Sights and Activities
Below are the places we saw and activities completed while visiting Malawi:
Lilongwe
Lilongwe Market: we walked around this labyrinth that sells everything from bicycle parts, live chickens, vegetables, underwear, and more.
Lilongwe Nature Sanctuary: we took a short stroll through this urban forest that houses several animals, unfortunately we didn’t see any.
Kamuzu Mausoleum: where the first president and founder of Malawi rests, Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda.
Cape Maclear
We spent a few days enjoying the sounds of the lake, beautiful sunsets, and did some scuba diving in this village surrounded by mountains and islands. The shores of the lake were filled with women washing clothes, fishermen spreading their nets out to dry, and children playing in the waters. You can read more about our scuba diving adventure and our time around the lake in our article, Malawi Has an Ocean!
Monkey Bay
We relaxed in a camping site along the shores of Lake Malawi waiting for the Ilala Ferry to our next destination, Likoma Island. Most of the time spent was lying out on hammocks and seeing time pass.
Ilala Ferry
We departed from Monkey Bay to Likoma Island in “first class” on this three-level ship. We spent 25 hours on the top deck with beautiful views of Lake Malawi. Be sure to read more of our journey and time around the lake in our article.
Likoma Island
We spent three nights enjoying Lake Malawi from this isolated island. Even though half the time on the island we were rained on, we were still able to enjoy what the island had to offer. We took a hike around encountering some of the locals, 6,000 people live on the island, and made it to a neighboring peak with great views of the bays and inland forests. The rest of the time we spent taking a dip in the clear waters, trying to paddle the local canoes, and learning how to free dive. Be sure to read our article to learn more about our experiences around the lake.
Sal Learning to Free Dive
Nkhata Bay
Our initial plan was to stay for a few days to continue enjoying the lake and then move on, but we came across a hostel that is heavily involved with the community in several volunteer projects, so we decided to stay for 10 days to help out! Be sure to read about our experience and the great things Butterfly Space is doing, in our article.
Lusukwe Beach: the beach had some amazing rock formations that we were able to swim to and jump off.
Chikale Beach: this beautiful sandy beach with umbrellas had a Caribbean feel to it.
