Oct 21, 2006 - Beach Party (Kande Beach, Malawi)

Malawi is one of Africa's smallest and poorest countries, but this is not the impression the traveller gets. As we enter the country it is impossible not to notice the friendliness and hospitality of these people. The country is nicknamed 'The warm heart of Africa' and most visitors come away with exactly that feeling. The country centres on its lake, Lake Malawi, the third largest in Africa. It has beaches of fine, yellow sand and comprises two-fifths of Malawi's area. We skirt its shores as we travel through spectacular scenery and spend...

Mar 22, 2006 - Lake Malawi, Malawi

Lake Malawi, Malawi March 18-22 We are now on route to Malawi (The soft heart of Africa) but before we leave we stayed overnight in a great camp in Tanzania. The restaurant, bar, and facilities were all styled using traditional methods of mud, straw and dung but totally clean and updated . It is on an organic farm and we are treated to a fantastic dinner by lantern and candlight- just beautiful. In Malawi we stay on a beach in Chitimba and then on to Kande Beach where we stay three nights and have lots of laughs (including a dress up...

Mar 6, 2006 - Nkhata Bay, Lake Malawi

Well this bus trip has been the worst!!!! It left Blantyre late, but we were quite pleased about this as we knew that it was not getting to Nkhata Bay until 4.30am and we were very nervous about this.... (Not tonys idea, but he was keeping me happy as i decided i could not do 3 more bus trips and stations in one day and wanted to just do it in one!!) so ok i only have myself to blame..... It started of ok as we had nothing but rain in Blantyre and were happy to leave, the bus driver took pity on us mazungo's (whites) and said we could put...

Mar 2, 2006 - Malawi

Very exciting news from Malawi. About 3 nights ago, it was Selena's 26th birthday so we were having a bit of a party night at Chitimba campsite on Lake Malawi which was really nice - bit like the one we are on now (Kande Beach) but further up the lake, and we had bought balloons and party hats and a birthday banner for her etc, but the evening got even better when her boyfriend Ben proposed to her!!! He had a ring and everything! It was so lovely, we all had a really good time that night and lots of sore heads the next day. Our tour leader...

Nov 25, 2005 - Kande Beach

Weather: hot and sunny Landscape: green hills and a big lake Another border to be crossed, this one being from Zambia into Malawi. Malawi is one of the five poorest countries in the world, and according to all the news reports is suffering from drastic food shortages. We soon realise, though, that the food shortage reports refer to subsistence farmers, which is what most Malawians are. The supermarkets are not exactly Waitrose, but they are fairly well stocked. And you can buy juicy mangoes on the street for 3p each. The border crossing is...

Nov 22, 2005 - Malawi - The Lake

So after talking about Malawi for months and wondering whether we'd ever make it we finally arrived in Lilongwe, the financial capital, after 6 months in Africa. We hardly spent much time exploring Zambia, although for the most people there are some of the friendliest we've met. Shame though that our final memories weren't so welcoming. We got a private taxi from Chipata in Zambia up to the Malawian border with a local guy who was obsessed with America. He kept asking us if we were American and despite us saying we were Irish (usually a...

Oct 14, 2005 - Birth, rebirth and the Mayoka epic

We were advised by an American Harvard grad whom I inadvertantly stole $10 from (sorry kevin) that we must see Nkhata Bay, stay in Mayoka Village and Dive with Aqua Africa. Those 3 pieces of advice were probably the best we've received all trip and certainly not deserving of the petty crime that followed. We managed to hitch a ride back from the beach to the bus station and then embarked on another pretty horrendous bus journey from Senga Bay to Nkhata Bay (apparently about 4 million miles away, but it doesn't look like it on the map!) We...

Oct 13, 2005 - Malawi, the friendliest place in Africa

Back to the trip. We left Dar es Salaam and started the long drive across Tanzania to the Malawian border. We drive to Iringa (which is close enough to our map plot, Mbeya)and stayed overnight at a campsite called the Farmhouse, which was a pleasant surprise, in that we had a THREE COURSE MEAL cooked for us... bliss. And although the toilets were "long drop" (work it out) they were clean and the showers had kerosene lamp lightling, which was actually quite ambient. We crossed into Malawi and headed pretty much straight for Lake Malawi. The...

Feb 13, 2005 - Zanzibar

zanzibar to malawi After a 16 hour drive from Arusha down to dar we had a night there where we camped on the beach and drank vodka slushies...they are like slush puppies but with vodka! what a great idea! we also sat on the beach watching the crabs running all over the place, really cool little things! the next day from dar es salaam we got the ferry over to zanzibar for the week, that was wicked, picture postcard scenery, just chilling on the beachj for a week, lazing around in the day and drinking on the beach with a bbq in the evening!...

Nov 18, 2004 - Malawi

Today we are leaving Malawi after 5 days of chilling, camping on the beaches of the beautiful lake. Had a quiz night one night to keep us occupied, and then we had a big party where we all dressed up in crazy dresses we bought at the local market and got drunk on punch. great fun. The blokes loved their dresses. I bought one for a guy that the queen might possibly have worn! Off to Zambia and the falls now - yey! Beth xx