible. When independence came in 1964, Zomba remained the capital, but Banda soon decided that a new nation needed a new centre, and Lilongwe took over. The loss of capital status did not empty the town. The University of Malawi's Chancellor College is here, giving Zomba a student population and an intellectual life that many larger Malawian towns lack. The main street still has banks, a Shoprite supermarket, pharmacies, and a post office. The market behind the bus station sells fresh fruit, vegetables, and meat at prices lower than Blantyre's -- though everything else costs more, because every manufactured good has to be trucked in.

A tarmac road winds from the town up to the Ku Chawe Inn at the top of the plateau, a climb of roughly ninety minutes on foot. Taxis make the trip for a negotiable fare; motorbike taxis are cheaper but less comfortable and, by all accounts, more dangerous. The more adventurous option is to hitch a ride on one of the large trucks that serve as buses for villagers living in the plateau's remote settlements. Going up requires patience and timing. Coming down is easier -- the walk back on tarmac is beautiful, and strongly recommended by nearly everyone who has done it. At the top, the plateau unfolds as a world apart from the heat below. Forests, streams, and man-made dams occupy the interior. Williams Falls is the standout waterfall, but there are several others. A model of the plateau near the Ku Chawe Inn helps visitors orient themselves before heading into terrain where it is, as locals warn, very easy to get disoriented.

The Zomba Plateau is known for its guide boys -- local young men who offer their services at the top and are, by most travellers' accounts, reliable, knowledgeable, and eager for conversation. They know where the waterfalls are, which trails lead to the best viewpoints, and how to navigate the forest without getting lost. They also sell crystals harvested from the mountain and berries gathered from the bush. For about 5,000 Malawian kwacha per day, a guide will lead you to Queen's View, Emperor's View, or the summit of Chawe Mountain -- all of which offer panoramic vistas across southern Malawi that justify the climb. The plateau's remoteness is part of its appeal. Few tourists make it here, and those who do find themselves in conversations with guides who are genuinely curious about where their clients come from and why they chose this particular corner of Africa.

The activities on the plateau are simple and physical. Climb Chawe Mountain, which takes about an hour of solid hiking. Visit the waterfalls and swim beneath them -- the water is cold and clean, and the experience of standing under a cascade in a mountain forest in central Africa is not one easily replicated elsewhere. Walk the trails between man-made and natural dams. Play the small golf course on the edge of town, if the mood strikes. The plateau's climate is one of the cooler zones in a country that is otherwise relentlessly hot and humid, and the combination of altitude, forest cover, and water creates a microclimate where exertion is pleasant rather than punishing. At night, if staying at Mvuu Camp or similar lodges in the region, visitors are warned to be careful leaving their accommodation -- hippos graze on the lawns after dark, and an encounter with a hippopotamus in the dark is not the kind of African wildlife experience anyone wants.