Tourism Brochure in Malawi (english)

7/30/2019 Tourism Brochure in Malawi (english)

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The friendliest people in Africa.

Ages old culture, tradition and crafts,

high mountain peaks,

white water rivers and broad blue lakes.

Africas Big Five in magnificent natural settings.

Malawi has it all...

The MinisTry of TourisM, Wildlife and culTurePrivate Bag 326, Capital City, Lilongwe 3, Malawi

Tel (265)(0)1 772 702, (265)(0)1 775 499

Fax (265)(0)1 775 494, (265)(0)1 770 650

Email [email protected]

[email protected]

www.visitmalawi.mw

in uK (london)

Kwacha House, 70 Winnington Road

Hampstead, London N2 OTX

Tel +44 (0)20 8455 5624, Fax +44 (0)20 3235 1066


in souTh africa

Malawi Consulate General

4 Dodge Street, Woodmead 2157

P. O. Box 3881, Rivonia 2128

Johannesburg, South Africa

Tel +27 (0)11 234 8577/8 or 803 4919, Fax +27 (0)11 807 7790


Produced by Central Africana Limited, photography Frank M.I. Johnston except where indicated

P.O. Box 631, Blantyre, Malawi www.centralafricana.com


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conTenTs

2 MeeTing MalaWi An Arican Romance

4 david livingsTones Lake o Stars

6 in livingsTones fooTsTeps Southern Lakeshore

8 cape Maclear Watersports Haven

10 heriTage foundaTions Central Lakeshore

12 Missions, beaches and baobabs Northern Lakeshore

14 The peaKs Mulanje

16 hillTop haunTs Islands in the Sky

18 in The norTh Viphya, Nyika & Vwaza Marsh

20 WaTerWays The Upper Shire

22 doWn souTh The Lower Shire

24 high Tea above loW valleys Thyolo

26 sTarTing poinT Cities & Centres

28 Why MalaWi? Its the Warmth o the Heart


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inTroducTion

Small is beautiul, as E.F Schumacher amously proclaimed. Nowhereis this more true than o Malawi. One o the smallest countries inArica, it is tucked between three giants, Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia.

Malawi is so small that it is oten overlooked, and thats partly why it is such

a magical destination.

Malawi is a distillation o the true Arican experience. Here you see the kind

o heart-squeezing scenery that has made Central Arica amous. Here is the

regions highest peak. Here you can view amilies o elephants as they splash

in the shallows o one o Aricas majestic rivers, and see the great ginger ormo Pels shing owl in a orest o palm trees. You are then on the route taken

by Victorian Englands hero Doctor David Livingstone as he battled slavery

and disease in a country where his eorts shaped history. You too can

discover his beloved, and challenging,

Lake o Stars.

Sit on a perect beach. Let your eyes

east on the wide wonder o turquoise

water, blue sky and a distant

shoreline o misty mountains.

Rocky islands foat on the water

as ragments o antasy, capped

with jungle. The whisper o waves

provides a background or the

haunting cry o the sh eagle and,

i youre lucky, you may glimpse the

glossy orm o an otter as it slips home

among the rocks.

Lake Malawi is the most beautiul eature o a beautiul country. Along the

south-western reaches, the lake, somewhere in its two million years o

existence, has drawn away rom the edge o the Rit valley leaving a wide level

plain dotted with baobabs, palms and umbrella trees. The waters edge is lined

with golden beaches, irresistible to holidaymakers, and the sparkling water is

alive with the most beautiul resh-water sh in the world.

Even the prices are good! Although the country can now boast world class

tourist accommodation, when translated into hard currency many o Malawis

lake-side lodges and orest rest houses are astonishingly inexpensive. Malawiattracts adventurous spirits, many o them budget travellers, and there are

plenty o establishments providing adventure activities - uelled by hearty

meals - at low prices - as well as simple accommodation, perectly in keeping

with the surroundings.

Although there are six local languages in Malawi,

Chichewa being most commonly spoken, the ocial

language is English. Wherever you go in this gorgeous

country, you are more than likely to be understood. And

where you are not, the real wealth o Malawi will come

to your aid or this is the warmest, riendliest nation in

all o Arica. And gited too. Malawi wood-carvings grace

museums, art galleries and churches around the world.

You will nd you cant go home without a small memento

o what is sure to be your most memorable visit to Arica.

Malawi is undisputedly the Warm Heart o Arica.

Loving it is inevitable.

The Warm Heart of Africa

1


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MeeTing MalaWi

An African Romance

2

One o the smallest countries in Arica, Malawi is the epitome o a vast continent,the very essence o Arica.Not quite east, central or southern Arican, it has elements o each: a touch o East Aricas

sensual magnetism, some o the mystery o Central Aricas tropical orests, and the sheer

delight o southern Aricas exuberance.

Malawi is a country o startling contrasts. Landlocked, it is a nation o shermen, one th o the

country taken up by Lake Malawi, the third largest lake in Arica. Trapped in the Great Rit Valley,

it laps like an inland sea at the oot o wooded escarpment hills, in a setting o haunting beauty.

In its uplands, the undulating plains o the central Arican plateau give way to dramatic inselbergs

and spectacular highlands - the Mulanje massi, the highest mountain in central Arica, and

Zomba Mountain in the south, and northwards, the orested Viphya plateau and the superb rolling

grasslands o the Nyika.

The many and varied habitats are protected by

nine separate wildlie reserves. Oering more experiential than conventional game

viewing, there is a range o thrills or nature lovers, rom the orchids o Nyika to the

cichlid sh o the lake, rom Pels shing owl in the Shire Valley to the blue fycatcher

in the rain orests.

The least exploited o Arican tourist destinations, Malawi has now been discovered.

It has all the traditionally prized eatures, such as sun-drenched beaches and sparkling

palm-ringed water, as well as scuba diving, rock climbing, mountain biking and other

adventures or the young at heart. Its exceptional scenery lends itsel to road travel, or

the main roadwork is in excellent condition. This provides the best o all opportunities

to experience the real warmth o Malawi, its wonderul people. You are bound to leave

a part o your own heart in the Warm Heart o Arica.


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geTTing To MalaWi

From Europe andNorth AmericaAirlines ying to Malawi to/rom Europe:

Ethiopian Airlines (via Addis Ababa),

KLM (via Nairobi with Kenya A irways),

South Arican Airways (via Johannesburg)

Arican airlines fyingto/rom MalawiAir Malawi, Air Zimbabwe, South Arican Airways,

Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines

AirportsMost internat ional ights land at Lilongwe, Malawis capital,

but several ights, especially those rom Johannesburg and

Harare, land at the business centre o Blantyre in the south.

There are internal ights throughout the country.

All passenger on non-scheduled ights are required to pay

an airport tax o US$ 30 on international ights and MK200

on domestic ights.

