Traveling To Malawi
Early this year, my paternal grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She lives in Malawi, a country that is located in south-eastern Africa.
Malawi has a set of islands that are separated by the vast Lake Malawi and the Great Rift-Valley. It has national parks that are inhabited by many wildlife species.
I visited the country with the objective of spending time with my grandma. I wanted to take her round the country to visit interesting places while engaging in interesting recreational activities. Both of us were slightly overweight at the time, so traveling around Malawi was an awesome way of losing some of those pounds.
Since she’d just been diagnosed with breast cancer, my secondary mission was to encourage her to start observing a healthy diet.
Places that we visited and activities that we engaged in;
Lake Malawi
Visiting Lake Malawi was one of the best decisions that my grandmother and I made. It’s an extremely beautiful lake that occupies approximately a third of the country. We proved that it’s indeed a paradise for people who love swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling and diving.
We noticed the crystal-clear water and very few ugly tourist resorts along the coastline. We had spectacular views of the sun as it rose in the morning and set in the evening.
We managed to visit Senga Bay, Namaso Bay, Mangochi Area, Monkey Bay and Cape Maclear.
Nyika Plateau
The plateau is inhabited by zebras, butterflies, antelopes, orchids and many other forms of wildlife.
We had the option of engaging in various recreational activities. However, because we wanted to shed some of our chub, we only chose hiking, horse-riding and mountain-biking.
Mulanje Mountain
My grandmother and I couldn’t help noticing simple huts on our way up the mountain. The huts act as storage facilities for cooking equipment. The aroma produced by cooking Mulanje Cedar was delicious.
There are several peaks and streams available for exploration. If you intend to visit Mulanje Mountain while in Malawi, the best time is from May to October.
Zomba Plateau
We had an exciting experience visiting the plateau. It boasts of dams filled with trout and many other types of fish. We spent a whole day hiking along beautiful wooden paths. We also rode horses along exquisite trails.
Due to my grandma’s condition (breast cancer); we felt it would be unwise to go up the plateau on foot.
Likoma Island
The island consists of several lovely beaches as well as great tourist resorts. Since the area has very few cars, it’s generally quiet. We noticed people who were busy visiting villages and the local market on foot.
We came across a huge cathedral that was constructed at the beginning of the 20th Century. Our guides reliably informed us that access to the island was either by scheduled flights or by boats.
Cruising on MV Ilala
MV Ilala is a ferry that travels across the lake once in every seven days. In the first-class section, it has five double cabins. It regularly stops along the way to pick and drop passengers as well as cargo.
My grandma and I had the option of either sailing along the whole route or alighting at any point. Cruising on MV Ilala was adventurous because we had to share the facility with lots of cargo as well as hundreds of passengers.
Liwonde National Park
While visiting the park, we enjoyed looking at hippos in the river as well as herds of elephants that were busy drinking water. My grandma was excited to see the rare African Fish Eagles and Pel’s Fishing Owls.
Tour guides informed us that we had visited Liwonde National Park during the best season (between June and August).
Why I intend to travel to Malawi again
I have the intention of traveling back to Malawi before the end of this year. This is because, apart from weight loss motivation, I also need to spend time with my beloved grandmother. Even though she’s been suffering from breast cancer for quite some time, am hoping and praying that she’ll live to see my children.
There are many other reasons that are encouraging me to visit the country again. During our stay, we noticed that the citizens are extremely friendly. Are you aware that in one of the local languages, Malawi means warm heart? The locals are fond of waving and greeting visitors. Saying moni (hello) and zikomo (thank you) is enough to make them beam with smiles. I noticed that their friendliness is genuine. They’re unlike hosts in other countries who are only hospitable because they intend to sell something to you.
Generally, the country isn’t over-populated. My grandmother and I noticed that we had no difficulty making reservations at hotels, game parks and restaurants. Unlike other cities, Malawi’s capital city and major towns rarely experience traffic jams.
The food in Malawi has excellent taste. Most of it is usually prepared using fresh produce straight from the farms. During our short stay, our diet was always rich and healthy. It was perfect for my grandmother’s condition. It also served as a weight loss motivation to both of us.
Next time I pay a visit to my grandmother in Malawi, I won’t fail to scuba dive, dive around Domwe and Mumbo islands and cruise around Lake Malawi while on-board MV Ilala. Additionally, I must sail on the renowned Mufasa yacht and also travel from Likoma to Chizimula islands using a dhow.
I personally think Malawi, and everything to do with Malawi, is pretty intriguing. So with that said, I have collected some people’s stories and information about their travelling experience to this gorgeous place, which are listed below.
