Malawi Memorable

Malawi Memorable

On our way to Malawi we stop in Nairobi, we have to wait at the airport. I spot a ‘Napping Area’: you give these service guys your boarding pass, then you get a blanket, lie down and the same guys wake you when it’s time to fly. Great service!

We arrive in the capital of Malawi, Lilongwe airport, a small airport. We think entry will be easy. Not a chance! First we stand in line for the visa authorization. Then in line for the cashier. Then in line for the visa sticker. After that everything is thoroughly checked again. Finally we enter Malawi.

Tonight we sleep in Hotel Latitude 13. It’s Sunday, nice weather and therefore all kind of expats occupy the swimming pool. On our terrace we rest a little while enjoying a dry white wine.

Back to the same airport. This time we are brought to a special wing where transportation to the wildlife reserves take place. In a very small plane we fly to Majete Wildlife Reserve. Our home here will be the Mkulumadzi Lodge. One of the managers of pope-safaris, a guy called Conrad, we met in a park in Congo-Brazzaville some years ago. The days and morning before we arrive he visited here. Alas, we just miss him. He left us a bottle of wine however.

Management of these kind of lodges are mostly South-African people. This goes for the majority of this places all over Africa. In our lodge the manager is a Dutchman called Teun and a South-African girl called Nienke. We talk about what we like to see and what expectations we have.

We settle in house one. It’s an open house with one of the best views we ever saw. We look down to two rivers crossing. Animals and birds request our attention all the time. Monkeys close by. Sometimes we see Elephants on the other side of the river.

In the outside restaurant we are mostly served by Juda. We like tea so we ask for some local tea. Juda recommends Chombe tea, the tea of Malawi. It’s very good.

First game drive. Sitting down in the car, camera ready, looking at all the animals. Just before it gets dark we park the car in the wild and drink a ‘sun-downer’ – a glass of wine.

Next morning we start when the sun rises. On safari early rising is a must. During daytime it’s way too hot to spot the wildlife. We are lucky to see two little bee eaters. They catch small insects to feed to their young ones. The latter we don’t see: they are living in a hole next to the road.

Time for a night safari. Our guide points out animals and birds by shining a light on them. Not for too long though, it sometimes frightens them. When we look around at the bottom of some valley an elephant gets irritated by the light. We hear movement coming toward us. The driver starts the engine, time to go. We hear the elephant behind us for some time. On the way back we spot a big porcupine.

A long drive takes us to Liwonde National Park. We stay at Kuthengo Lodge. Here we meet a nice South-African couple, Lisah and Marius. Marius has a big beard and a hat: he looks like a Mormon. He will be our guide. Our house here is beautiful too. Hippos are strolling right in front of it.

Amon serves food and drinks. A Biblical name, like Juda in the last lodge. Amon is a Christian. We talk about a lot of subjects together.

Marius takes us on a boat trip. We spot a lot of birds. One of today’s highlights is a praying kingfisher. It follows the boat. Because of the movements in the water it’s easier for the kingfisher to spot his small fish prey. Being in this boat surrounded by an overwhelming nature is like sailing in a fairy tale.

The rhythm is like this: rising early for morning safari which finishes at about 10.00 a.m. Then look at the pictures you made. A little lunch followed by a power nap. At 15.00 in the afternoon start again until 18.00. Sometimes we go on a night safari. When we do a walking safari, a ranger (with a gun) accompanies us. Busy rewarding days!

During the afternoon boat trip Marius asks: ‘What do you want to see’? Well for some years we try to spot the Giant kingfisher – without success so far. ‘Ok we try, but no guarantee of course’, says Marius. The first tableau we look at is a Fish Eagle catching a fish. Very impressive however. Flying over us with a big floundering fish in its claws. Wow.

The boat flows on the river. Then the magical moment comes. The Giant Kingfisher is there. And it’s not in a hurry. It more or less poses for us. The first time in our life we see a Giant Kingfisher. In short: this is a magnificent experience.

