Life is focused around Lake Malawi: bathing, washing, playing, fishing… everything is done there- Madnomad Blog
CAIRO -27 August 2017:- Malawi shares its name with the lake which defines the whole country. Lake Malawi is 580 km (360 miles) long and 75 km (47 miles) wide. It covers about a fifth of Malawi’s total area. When I entered from Mozambique, I rode straight to Cape Maclear to enjoy the famous beaches of Lake Malawi. It was hard for me to believe that this is not the sea but a lake.
I took a traditional, wooden pirogue to West Thumbi Island. I was paddling with my kind guide, Enock, for more than an hour. Lake Malawi has more fish species than any other inland body of water in the world! The turquoise fresh water around the island is an ideal spot to swim among the plethora of colourful fish. I never had such an enjoyable snorkelling!
Sunset in Cape Maclear…- Madnomad Blog
I wouldn’t miss the Mufasa Rustic Camp in Monkey Bay. That’s very close to Cape Maclear but it’s a different world… Cape Maclear has a long beach and you stay in the village between the local houses and huts. Mufasa has a tiny, secluded beach and there you live in harmony with nature in a very beautiful setting.
The exotic beaches of Lake Malawi… This one is in Monkey Bay! …- Madnomad Blog
It was time to make a detour south to Zomba. I was hosted in a township and that was nice. I was there to explore the Zomba Plateau, a mountainous area full of nice forests, waterfalls and a small lake. It was a really beautiful setting! We took my motorcycle and we visited some relatives of my host in a remote village. Nobody could speak English there but my host was translating for me. They were insisting to cook something for us. They took some fresh rice and they skilfully peeled it by hitting it in a big, wooden mortar like those ones that are used all around Africa. They laid a mat on the ground to sit on and they served us the rice with some brown sugar.
The mother and the daughter were perfectly synchronized to hit the fresh rice until it was all peeled. …- Madnomad Blog
I headed back north and after a long day on the road, I arrived at the touristy Nkhata Bay. It is built around a picturesque part of the lake. I enjoyed some hiking on the neighbouring hills but the best thing I did was a boat trip to a remote village called Kawanga. I camped on the beautiful beach and the first thing I enjoyed when I opened my eyes was the crystal-clear water! I sat on some rocks in the middle of the water and I was admiring the beauty of the scenery. I was helping the local fishermen to pull the nets out of the lake, I was playing with the children and then I was enjoying the night with my friends around a warm bonfire…
Helping the local fishermen to pull the nets out of the lake in remote Kawanga village! …- Madnomad Blog
My last stop in Malawi was at Livingstonia, a small, former colonial town which was set up as a Christian mission in 1894. A rocky dirt road took me to the plateau from where the views over the lake are gorgeous! I did some hiking and I enjoyed Manchewe Falls. After almost three weeks in Malawi, it was time to exit the country from its northernmost border. Tanzania was waiting me…
A small part of Manchewe Falls near Livingstonia…- Madnomad Blog
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This article was originally published by Madnomad
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