VisasVisas are required by all entering the

country except nat ionals o Belgium, most

Commonwealth countries, Finland, France,

Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, Portugal,

Scandinavia, Spain, and the USA. Check with

your travel agent or a Malawi Mission abroad;

regulations change rom time to time. Your

passport should be valid or at least six months.

Customs and ImmigrationOfcials try to make your arrival and departure as trouble-

ree as possible and baggage handling is efcient and airly

ast. The usual personal allowances are gra nted.

Travelling overlandMalawi has become a very popular staging post or trans-

Arica travellers and it is a very good country in which tobegin an Arican trip. Many tour operators oer packages into

and out o Malawi and there are regular coach services rom

Johannesburg and Harare.

When to visitMalawi is always beautiul. The cooler months (Ma y to

August/September) are more comor table or traveller s

rom the northern hemisphere, but the lush, green summer

(November to April) is also a good time to visit i due care

is taken to avoid mosquito bites. May and June combine

the best o both seasons - cooler, still green with great

visibility - and are especially good or photography.

Country dirt roads are sometimes impassable to normal

vehicles during heavy rains.

Game viewing is best in the hottest times o the dry season

when the animals are orced to visit water sources, but the

countryside is more attractive in the we tter, greener months.

Bird watchers enjoy their best sightings in October and

November. Check or school ho liday dates, particularly or

those in South Arica when more tourists visit Malawi and

resorts fll up.


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laKe of sTars

David Livingstones

4

David Livingstone rst saw Lake Nyassa, now Lake Malawi,in 1859 and was bewitched by its beauty. The lake ostars, he called it, as a myriad winking galaxies glittered rom

the crystal acets o the water. Its a wonderul description,

as exact today as it was almost a century and a hal ago.

Sit on a perect beach, and let your eyes take in the wide

wonder o turquoise water, blue sky and a milky distant

shoreline o mountains. Rocky islands foat on the water like

ragments o antasy, crowned with jungle. The whisper o

waves sotens the yelping call o sh eagles, and i youre lucky,

you may glimpse the glossy head o an otter as it heads or a

home among the rocks.

In Livingstones time, the lake was dotted with dhow sails,

sinister as sharks ns, errying slaves and ivory across to the

eastern shore or the long march to the coast. Today,

peaceul dugout canoes range the length and breath o

the lake, no longer earul o Arab traders, intent only

on harvesting the silver bounty o sh. A meal o the

countrys avourite,chambo, served with golden chipped

potatoes, is a must or visitors.

Lake Malawi covers almost 20% o the country, and

provides much o the countrys protein. The third largest

lake in Arica, and one o the deepest in the world, its water

is particularly pure. Fish preer the shallower, southern end,

so its no surprise that the human population is denser in the

south. Here too, the brightly colouredcichlid shes,mbuna,

abound, making rocky island shores an open-air aquarium

or snorkellers and scuba divers.


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5

Travel suggesTions

What to wearBeach resorts are very inormal, however it is well

to remember that Malawians are conventional, even

conservative, people and visitors should respect local

customs and tradit ions when visiting vill ages and markets.

Light clothing is es sential. You wont need to make a

ashion statement, but you will need to eel comortable

when the temperature rises - and when it drops. Business

meetings are usually more ormal and those combining

work with pleasure should keep this in mind. Long sleeved

shirts and light t rousers help to keep the mosquitoes at

bay in the evenings. Take a jersey or cool weather and

late nights - especially when visiting the highlands. A hat,

sun block and comortable walking shoes are essential.

Remember any medicat ion you use regu larly (other medical

recommendations are discussed later), contact lens uid

and insect repellent .

What else to takeLots o reading material i you are no t going to be near the

city bookshops in Bl antyre and Lilongwe. B inoculars or

birders. Swim fns and goggles, i you have them. Camera,

spare batteries memory cards or flm.

ElectricityMalawi uses the Brit ish three pin square plug and a 240 volt

supply, so take adaptors and a t ransormer i necessary.

SecurityMalawi has long been amed as the riendliest country in

Arica - and this is st ill true. But be aware that urbanisat ion,

poverty and changing social values have brought a rise in

crime statistics. Be careul. Take the same precautions you

would take in any other part o the world.

MoneyMalawis unit o currency is the kwacha, divided into

100 tambala.

Foreign exchange can be converted at branches o,

INDEbank, the Standard, National, First Merchant, NBS,

MSB, Nedbank, and Eco banks and there are several

licensed/authorised bureaux de change in Blantyre and

Lilongwe. Credit cards are sometimes accepted in the cities

and around the Lake, but the use o bo th oreign exchange

and credit cards can be difcult outside major centres.

Banking hoursMondays to Fridays 08.00 - 15.00 hrs. Most banks open on

Saturday mornings. Most hotels o in ternational standard

oer money-changing acilities.

HealthThe same simple rule applies to health as to security.

Take care. Be aware. Check on immunisation and anti-

malaria medication well in advance o travel to Malawi

or anywhere else in A rica, and pack a reasonable frst aid

kit to enable you to deal with small emergencies and upset

stomachs. Try to use licensed accommodation unit s and

restaurants. Do not drink tap water in resort areas, rather

plenty o bottled water and keep out o the midday sun as

much as possible.


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The laKe o f sTars

Music fesTival

Inspired by world amous even ts such as Live Aid and

Glastonbury, the Lake o Stars Festival was created by

Englishman Will Jameson in 2004. The aim remains, as at

frst, to raise money or a developing economy, help promote

Malawi as a tourist destin ation and expose Malawian artist s

to international crowds. A platorm or

both local and international artists, this

award winning estival, usually held in

September/October, has something or

everyone.

Named ater Livingstones epithet or

Lake Malawi, the numbers attending

the estival have increased greatly each

year, mainly thanks to eorts by t he

organisers and the shee r attraction o

the shimmering waters and the palm-ringed shores o Lake Malawi. Startin g

with a ew dozen Europeans and some

locals, attendance has increased to over

3000 and the estival now orms part o

the itinerary or many, including those

on overland trips rom countries such as

South Arica and Kenya.

A three-day estival o u n and cultural

exchange, it is a time or sampling the

delights o local cuisine and cu rios

while enjoying a diverse roste r o perormances and jamming

sessions. A time or getting lost in the Warm Heart o Arica

while soaking up the unique atmosphere only good music and

Malawis majestic lake can oer.

This has been a lie changing experience or all o us. Come

here or the people, come or the music, come or the amous

Malawian hospitality, come here or that lake i nothing else, but

just make sure that you come here some time_ Jo Good, MTV,

Oct 2007. www.lakeostars.org

in livingsTones fooTsTeps

The Southern Lakeshore

PhotographT

imC

owley

6

Long and lithe, Lake Malawi was once known as thecalendar lake, measuring 365 miles in length and52 miles across at its widest point. The conversion to

kilometres has made the name outdated, but its still a

useul aide memoire or those who like to know. The lake

gathers most o its water rom rivers to the west, and has

only one outlet, the Shire River.