On our way back we see a large herd of elephants bathing. In this heat this is great fun for them! And for us it’s a great sight to see of course!

We fly to Likoma Island. The island is located in Lake Malawi. Even though it’s closer to Mozambique it’s a part of Malawi. Our pilot flies over our resort called Kaya Mawa. From the air it looks like a small paradise.

From a little airstrip we drive to the resort. Here Ally awaits us with a nice cocktail. Our house for a few days is on top of a small mountain. Subsequently it’s named Eagle’s nest. We can take that literally however. An Eagle couple has a breeding place close to the house. The beach is a small staircase away. Next to the house there’s a private little pool. Not to swim but to cool off.

There will be tranquil days ahead. One day after a morning dip in the little pool I spot a beautiful bird in the morning sunlight. A very mobile bird: it’s the paradise flycatcher. I try for days and in the end I succeed in photographing it.

By boat we go around the island. On land at the main place here, Chipyela. We walk the shopping road towards an impressive church: the St. Peter’s Cathedral. Also in town there’s a small library. And on a shop there’s a sign ‘Ora et Labora’. We explain this to our guide. Next day we hear him explain this to the kitchen staff.

Most Africans have extended families. So we are not surprised that our guide meets his brother (from another father though) and some other family members. We visit a workshop called Katundu. From empty bottles and all kind of other leftovers people here produce small pieces of art. They sell them here but they also export some to Europe.

Back in the resort, tea time. Chombe tea of course. We meet another guest and talk a little. He doesn’t use a camera anymore he tells us. ‘At a certain point I stopped framing things’.

Every winter water in Lake Malawi rises. Before that happens restaurant and bar from Kaya Mawa are removed. The whole beach of the resort disappears. Two months later water in the Lake returns to normal level. Then the entire community of the island comes together to restore the beach and the resort.

The Likoma citizens are that enthusiastic because almost all the resort workers are hired locally. All food is sourced from the local area. The Dutch owner of Kaya Mawa supports several agricultural and cultural projects on the island. For dinner we ask for the type of fish that is endemic to Lake Malawi: Malawian Chambo. For fun we say ‘we drink Chombe tea and eat Chambo’.

The rest of our days here are quiet. Walking bare feet along the beach, cooling off in the sea, enjoying a massage, sipping some wine during sundown. Those are the rules of paradise.

Our pilot Mike who brought us here now takes us back to the capital. It’s so windy we only land on the second try. After that the driver brings us to Hotel Latitude 13 again.

Lilongwe City tour. We start at the World War 1 monument. It’s a clock tower. On this square there’s also a statue of first president Banda. A guide stationed here who tells us all about it. In the northern part the National Museum is planned. In the south an Art Museum is planned. As a result to money shortage neither is realized so far.

We continue, but first we’re stopped by traffic police. A lot of talking. In the end the police realizes we are tourists and they back off. No fine. A job at traffic police is very popular. To put it mildly; not all fines reach the state treasury.

We arrive at the Banda Mausoleum. Here former president His Excellency Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda is buried. Banda was president of Malawi since independence in 1964 until 1994. The guides who are stationed here react enthusiastic that someone visits.

We hear a lot of people complaining about the recent elections. There are many ways to influence results. In this case Tipp-ex was used on a lot of votes. Most people are a little embarrassed and laugh a little when they talk about what they call the “Tipp-ex elections”.

Going back we lunch at the Four Seasons Mall. This is a kind of botanic garden with shops, terraces and a nice lunch café. Because single use plastic goods are banned in Malawi the cocktails are served with a wooden straw. Good example. Malawi is on its way to a more sustainable climate!

Walking nearby our hotel we meet a young guy. He offers a puppy dog for sale. A very lovely young dog. We give the guy a dollar for food for the dog. He smiles broadly. We made his day.

This trip was made in 2019.

If you have any thoughts or questions feel free to leave a comment!

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