September 21-24
Hello everyone!
Malawi has many national holidays. None fall in September
but, in exchange for sacrificing a weekend for a workshop, our school gave
everybody a Friday off towards the end of the month. After 11 consecutive
school days, we needed a bit of rest and relaxation, which meant heading to the
northern shore of Lake Malawi.
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| Nkhata Bay: a paddleboarding paradise, if that's your thing |
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| The view from the toilet |
We were specifically aiming for a place called Nkhata
(un-KA-tuh) Bay, which is about six hours away from Lilongwe. It’s the length
of journey which is a bit pointless to do on a regular weekend but becomes more
feasible with an extra day. Even so, we stopped in a village called Mzimba for
the night on route, resting in a strange, seemingly half-built hotel complex. Most places were full, which seemed bizarre on a Thursday night with no public holiday following.
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| Don't be fooled by Google - just getting to Mzimba took five hours |
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| Our rest stop in Mzimba |
The Bradt guidebook describes Nkhata Bay as ‘one of the
best-kept secrets on the African backpackers trail’, and it’s easy to see why.
It is in a lovely spot, with the lake water being much clearer and pleasant to
swim in than in many other areas of Lake Malawi. A combination of sandy beaches
and rocky shorelines line the bay.
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| The rocky entrance to the water at Mayoka Village, where we stayed |
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| Chilawe beach |
The water is also quite tranquil in the bay, allowing you to
explore using a variety of water sports gear. Owing to an ongoing ear
infection, I needed to keep my head out of water. This didn’t work so well when
our canoe rolled two of us into the water as soon as we left the bay’s calm
waters. Twice. I did say quite
tranquil…
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| Kayaking early in the morning |
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| A picture from our canoe, taken before we started falling in! |
Time seems to move slowly in Nkhata Bay, as if the air has
been infiltrated by lethargy. When your main aim is to relax, it makes for a
perfectly chilled atmosphere, though it does reduce your desire to explore and
see much of the area beyond your backpacker lodge. We drove through the town,
seeing its small fish market, on our way in and out. I’m telling myself that I
will explore more of the land when I return, though part of me is happy to
admit that lethargy will probably take a beautiful stranglehold over me once
more.
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| An internet image of Nkhata Bay's town centre |
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| Even four-leggeds buy into the relaxed vibe |
One upshot of our accommodation, Mayoka, being situated
slightly from the town was that the number of hawkers and sellers was minimal:
a massive contrast with other places on the lake such as Cape Maclear. It was
generally quite quiet, allowing us to wind down and enjoy the beautiful blue.
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| An afternoon view of Nkhata Bay |
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One of many colourful geckos which inhabit the area
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Part of Nkhata Bay’s charm is probably its location. Being
far away from Lilongwe and Blantyre, Malawi’s two largest cities by some
distance, limits the number of people who visit.
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| Many more boats would be visible in a more touristy area |
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| Throwing a Nerf Vortex with locals on the beach |
Probably my favourite location on Lake Malawi thus far,
Nkhata Bay was definitely worth the long, arduous drives to and from Lilongwe.
It will always be a welcome destination for a long weekend, or perhaps even
longer. None of us wanted to get back to school after slowing down along the
still shoreline of Nkhata Bay.
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| Paddle boarding in the sunshine |
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| The sun setting on our time in Nkhata Bay |
Love you all
Matt
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