The Shire (pronounced like shirry rather than the English

shire) drains the lake at its most southern point, opposite

the town o Mangochi. Established on the east bank in 1891,

the little town was a garrison against slave trac.

Mangochi

This town lies on the Shire River (you can oten see hipposrom the lovely new bridge) and has a market, shops and

a busy, happy atmosphere. The Lake Malawi Museum is

here. As Fort Johnston, Mangochi was once an important

anti-slaving centre and later a colonial administrative town.

Broad tree-lined streets, part o the earliest town planning

in Central Arica and some remaining, dilapidated, buildings

are evidence o a colonial heritage. A colonial monument to

Queen Victoria stands near the new bridge, and overlooking

the river are two mementos o Lake Malawis rich history -

a gun used in Britains rst naval victory o World War I,

and a memorial plaque to the 145 people who drowned in

Lake Malawis worst shipping disaster, the sinking o the m.v.

Vipya during a storm in 1946. There are places to stay or the

passing traveller, a supermarket and banking acilit ies.

Lake Malawis shores between Mangochi and Monkey Bay have

long been a avoured holiday destination. There are many

tourism enterprises catering or all markets along this 80km

shoreline. The visitor chooses between a dozen lodges and

hotels set on beaches o golden sand.

Excursion opportunities, too, are many. These include very

successul commercial sh arming by Maldeco Aquaculture

near Nkopola Lodge and tropical palms at Tropex near ClubMakokola. Koma Croc is a crocodile arm which welcomes

visitors. Boadzulu, a rocky island o Club Makokola,

mentioned by David Livingstone in hisNarrative o an

Expedition to the Zambezi and its Tributaries and the

Discovery o Lakes Nyassa and Chilwa (London, 1865),

is well worth the short cruise to see giant monitor lizards

basking on the rocks. The population o sh eagles on this

shoreline is said to be the densest in Arica and their haunting

cries are heard everywhere, dawn till dusk.


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7

econoMics

Malawis economy is predominant ly agriculture

based but there has been recent successul

diversifcation in mining, agro-processing and

tourism. The population is presently estimated at

12 million. Average population density is 105 per

km2, one o the highest in Arica. Urbanisation

continues as ewer people are able to make a rural

living, and there are large concentrations o people

around the cities - the capital, Lilongwe, business

centre Blantyre , the frst, and stil l the academic, capital

o Zomba and the ast growing northern city o Mzuzu .

In the south, there is more in tense cultivation - and

population - while in the north people live in widely

scattered villages and the traditional way o lie

still prevails.

Nationally, Malawis economy is strongly agrarianwith most people involved in arming pro jects, or as

subsistence armers. Tobacco (right), sugar and tea

are the main expor ts and coee (below) is increasingly

grown, with much success. Rural smallho lder armers

grow tobacco or sale at the huge auction oors in

all three cities, and a lso plant maize, millet and rice,

bananas, citrus and vegetables.


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entralAfrican,

KarenSmith

cape M aclear

Watersports Haven

8

The Lake o Stars it was to David Livingstone, and so what better than to name the rst

promontory ater his riend, the Astronomer Royal, Thomas Maclear? The name, Cape Maclear,

once applied just to the promontory that includes Domwe Island, now reers to the entire area,

rom Monkey Bay in the east to Kasankha Bay in the west. This is the Nankhumba Peninsula,

containing the Lake Malawi National Park and Chembe village.

Here was the site o the rst mission station, the original Livingstonia. Little remains today but

a ew neglected graves. The mission soon moved up the lakeshore to Bandawe in the hope o

evading malaria and black water ever, but there too, they suered. Today the village o Chembe

is bursting with people, eking out a living rom shing and tourism in one o the most beautiul

places on earth. The rst reshwater National Park

in the world (1984), it is a World Heritage Site.

Lake Malawi National Park was established to protect the

cichlid sh unique to this area. Much prized as aquarium sh,

there are estimated to be close on a thousand dierent species

o these little jewelled wonders, many as yet undescribed. Taking

advantage o this blaze o biodiversity, snorkelling and diving around the

islands is a must. There are Government trained tour guides at Cape Maclear;

ask or their identity cards i you require a guide.


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9

The m.v. Ilala (below) sails rom her home port o Monkey

Bay - one o the most po pular destinations in Arica or

backpackers and overlanders. The town is built around

the harbour installations, with spectacular views over the

wooded lakeshore. It throbs with lie on departure an d arrival

days and attracts hu ge crowds o well-wishers as well as

passengers. From Mo nkey Bay, most travellers make their way,

by a narrow scenic road, to the beaches at Cape Maclear.

Stretch ed ou t alon g the stunnin g beaches a t this lovely

spot a re a varie ty o establi shmen ts oe ring l ow co st

accom modation, good ood, cold beer - and p lenty o un .

Inside the Pa rk an easy w alking trail rom th e Gold en Sands

Rest Ca mp takes yo u up t o Otter Point, a lovely v iew sit e.

Kayak Ari ca in Chembe village take their clien ts on

well-organised overnight or week-end trips out to the

islands in sea kayaks, with diving and snorkellingoptions . Island camps on Mumbo a nd Domwe are dream

beautiul, and set up with exceptional sensitivity to the

environment. I you ancy a stay in luxury tents on stil ts

above tropical waters, thi s is paradi se. Kayak Arica

has laid out walking trails on the islands, a nd there are

birding specials to look out or, like the green coucal.

Danorth Yachting is an up-

market yacht charter and

luxury lodge, operating out o

Cape Maclear. A luxury 38 oot

catamaran, the m.v.Masa (let,

seen moored at it s Cape Maclear base),

ully equipped and crewed, sleeps e ight

in style. Danorths dive and sailing

centre has all the necessary scuba diving

equipment, several sailing dinghies and a resident

dive instructor.

There are over 20 dive sites at Cape Maclear, oering a variety

o dive experiences. Lake Malawi is ideal or the diving

enthusiast. Clear, resh, warm water, no tides or curr ents and

over 400 dierent spec ies o tropical cichlids, unique to Lake

Malawi. Other activities include sailing , fshing, water skiing,

wake boarding, mountain biking, and nature wa lks.All sailing itineraries are exible, dep ending on weather and

wind conditions, and you r cruise will ocus around your

particular interest, be it fshing, scuba diving or just relaxing.

Livingstonia Mission moved rom its Cape Maclear site

to the shoulders o Nyika over 100 years ago.

