One month into our journey and with the ascending discoveries of different places and meeting new people along the way our excitement is growing, eagerly planning our visits to next locations, but at the same we’re time absorbing every inch of where we are at the moment.
We left Lilongwe Monday the 18th and boarded a bus towards Chinteche which was filled with good humoured Malawians who kept the vibe lively throughout the eight hour ride. Because we arrived past scheduled time, we spent the night at Mzoozoozoo Inn, which is situated in Mzuzu Town. Yet another turn we are very thankful for because there we met up with fellow travellers and quickly found ourselves making easy friends and exchanging info.
Gary and Suzanne met Will whilst travelling through Sudan, and combined they have been travelling for the past two years. Their journeys are coming to an end within the next few weeks in South Africa. Having met them, opened new doors to further our plans towards better experiences and even better destinations. But we will keep you informed!
Between the three of them we gained Lonely Planets, travel and transport advice, and much recommended accommodation and sights to see. Thanks guys! It was great fun chatting. You’ve left us with a growling hunger for further expeditions and a lust for experiencing even more cultures and world flavours.
Kande Beach situated in Chinteche where the five of us went from Mzuzu, catching a ride with the owner of Mzoozoozoo Inn, Gerard. Kande is a lovely campsite with beautiful beach huts and a bar, along with a dive centre, internet and 24hour electricity. It is ideal for all, no matter the preference, because they cater and provide for backpackers, overland truck travellers or individuals looking for more secluded settings. At 600 Kwacha per person per night, we were happy to camp out for a few days. They provide much entertainment such as foosball, darts and satellite television, or if you’re up for relaxing, you can spend time on the beach tanning or taking nice easy walks along the waters.
The Malawi rain season has just started and so far we’ve had a few nights of heavy rainfall and thunder, comfortably save in our tent haven. These rains continue throughout summer and are much welcomed on certain humid days. On such days we enjoy watching movies on the laptop, or making well use of reading material provided by most places we stay at.
Part of our plans brought us to our last destination in Malawi, called Mayoka Village tucked within Nkatha Bay. It reminded us very much of our stay at View Rock resort in Thailand, with more or less the same setting, and a complete difference to any other place we’ve visited within Malawi. Their hospitality was the first aspect which grabbed our attention, when we were offered a free ride to Mayoka Village by one of their staff members, from Nkatha Bay Town, which otherwise would have turned out to be a steep walk especially whilst carrying backpacks.
Situated a comfortable 10 minute walk from the town centre, Mayoka is wonderfully tucked within boulders, and overlooking some of the clearest waters of the Lake.
The ride from Kande up to here took 40minutes and it is wondrous how rough the water is there compared to the tranquillity of where we are now. In Chinteche, we played and swam in the waves, and the scenery was just like the beaches on the South African Coast, funny, considering that this is a fresh water Lake! Here in Nkatha the waters are very still, ideal for snorkelling.
We both fell in love with Mayoka Village, especially after seeing their beautiful campsite beneath brightly blossomed Flame trees. They provide hot water open air showers, a lovely barbeque area, lounge and restaurant with free dinner on Tuesdays and a buffet special with seventeen various dishes on Friday nights. We had their “eat as much as you can” mild chicken curry with veggies, rice and poppadoms on Saturday. The owner of Mayoka, also called Gary (fellow Saffa) was generous after we beat England in the rugby, and spoiled us with a free bottle of red wine and home made vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce! Enough to make you stay another day! This is definitely the highlight of our trip throughout Malawi, absolutely fantastic in every single way. Nkatha Bay town is perfect for every day needs, there is an internet shop at neighbouring Butterfly lodge where we access internet from, and all proceeds go towards improvements at the community centre. Although there aren’t any ATM’s available, one can make use of traveller’s cheques, because the nearest banks are in Mzuzu, a one hour drive away. On Fridays, soccer and netball matches are played which generates big excitement throughout the community. They encourage you to pitch for practice times, and make yourself useful on the field upon visiting!
We also note that the further we travel to the North, the greener and bushier the surroundings become with many tree and tea plantations, mountains and little rivers running through villages situated in between bigger towns. Surroundings have a cosy feel to them, with a very chilled out and relaxed atmosphere from locals as well as passers by.
We highly recommend that you stop off at Nkatha Bay, whether you’re travelling to or from Tanzania, because it is well forth a few days visit. But we’ll let our photographs do the talking!
From here one can also board the Ilala Ferry to Likoma or Chizumulu Islands on certain days of the week, and get connecting buses to travel up towards Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Malawi was magnificent; we’ve met wonderful people and heard great stories, and it also taught us a few things; three to four days in one location is enough to find your feet, meet and greet, locate the necessities and work in a lazy day of rest! Shopping and eating from the markets stretches your mullah, and the people love their food, so portions are big and you won’t ever go hungry. During a day of travelling, peanuts, Marie biscuits and water go a long way! Local people are very interested in what you do, so don’t be surprised when finding yourself surrounded with conversation and loads of questions and queries! And keep in mind that the word “Please” does not exist in their vocabulary, people aren’t rude, and their requests can sometimes sound demanding, but that is just the way they speak. They are ever grateful, so “Thank You” is widely used.
Sadly we’re moving on, but fortunately with lovely memories of three weeks well spent and looking forward to many more to come!
So see you in Tanzania!
Cheerio!
Accommodation Rates: Mzoozoozoo 700 Kwacha per person for dorm sharing.
Kande Beach: 500 Kwacha per person for camping
Mayoka Village: 500 Kwacha per person for camping, 700 Kwacha per person for dorm sharing
Tip of the Day: There aren’t any ATM’s which take Visa, MasterCard or Maestro cards in either Chinteche or Nkatka Bay. Mzuzu is the nearest which is two hours away.
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