Finding Paradise on the Shores of Lake Malawi

Lake Malawi has long been described as a sort of travelers black hole. It is a place where itineraries change and plans are forgotten as tourists become seduced by the beauty and tranquility of the water. During our few short days in Monkey Bay and Cape Maclear, my friends and I met some of these people who—after having traveled for months on end—visited Malawi and never found the desire or motivation to leave.

And from the moment I set foot on the lakeshore, I could immediately see why. The place has a remarkable power of stealing your heart, of drawing you in, and of begging you to stay.

I think that, if we’d had the choice, my friends and I would all have sunk into Lake Malawi’s black hole and never left.

Travel in Malawi: The Warm Heart of Africa

Malawi won me over from the moment my eyes met the brilliant waters of the lake. When I finally reached Malawi after two long days of travel, I had a sense that my friends and I had set foot in paradise. The small vertical country in southeastern Africa is truly an off the beaten path that packs a lot of punch. The country boasts sandy beaches, crystalline waters, lush vegetation, unforgettable snorkeling, brilliant sunshine and welcoming people.

Though Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, it is a safe and welcoming place to visit. Its nascent tourism industry centers around Lake Malawi—Africa‘s third largest lake and Malawi’s undeniable beating heart.

Reaching Lake Malawi

Our journey from Harare to Lake Malawi proved to be a grueling and tiring two days of travel. The bus from Harare to Lusaka took roughly ten hours, including border crossings.

From Lusaka, we took a 4am bus to the Chipata—a city 30km from the Zambia/Malawi border.

From there, we negotiated with various cab drivers and payed someone a few dollars to drive us to the border town of Mchinji. Finally, in Mchinji, we found a minibus that would take us to Lilongwe.

We had expected to spend the night in Lilongwe and continue the last leg of our voyage in the morning. Yet, when we reached the central bus station, my friends and I found a minibus that was getting ready to leave for Monkey Bay. We were anxious to reach our destination and decided to continue onward with our journey.

Of course, there was a catch.

The bus dropped us off at an unmarked intersection 17km from Monkey Bay. With few options, we tracked down a flatbed truck and hitched a ride the remainder of the way.

When we finally reached Mufasa Eco Lodge—exhausted, albeit in one piece—we pitched our tent on the property and fell asleep under a canopy of stars.

Monkey Bay

The next morning I woke up at the crack of dawn. While my friends were still asleep, I decided to walk down to the beach and read a book, so I made my way from our secluded campsite, through the thicket of vines to the waterfront.

With its string of sandy beaches, Lake Malawi is a fantastic place to swim, relax, and bask in the sun. Yet the lake’s spellbinding beauty does not end with its crystal-clear waters.

On the afternoon of our first day at the lake, we walked up the hill behind the campsite, scrambling over rocks and pushing past the green thicket of trees till we reached the summit. We were all awestruck by a beautiful view surrounding us. I could see mountain peaks and rocky outcrops, as well as lush, fertile valleys that provided me the dose of greenery that I craved after half a year of living in the desert.

My friends and I sat at the top of the hill for a while, soaking up the scenery and relishing the stunning views.

After an exhausting few days of travel, we knew that our effort to reach Lake Malawi was certainly worthwhile.

Cape Maclear

After a day and a half at Monkey Bay, we made the short trek over to Cape Maclear for the next two days of our trip. At Cape Maclear, glassy waters extend as far as the eye can see and are lined with soft, sandy beaches. Cape Maclear is situated on a long stretch of uninterrupted sand beach. It juts out of the Lake Malawi National Park like a finger and is flanked by crystalline waters on all three sides.

While merely ten kilometers apart, Monkey Bay and Cape Maclear provided us with very different, albeit wonderful, experiences of the lake. Whereas Monkey Bay was the perfect destination to spend a bit of time on a secluded rocky outcrop with a good book, Cape Maclear gave us a taste of the Malawian way of life.

Cape Maclear has become a bit of a tourist resort over the last few decades, but the influx of visitors was hardly apparent as my friends and I felt immediately engrossed in the local life of the place. The beaches of Cape Maclear do not merely cater to tourists. All along the shores, we were able to witness the intimate relationship that Malawians have with the lake.

Lake Malawi is the heart of this tiny country—the place where people bathe, wash clothes, fetch water and ultimately relax with a cool beer after a long day of work.  All along the shore, the beaches buzz with activity from morning to night and the rhythm of of Malawian life unfolds with the rise and fall of the sun.

I spent a bit of time wandering down beautiful beaches and meandering through the sandy streets of the bustling village nearby. I enjoyed walking around the village, greeting the locals and playing games with the children.

On our second day at Cape Maclear, we went on an excursion to one of the islands with our hostel owner and a few friends we had met the previous night. We took a motorboat to a conical island off the shore of the cape and spent the afternoon snorkeling, eating and lounging in the sun.

Lake Malawi boasts some of the best fresh-water snorkeling on the planet. While it lacks exotic salt-water fish or a colorful reef, it does contain numerous species of freshwater fish found nowhere else in the world. Lake Malawi is home to over 600 unique species of small cichlids that come in every color of the rainbow and fill the crystalline lake with clouds of brilliant color.

We spent some time enjoying the underwater spectacle and swimming among the schools of brightly colored cichlids.

After a bit of snorkeling and sunbathing, we ate delicious fish barbecue with a side of rice, tomato relish and coleslaw. The fish was so fresh and tender that the meat practically fell off the bone and dissolved in my mouth. It was heavenly and certainly some of the best food I have had since arriving in Africa.

Before returning to the backpackers, we went out to a different point of the island in search of African fish eagles. Fish eagles are some of the largest eagles on the continent and resemble the bald eagles of North America. The lake is full of these regal birds and the off-shore islands contain important breeding sites.

***

On our last evening in Malawi, my friends and I decided to enjoy the sunset at an adorable little cafe overlooking the water. We drank tea, talked a bit and watched as the fiery sun dipped below the horizon and cast a beautiful patchwork of vibrant colors over the lake.

Once again, the mesmerizing African skies left us awestruck.

From our seats at the cafe, the lake’s power became more apparent than ever. I could see just how the place has the ability of pulling people in, of enticing them to stay. We had been sucked into the black hole and were now faced with the difficult feat of getting out. If the long distances, countless buses and terrible roads leading up to that moment provided challenges in our journey, they were nothing in comparison to the difficulty of leaving the paradise we found at Lake Malawi.

As I sat with my friends and contemplated our return journey to Namibia, I looked out at the glitter that the sun cast over the lake waters and I knew exactly how Livingston must have felt when he glanced out over the lake for the first time and deemed it the Lake of Stars.

__________________________________

Tips for Visiting Lake Malawi:

• Lake Malawi is beautiful, but swimming in its waters comes with the risk of contracting schistosomiasis. Also known as snail fever or bilharzia, the disease is caused by parasitic flatworms that reside in still water. As a preventative measure, travelers who intend on swimming in Lake Malawi can take Praziquantel (we found some available at the small pharmacy near Monkey Bay).

__________________________________

Did You Enjoy this Blog Post on Visiting Lake Malawi? Pin It!