MonKey bay and cape MaclearThe laKe MalaWi

yachTing MaraThon

Oten described as the longest reshwater yachting race in

the world (over 500km), this event, which is really more o

an endurance tes t than a yacht ra ce, takes place each y ear

in July. It is at th is time that the mwera bl ows strongest up

Lake Malawi rom Mozambique and the south-east.

The powerul winds can produce some very rough water

indeed and this competition is not or the aint hea rted

sailor. Already in its 25th year it has grown st eadily in

popularity to th e point where 30 yachts and crews, rom

all over southern Arica and urt her, entered the 2009

competit ion. Starting a t one o the r esorts dotting the

southern lakeshore, the event takes entrants northwards

and across to the islands o Malawian islands o Likoma

and Chisi mulu within Mozambican wate rs and ends on the

beautiul silver sands o Chintheche just south o Nkhata

Bay. There are plans to make the event even longer in its25th year, perhaps as ar as the northern limi ts o the

lake and through the stretch, north o Nkhata Bay, where

the Arica Great Rit Valley narrows within dramatic

mounta inous scenery and the pow erul winds are unneled

to even greater ury.


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heriTage foundaTions

The Central Lakeshore

10

The road rom Lilongwe to Salima is a good one, winding gently down theRit escarpment to the distant shimmer o the lake. Beside the road, cratsmenweave beautiul rattan-type urniture, binding the stems o a wild creeper onto

bamboo rames. Salima itsel is not a destination or visitors, but Senga Bay, teen

kilometres arther on, is one o the loveliest on the Lake.

Like many o lake-side towns in Malawi, Salima was an Arab trade centre in

Livingstones time. In those days, only Muslims were sae rom the threat o slavery

and today Salima retains a predominantly Muslim character.

Just northwest o the town is Malawis rst wildlie breeding station - Kuti Wildlie

Reserve. Established by the Game Breeders Association in 2001 on an ex-government

cattle ranch it began with a handul o nyala and wildebeest. It is one o the ew places

in Malawi where girae can be seen, since they do not naturally occur in the country.

About 80 kilometres south rom Sali ma on the M5, you will be startled by larger-than-

lie gures o Angoni warriors in ull battle regalia, eathers streaming, leopard-tail kilts

fying. These are the work o cratsmen trained at the Mua Mission.

The rst Roman Catholic Mission in Malawi, established by the White Fathers in 1899,

Mua today is synonymous with Father Claude Boucher. Fr. Bushy, as hes known

to his fock, has channelled his passion or Malawi into a sculpture school and a rich

museum o Malawi culture. Dont miss either o them!

Mua Mission, Chamare Museum, and KuNgoni Art and Crat Centre

www.muamissionmalawi.com

The intrepid traveller can return to Lilongwe via Dedza and the remarkable pottery there,

by taking the newly suraced Golomoti Road, behind

Mua Mission. This beauti ul scenic rou te threads up the

Rit wall, giving stunning views out across the valley

and the lake. Stop to admire the workmanship o the

Golomoti cratsmen and their delightul models o

road-making equipment.


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11

fish of laKe MalaWi

Malawis fsh are a great tourist attraction to divers

and snorkellers. There are more species o fsh in

the Rit Valley Lakes than in any comparable areas

o water in the world - in act new species are

discovered every year. The majority o them belong

to the amily known as cichlidae and they have

adapted and evolved to ft highly specifc niches

within the lakes. Cichlids are generally small, and

the most attractive are the colourul, ashing, striped

and decorated fsh, seen to best advantage at Cape

Maclear and around the islands.

The local fshing industry relies on a whitebait-like

fsh called usipa and utaka, more like sardines,

caught in large quantities in deep water. Visitors will

see the catch on drying racks near Malawis many

fshing villages. Larger species like mpasa (lake

salmon), and kampango are eaten, but the gourmetavourite remains the bream-like chambo.


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Missions, beaches and baobabs

The Northern Lakeshore

12

I

magine a Gothic cathedral on a tiny island in a tropical sea. St Peter, holding the keys to the

Gates o Heaven, gazes across the rocky shoreline edged with indigo and ultramarine, to the

mountains o Mozambique. The biblical rooster at his eet looks remarkably Arican.

This is Likoma Island, a patch o Malawi in Mozambican waters, since the Island was the

headquarters o the Universities Mission (Anglican) in the late 1890s. Chosen as protection rom

constantly warring tribes, a rocky castle with a natural moat. The rst bishop, Chauncey Maples,

drowned shortly ater his appointment when his boat capsized in a storm. He was on his way to

this place, though the cathedral itsel was built some ten years later.

Stay, i you can, or the service on Sunday, when the grace o bricks and girders are feshed out by

joyul Arican voices raised in harmony. Its a stirring experience or tourists and believers both.

The island boasts very ew vehicles but many paths criss-cross it. Walking among the baobabsand mango trees, keep your eyes peeled or the little crimson-rumped waxbills, unique to Likoma.

Boats will erry you round the island, across to Mozambique, or to the smaller island o

Chizumulu (see opposite page). Beware o crocodiles, though, in this seeming sea. And know

that there are sudden erce storms - between here and Nkhata Bay the newly launched

m.v.Vipya sank in 1946.

On the south-western shore, luxury eco-lodge Kaya

Mawa basks in the glory o granite boulders, sandy

beaches and baobabs, an intoxicating blend o English

airytale and Arican legend.

A visit to Likoma, on the ubiquitous m.v.Ilala or by

private air charter, is unlike any experience anywhere else.

Here the heart slows to a dierent rhythm.

Opposite Likoma and Chizumulu islands (right) is the bustling

port o Nkhata Bay. There, and around Chintheche to the

south, are dozens o other small, oten simple, lodges built

o local materials and right on the lovely silver sand beaches.

Activities here include snorkelling, wind gliding, kayaking,diving, shing, boat trips, bird-watching, mountain biking and

equestrian sport/horse riding. Government trained guides

are available at Nkhata Bay but best check their identity

cards beore hiring.


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17/32

The peaKs

Mulanje

14

The MounT Mulanje

porTers raceAre you strong and adventurous enough? Like

running up mountains? Then the Mount Mulanje

Porters race may be the ideal chall enge or you.

Originally, the Porters Race was a competition

limited to the superft porters and guides, who escort

tourists up the mountain. It has now become an

annual event at tracting any interested runner, male

or emale over 18 years old, who eels ft enough to

run a rocky and rough route up the mountain or a

distance o about 25 km. Hundreds en tered in 2009

which was sponsored by the local NBS bank and

others.The Race starts at Likhubula Forest Ofce

and climbs to Chambe Plateau, about 2500m a.s.l,

beore proceeding (via Chambe plateau) to Lichenya

Plateau and back to Likhubula.

Malawi is dotted with isolated outcrops o rock, or inselbergs. It is part o the landscapescharm, and much o the natural diversity o the country is due to these elevated islandsoering unusual habitats.

One can think o Mount Mulanje in almost the same way. It is an isolated granite massi, covering

over a thousand square kilometres. From a distance, its hard to believe Mulanje is not a range o

mountains, it seems long, rather than high. Yet it is so t all that it creates its own climate, and is

known to be unkind, even lethal to those who dare take the mountain or granted. The summit,

the highest in south-central Arica at 3000m, is called Sapitwa, which is said to mean Dont go

there! The warning challenges the determined climber. Sapitwa does require experience, though

oten testing endurance rather than technique. The west ace o Chambe peak is the real challenge,

oering nearly 1700m o roped climbing and said to be the longest rock climb in Arica. There is a

guide book with routes or climbers and walkers on this unique massi.

For the less dedicated, Mulanje oers equally great rewards. Spectacular views across teaplantations to Mozambique, sheer drops down gullies laced with wateralls; glades shaded by

orest trees where purple crested loeries and sun squirrels scuttle along the branches; montane

grasslands dotted with ground orchids and gladioli and alive with butterfies; orests o ragrant

Mulanje cedar trees.

Beautiully sited mountainside accommodation can be ound at KaraOMula in Mulanje town,

Likhubula Forest Lodge and Thuchila Forest Lodge.

PhotocourtesyofandHaroldWilliams


18/32

15

Mulanje

Mulanje is within easy r each o Blantyre on a beautiul new road, making it a superb day

outing or vis itors. The drive through the Shire Highlands is satisying in itsel . Some tea

estates, like Satemwa, ([email protected]) in Thyolo and Lujer i, on the lower

slopes o Mulanje (lu [email protected]), oer gracious guest houses or those who would like to

spend more time exploring the area. The tea plantations hav e a haunting beauty, and the relic

bush, that clings, despite deorestation, to the stream banks shelters a wealth o specialised

ora and auna.

On the mountain itsel are six climbers huts, maintained jointly by the Department o Forestry

and the M ountain Club o Mala wi. (mcm @saints .merula.co .uk) Malaw is amous t enga-tenga ,

(porters, literally those who carry, the term was also used to reer to the postal runners in

the old days) will be more than happy to carry your luggage or pack on your

climb but make sure your cho sen guide has a Gove rnment issued ident ity card

indicatin g he has been orm ally trai ned. It is good manner s to employ at lea st

one porter per person , even i y ou carry li ttle more than a day pack. Friendly

and out-goi ng, the ten ga-tenga kn ow every nu ance o th e mountai n, and the

guides wi ll prove i nvaluabl e in the sudden chan ges o wea ther to whi ch Mulanj e

is prone. L aurens va n der Posts Venture to the Inte rior has a harrowingaccount o one such oc casion, wh ere the a dvice o the guide was atal ly ignored.

For authoritative advice on Mulanje, visit the website o the Mulanje Mountain

Conservation Trust (www.mountmulanje.org.mw, [email protected] )

cedar

Mulanje Cedar,Widdringtonia whytei. Threatened by logging in the past, the cedars may not

survive the next hal century. In the late 1890 s the ofces o the Commissioner o British

Central Arica, as colonial Malawi was then called, were rooed with beams and shingles o

Mulanje cedar. Visitors can still buy beautiully carved trinke t boxes and chests o this pale,

beautiully scented wood.


19/32

Islands in the Sky

hillTop haunTs

16

ZombaFor many, Malawis mountains are the most magical aspect o the country.

Just stand on top o the Zomba plateau and gaze across the Phalombe plains to

majestic Mulanje, and youll soon agree. Stop at the Sunbird Ku Chawe on the sheer

lip o the plateau, at least or a cup o tea. Curled at your eet lies the charming town

o Zomba, one time capital, and now Malawis university town. The bowl o the mountain

top is a orest reserve, and has a primitive beauty. Among the plantations are patches o

indigenous orest, cool streams and high grasslands, and rom the view points, Malawi laid out

like a relie map. Hike, sh or ride, but take your binoculars and camera.

Zomba is about an hour rom Blantyre. The Mtenga-tenga Postal Museum is a must or

philatelists, and art lovers should look out or road-side stalls selling hand-made clay pots and

whimsical mud heads.

As you enter Zomba, there is the Kings Arican Rifes War Memorial, t o themen who gave their lives in the two World Wars. About hal an hour north

o Zomba at Chingale are the cratsmen who specialise in carving chies

chairs. Each made rom a single trunk, the chairs simple design

is ornamented by bas relie carvings.

These are uniquely Malawian.


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17

conservaTion

Malawis conservation eorts s tarted with

Forest Reserves. Today so much o the country is

cultivated that only by looking at such pro tected

areas is one able to appreciate Malawis original

wooded state. Many Forest Reserves produce

commercial timber, while others protect water

catchments.

Malawi is a country that seems almost to run

on wood. Wood is the basic ramework o every

house, and bricks are fred in wood-burning

kilns; wood or charcoal uels household cooking

fres; wood is sawn and t ransported to earn

cash, (Malawis uel-wood bicycle carriers

are a unique sight) or carved into curios or

appreciative tourists. One entire tree will go to

make a dugout canoe or two or three chies

chairs. Ceremonial drums, and the surrealmasks or the Gule wamkulu are also carved

rom wood.

DzalanyamaLess than 50km west o Lilongwe, Dzalanyama is about two hours away

by car. Like Dedza, Dzalanyama is a working orestry area, with both pine

and gum plantations. There are also wonderul areas o unspoiled orest

and bush, with plenty o scope or mountain biking and hiking, or simply

enjoying the resh mountain streams and wateralls.

Dzalanyama has great signicance or many o the people o Malawi who

believe that it is the site o creation - the ootprints o the very rst man

are still, they say, to be seen in the rocks where God set him down. This

orest range is the catchment area or most o Lilongwes water supply.

NtchisiThe rewards in getting to Ntchisi make it well worth

the eort. The Reserve includes one o the ew true

relic rain orest areas in Malawi. Cathedral-like

glades o buttressed trees are hung with lianas, and

butterfies dart like sh in the lea-ltered gloom.The call o a green bulbul or the hollow chonk o a

samango monkey echo through the mossed stems. Not

long ago elephants used to wander around the Lodge,

and leopards still prowl among the rocky outcrops.

Be warned: do not go walking alone in the rain orest.

Several o the game trails can have pit-all traps in

them. It is saest to take a guide with you.

DedzaTo the south o Lilongwe, Dedza Mountain rises almost 2200m above the

Great Rit Valley. From the summit, a glorious view o Lake Malawi is

possible. Accessible, almost to the very top, by a 4 x 4 track, Dedza is a

bird-watchers delight. Pockets o indigenous montane orest tucked into

gullies between rolling grasslands provide a wonderully varied habitat.

Make it a ull days outing rom Lilongwe, visit Chogoni rock art - a world

heritage site, and have lunch at Dedza Potterys garden tea-room in

the village below. Here is Malawis biggest pottery where items may be

designed to customers specications and shipped anywhere in the world.


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viphya, ny iKa & vWaza Marsh

In the North

18

Nyika National ParkAlmost the entire Nyika Plateau is a National Park, Malawis largest, and one o the most

unusual in Arica. Mainly high rolling grassland, Nyika is a wonderland o fowers. Ground

orchids, proteas, irises, aloes... its a botanists paradise. Nyika has a scale o its own. Everything

seems dwared by the vast landscape, trout dams seem mere puddles, and the pine plantation

at Chelinda clings to a rise in the ground like a skull cap. Herds o eland, the largest o the

antelope, seem most perectly proportioned here.

The eastern edge o the plateau orms the wall o the Great Rit Valley. It is possible to hike

all the way down to Livingstonia, and going on oot is the very best way to appreciate the

scale o Nyika without overlooking the exquisite detail. There are rainbow trout in the dams,

and mountain bikes or hire. Accommodation at all levels, rom a luxury lodge to camping, is

available at Chilinda in the middle o the plateau.

ViphyaThe undulating Viphya Plateau lies between 1500 and 1800 m with inselbergs thrusting even

higher. To the north-west is Nyika, reaching an impressive 2600m. The two great plateaux are

separated by the South Rukuru River as it carves its way to the lake. On the northern edge

o the Viphya beore it drops down into the Rukuru valley, lies Mzuzu, the capital city o the

Northern region.

The Viphya pine plantations are said to have been the largest in Arica. Patches o indigenous

orest survive between the marching rows o pines and the original open heathland in the east o

the plateau, making it a wonderul area to explore on oot, or mountain bike, even by our wheel

drive on remote tracks. For bird-watchers, Malawi is at the interace between east and southern

Arican bird distributions, and many unusual birds are easy to spot here. Contrast the serene

orest and the exhilaration o physical adventure by combining a birding saari with a mountain

bike trail down the Great Rit escarpment on a newly re-opened track to beautiul Chintheche

on the Lakeshore.


22/32

Photographleft&rightL

uwawaForestLodge

19

VwazaVwaza Marsh Wildlie Reserve is a must i you visit Nyika by road. To the west, between the Viphya

and the Nyika plateaux, it lies in a fat alluvial plain. Where the South Rukuru River leaves the park,

it orms Lake Kazuni, a meagre lake by Malawi standards, but hugely attractive to wildlie. Vwaza

Marsh was one o the most renowned source a reas or ivory in the 19th and ea rly 20th centuries,

and it is now again one o the best places to see elephant in Malawi, and bualo, too. A guided

walking saari will add to the delight o your stay.

Looking over Livings tonia Mission stat ion and

Lake Malawi to the 3 000m Livingstone range in southern Tanzania


23/32

WaTerWays

The Upper Shire

PhotographA

rnaudGermain

20

The Shire River drains Lake Malawi to the south. Withthe giant lake as its headwaters, the Shire is already amuscular river at its origin, Mangochi. It is the north-south

axis o southern Malawi, and through history has unctioned

as an umbilical cord o the evolving country. People and trade

goods, ormative infuences on the region, travelled up this

silver ribbon o water - Eastern traders and ivory hunters,

Portuguese explorers, Zulu impi, Arab slavers and their arch

enemy, the Scots missionary explorer oten credited with

laying the groundwork or the country that was to become

modern Malawi, Dr David Livingstone. He was, in turn,

ollowed by a stream o missionaries and businessmen.

Heading south rom the Lake, the Shire River spreads into a

lake o its own making, shallow Lake Malombe (right), beore

picking up speed across the uneven foor o the Great Rit.

From Lake Malombe to almost the outskirts o the town o

Liwonde, the river cuts through the western edge o Liwonde

National Park. The river is at once the ocus and mainstay o

the park. In the wet season, when roads are impassable, the

Shire provides access to the Park on powerboats and specially

designed riverboats. In the dry, its strong perennial waters

provide green food plains o winter orage and water or the

parks animals.

Mvuu Lodge is built on the most spec tacular riverbank site

in the park, with views ringed with palm, g and ever trees

against the distant backdrop o the blue Rit Valley

wall. Elephants splash knee deep in reeds,

and hippo honk and yawn in the shallows.

Secreted elsewhere in the woodlands and

thickets behind the lodge are the rest o the Big

Five, but with our hundred species o birds

already recorded in the park, you might

not have time to look or them!


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21

liWonde, rhin o and TranslocaTion

Taking stock o successLiwonde, when Livingstone was still exploring the area, was renowned as a hunting

paradise. Rare elephant h unting classics were wr itten about the prolifc wildlie on the

Shires riverbanks as early as 1868. This resulted in the loss o nearly all larger mammal

species by the turn o the century.

With Malawis independence wiser counsel prevailed; conservation became the target.

This unique riverine area was declared a National Park in 1979 and ambitious

translocation was started into the Park o many o the original species. In the late nineties

a breeding pair o bl ack rhino was re-introduced and there are now nine o that species.

Other species too have multiplied very successully - to the extent that Liwonde now

supplies animals to the newest conservat ion areas in Malawi, such as Majete and even

to South Arican parks. A remarkable conservation success.


25/32

The Lower Shire

doWn souTh

22

Linking the southern tip o Lake Malawi with the Zambezisystem, the Shire is a python o a river, snaking across analmost fat landscape. But midway between its origin above

Mangochi, and its end in the wide Zambezi basin, the Shire

drops down a series o dramatic cascades and alls, and the broad

and handsome river is squeezed to ury by unrelenting rock.

The last o these is the rapids that orm the Kapichira Falls, the

Murchison Cataracts as David Livingstone called them. From this

point the river again breathes easily, and makes its stately way

through the wide food plain at the oot o the Thyolo Escarpment.

Close to the alls and the hydro-electric scheme which now

harnesses their energy is the entrance to Majete Wildlie

Reserve, an area o 70 000ha. It is 65 km south-east o

Blantyre and set in an area o undulating and hilly country.

First established as a Wildlie Reserve in 1955 the Reserve

suered heavy poaching and by the mid-nineties virtually all

the wildlie had been destroyed.

From 2003, Majete has been developed and protected by

the Arican Parks Foundation, restoring it as a fourishing

conservation area. The wildlie o Majete today includes close

to 100 elephant, over 350 bualo and many waterbuck, sable

antelope, nyala, eland, zebra, Liechtensteins hartebeest, kudu,

impala, duiker, warthog, baboon and vervet monkey. Hippo

are commonly seen sheltering in the quieter waters o the

ast-fowing Shire river which borders the reserve. Ater the

challenging relocation o seven more last year, Majete is now

also home to a total o nine black rhino!

Arican Parks emphasises community work in helping the

people living around Majete to benet rom the Reserve as well.

Developing income generating activities such as bee-keeping,

rabbitry, baking and orming traditional music groups are some

o the activities undertaken.

From Majete, moving south, the low fat valley captures and

intensies the heat; baobabs stand silent sentinel in rolling

plains o sugar cane, the blue escarpment shimmers in the heat

haze. West o the cane belt lies Lengwe National Park, where

the Shire food plain can be seen as it was in Livingstones day.

A picturesque mosaic o open parkland and thicket around

enchanting shallow pools, the park was created as a haven or

the shy and beautiul nyala, at the northernmost limit o its

range. Numerous other animals regularly seen include bualo,

leopard, kudu, warthog, nyala, impala and many other smaller

species. Over 300 bird species have been recorded in Lengwe,

an ornithological paradise.


26/32

PhotographM

artinFranken

23

More To se e

Kapichira FallsThese were the rapids that put an end to David

Livingstones up-ri ver exploration i n the ill ated paddle -

steamer Ma-Robert . Today the alls are harnessed to provide

part o Malawis hydro-electric power. Purist s bemoa n

the act, yet the construction has been achieved with

considerable sens itivity. Looking back rom urther down

river, the wa ll is bare ly visible and there is almost no sign

o power lines. E lephant a re requently se en cavort ing

in the d am.

Nyala ParkAt a time when it seemed that the number o nyala in

Lengwe was diminishing alarmingly, SUCOMA set aside

a tract o land and a small breeding group o nyala w ere

moved rom Lengw e into t his area. The nyala thrive and

prosper, and o ther ga me has been introduced also, notably

girae, an animal not naturally ound in Malawi. They look

strange ly short under a canopy o towering ever-tre es, one

o the most remarkable s cenic pleasures o Nyala Park. The

Park not being open to the general publ ic, visitors require

permission rom SUCOMA.

SUCOMASugar is a airly modern ca sh crop in Malawi, despite the

act that the frst sugar mill was erected in Zomba beore

the close o the 1800s. The SUgar COrporation o MAlawi

is one o the la rgest in dustries in the c ountry. Th e road

between SUCOMA and Blantyre is kept in good condition.

SUCOMA ha s a well- run Spor ts Club with a r estaurant, bar

and limited accommodation, and is a useul stopping p oint

when exploring the area.


27/32

Thyolo

high Tea above loW valleys

24

Tea is Malawis secondbiggest export crop, andis grown mostly in Thyolo and

Mulanje. The contrast o green

moss-like tea plantations, so controlled

and neat, with the soaring jagged bulk

o blue rock and wild darkness o naturalorest is magnicent. The small town o Thyolo is about hal

way between Blantyre and Mulanje, and is an arc o colonial-

looking shop-ronts on a bend o the highway. Many visit tea

estates such as Satemwa as a hal day trip out o Blantyre, but

i you wish to spend more time in this beautiul area, several

o the tea estates, have opened their guest cottages to the

general public (see page 15).

Thyolo Forest Reserve on Thyolo Mountain is under intense

threat rom illegal logging and general wood poaching. It is

the only home o the Cholo alethe, which makes it a must or

twitchers. A local guide is recommended.

The road down to Elephant Marsh around the meandering

southern reaches o the River shire a ascinating area initsel, beloved o photographers - strikes o rom the main

road in Thyolo town, an unsuraced road that winds over the

hump-backed Thyolo escarpment, and past the most remote

estate in all Malawi - Zoa Tea Estate. From the gardens o the

main house othere is a stunning view across the Ruo valley

between Thyolo Mountain and the Mulanje Massi.

Zoa Falls on the Ruo (right) can be reached on oot rom

Thekerani Station. Its a little o the road route to Chiromo.

It is extraordinary that an area so physically close to Blantyre

should be so utterly remote, but that gives a clear indication

o the diculty o the terrain.


28/32

25

MWabvi

Further south lies Mwabvi, till now the

Cinderella o Malawis parks and reserves.

It is the smallest and most remote o

Malawis wildlie reserves. It is indeed an

expedition to reach it , still not to be attempted

unaccompanied or in an ordinary sedan.

The Mwabvi Wildlie Reserve is set to become

the ourth privately managed Reserve on

independent unding . It is proving to be a

reliable conservation area providing sanctuary

or a number o vulnerable plants and animals.

Close to wilderness, and a bush connoisseurs

delight, it boasts hilly terrain, interspersed

with sandstone ridges and rocky gorges . It

is possibly the most beautiul o all Malawis

parks, with rivers cutt ing through rugged

gorges and river ine orest, and open glades

ablaze with slanting sunlight and butt eries.

Mwabvi was made a Wildlie Reserve in 1953

but years o neglect, uncontrolled hunting

and deorestation had led to such a serious

depletion o mammals and plants that, by the

year 2000, it was in danger o losing it s status

as a Wildlie Reserve.

Kenneth Smith, o Bareoot Saaris in Lilongwe,

visiting Mwabvi in 2003 to assess the remnant

wildlie assets, was encouraged to embark on

its rehabilitation by the guttural whoops o thehyena and the elon cry o the many wild birds.

He gained the suppor t o a regenerat ion agency

in the UK specialising in delivering social

and economic regeneration and with the

community, local and international volunteers,

the Malawi Governments Department o

National Parks and Wildlie, the new pairing

created Project Arican Wilderness (PAW) to save precious, yet so threatened,

Mwabvi.

Since then PAW has upgraded and built a new campsite, six camping places,

each with its own braai, running potable water and rubbish bin. A borehole has

been sunk with submersible pump and water tank. The reception, ablutions,

hide and bar will be completed in 2008.

None o the Lower Shire Parks should really be attempted in the rains, when dirt

roads can become impassable. Majete is the possible exception, depending on

the progress o upgrading but that should be checked prior to a visit. However,

since the dry season provides better visibility and slightly ewer insects, the

period April to September is the best t ime to explore the region.


29/32

Cities & Centres

sTarTing poinTs

26

LilongweWith northern Malawi increasingly

avoured by international tourists

and Lilongwe the kick-o point

or regional destinations such as

Zambias Luangwa valley and the resorts on the Mozambican

side o the lake, many fights into Malawi touch down at

Lilongwe, the capital. Being some distance rom town, the drive

in aords the visitor a preview o the Central Arican highlands

countryside, through mostly mango savannah.

There was extensive indigenous woodland beore the

construction o the capital, copses o which are still careully

conserved in the Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary. This area, now

known as the Lilongwe Wildlie Centre, boasts a wildlie

rehabilitation and care acility, nature trails through 65

hectares o pristine wilderness area, where the released

wildlie can be seen, environmental and lie skills

education acilities and a beautiully appointed lodge

or overnight guests.

The new city, three kilometres north o the

Old Town, has been laid out with an eye to

uture development and a keen sense o green

space, particularly along the wide natural drainage

lines. The street layout has avoided the colonial

grid-pattern, making it at once more interesting

and attractive to the eye, i more conusing orthe visitor.

BlantyreSome international fights land at Chileka International Airport

near Blantyre, the centre rom which to explore the southern

region. Blantyre, seen right, below, rom its leay suburb

Nyambadwe, is Malawis oldest and largest city and commercial

capital. Vibrant and bustling, it is slowly losing its quaint, older

buildings which lent a favour o the past. Nevertheless, its

tree-lined streets, oten jacarandas (below), and high elevation,

surrounded by hills, give it a distinctive beauty.

ZombaThe charming town o Zomba was or many years the capital

o Malawi, and retains a little o the colonial favour. Threaded

by streams and shaded by ancientmbawa (mahogany) trees,

its Malawis university town. Tucked into the base o Zomba

Mountain, the town peers out across the Phalombe pl ain

towards Mulanje, with Lake Chilwa to the north. Sir Harry

Johnston, the rst Commissioner o British Central Arica,

later to become Nyasaland, placed his residency here, saying

that Blantyre was pretty, but Zomba was superb.

Zomba is still superb. The original Commissioners Residence

o 1886 is still standing, now unctioning as the colonial-

favoured Hotel Masongola. Apart rom the University,

Zomba still is a centre o considerable importance as the

headquarters o many government departments. Its biotic


30/32

27

wealth make it a must or eco-tourists, birders will be especially thrilled as the town and the mountain

boast, between them, ve species o bulbul, ve sunbirds, two twinspots, two unusual fycatchers, pygmy

kingshers and the redaced crimson-wing.

KarongaEven urther north is the historically ascinating town o Karonga. Lying close to the northernmost point o

the Lake, this was the headquarters o the slave trader, Mlozi, and the scene o many battles. Karonga saw

the rst naval action o World War I! To crown its historical claim to ame, it has ossil beds which have

yielded a ragment o humanoid jaw-bone roughly 2.4 million years old, and Karongas pride, a dinosaur

about 100 million years old, calledMalawisaurus. A reconstruction o this dinosaur is housed in the

special cultural museum in Karonga.

Karonga lies en route to the remote mountains and reserves o southern Tanzania and is the gateway

to the Misuku Hills, which are a botanists and bird watchers delight and where, increasingly, superb

coee is grown.

The Cultural Museum Centre, where you can book historical tours o Karonga, is part o the Uraha

Foundation. Tel 01 362 579 or 574, [email protected]

MzuzuMzuzu is the capital o the Northern region. It is the astest growing urban area in Malawi

and rom tiny developments in the late orties, centred on tung growing, at the time an

essential oil or paint, it is now a thriving small city. It is increasingly a base or tourism to

the surrounding high plateaux, such as the Viphya, (Elephant Rock, below) and the even

higher Nyika Plateau. See page 18. It is also very close to the best beaches on the shores

o Lake Malawi, to the north o Nkhata Bay and south around Chintheche.


31/32

Its the Warmth of the heart

Why Malawi?

28

What makes this slogan, Malawi, the Warm Heart oArica so successul is its surprising truth. Not thatMalawi is ge ographicall y quite at the heart o Arica, but

that its people epitomise all the gentle, joyul, orgiving

and laughter-lled traits o Aricans. The people o Malawi

represent the warmth o the Heart.

Malawi is not a wealthy country, but there are riches in the

people. These are the most polite, patient and riendly

olk the visitor is ever likely to meet. Their peace-

loving nature osters a need to please, and

oten their personal sensitivity towards

a stranger makes them seem almost

psychic. As a crowd, their sense o

humour overcomes their sensitivity,

and a discomorting moment, like

a collapsing chair, is greeted with

joyul hilarity. Malawians might

have invented retail therapy,

since buying and selling

is, to them, not so much

an economic exchange

as an essential social

transaction.

Malawian loyalty is a lso legenda ry.

One need look no urther than the

act that as an ex-colonial independent

state, Malawi still honours the manwho initiated colonisation. Dr David

Livingstone is commemorated in Blantyre,

named or his birthplace, the motor vessel

Ilala still remembers his death, and the name

Livingstonia continues to celebrate his

concern or the people o this country.


32/32

Livingstone was an extraordinary man. I the Victorian British

public took him to their hearts as a missionary explorer / hero

and modest amily man, the Aricans saw him as a saviour, a

man o iron will and unfinching bravery, a medical man who

gave his lie or the betterment o the Arican.

With your eyes crinkled against the dancing light rom

LivingstonesLake o Stars, you can almost catch

a glimpse o the gure in a three piece, blue serge suit despite

the heat, hands arrogantly on hips, peaked cap squarely set,

walrus moustache bristling irritably.

Malawi, in act, seems to straddle time.

In rural areas lie continues much as it

did centuries ago: the men will hunt

perhaps, or sh; women will draw

water, hoe the elds, pound

grain or cassava into meal,gather indigenous plants

or relishes or cures.

I there is too little

to go round, as

is increasingly

the case, the

men will go in search o work, and come ace to ace with the

other, urban and very modern, Malawi.

Malawis loveliness touches the heart. Landlocked and

isolated by rugged terrain, it has a balmy year-round climate

and wonderully ertile and productive land. It once had tall

orests o beautiul trees as ar as the eye could see, and the

Lake was a magic pot producing endless quantities o sh

and sparkling resh water. Its very isolation aorded some

protection. It was a ecund, fourishing little paradise, and in

many ways, it still is.

But, in the meantime, Malawi remains a mostly undiscovered

Arican jewel. The name is said to reer to refected light .

Some eel this means the burning light rom the lake, some

think its the refected re o dawn.

Dawn and dusk do coax magical refections rom clouds,

especially over the gently breathing swell o the Lake.

Towering meringues o apricot and peach, shot with lilac

mother-o-pearl, or molten rivers o volcano red and tongues

o orange re lie across strata o banked cloud, the shiting

mirror o water a deepening echo o the splendour.

In the hazy midday, when the mountains o

Mozambique or Tanzania melt into misty

sky and the edge o water ades away,

lake, sky and earth are one seamless

continuum, a dreamlike whole.

Reality shudders in the heat-haze.

Malawi itsel seems as ephemeral

as refected light, and how you

respond to it refects yoursel.

PhotographA

rnaudGermain

PhotographB

entleyPalmer

graphA

rnaudGermain

Documents

Tourism Brochure in Malawi (english)