For once, we did not spend the last night before a border crossing just close to the border post to be able to cross it early in the morning - and had to bear the consequences. The border to Malawi was bustling, many trucks were causing traffic jams, and people were all over the place at the immigration office. We thought we were prepared since we had our approved e-visa. Still, the immigration officer first asked us to fill out a paper with all the information we had already filled in online and then asked us to show him a printed version of our e-visa (which we did not have). On top, the lady at the health desk told us that our international vaccination card would not be enough to enter, and we needed a vaccination certificate (which, again, we did not have). There were many fixers around, so for the first time at an African border, we figured it would be easier to get some help. We chose a lady who looked friendly and like she knew what she was doing. The missing vaccination certificate suddenly wasn’t a problem anymore; she also showed us a place where we could print our e-visas, as well as an ATM to get some Malawian Kwachas (the 20-dollar road tax we had to pay in US-Dollars but the carbon tax we had to pay in Kwachas at the same counter). Once we finally had it all together, the banking system was down. The guy at the banking counter was not able to hand out a receipt, so we could not pay the taxes and had to wait - 2 hours (!) later, the system was running again, and we were finally able to enter Malawi - my Hakuna Matata mindset got tested.
In the first town we passed, we went to a mobile shop to get a local sim card. On the other hand, this was a relatively quick process, and we were positively surprised with a very low rate for data. Many people we met on the road recommended Mushroom Farm to us, a campsite and lodge up in the mountains of Livingstonia. Unfortunately, this was a couple hours’ drive away, and it was getting dark already. We decided to spend the first night at another campsite along the way since driving in the dark in Africa is not a very good idea. We found a charming little campsite at the Lake and even had lovely camping neighbors, a family from South Africa and a couple from Norway, they all had the same destination as us and the same problem at the border, and everyone ended up at the same campsite by coincidence. We enjoyed the company and went for a swim in the morning before we all headed off to Mushroom Farm. We were happy with our choice not to drive up in the dark. As soon as we left the main road from the lake that leads up the mountain to Livingstonia, there was not much of a road left. It was very bumpy, narrow, and steep, which required all the offroad skills we once learned in our training in Italy. But we reached the top and found a truly fantastic place with an amazing view. Mushroom Farm is a fully self-sufficient eco-lodge. They grow their own veggies and fruit, produce kombucha in various flavors, and roast their own coffee. The showers are heated with fire, and they even have a bathtub with a fantastic view which they also heat with fire. We stayed for two nights and went on a hike to a beautiful waterfall together with the Norwegian couple after enjoying a morning yoga class on the yoga platform the owners built high up in the trees.
From Mushroom Farm, we continued our trip back to the lake. Luckily, the road leaving Livingstonia in the south is much better, so the ride down was more relaxed. We stopped in Mzuzu, a big town on the way, where there was a big grocery store to stock up on food. We got swept away a little by all the excellent food we could find and therefore spent way too much time in the shop. Before it got dark again, we decided to make another extra stop along the way and checked out Nkhata Bay. We camped at the Butterflies, which wasn’t a campsite but a parking of a backpackers. Not the nicest place we visited, but it was good enough for one night. The following day, we decided to take a little stroll through the touristy village - “Happy Coconut,” a local artist, accompanied us and showed us around. Before we moved on, Tom took the chance to get his head shaved a Happy Coconut’s favorite barbershop. We drove further south along the lake and stopped a Ngala Beach Lodge, another campsite that had been recommended to us. It was a lovely place with a spotless private beach (unfortunately, Malawi has not banned plastic bags like all the East African countries we’ve visited before, and the difference was very visible in many places). But this beach was lovely. Also, the owners were very friendly, and we enjoyed our days at the Lake.
After 3 days, we continued to another lodge we wanted to check out: Nkhotakota Pottery Lodge. As the name gives away, they do have their own pottery there. To our surprise, we also met fellow Land Rover Overlanders, not just one or two, but a whole group from South Africa. They are driving from Chartwell South Africa to Chartwell in the UK in their seven Land Rovers. It was a fun stop with of course a great Braai (BBQ) :) They continued the next day up North and we decided to drive to the very south of Lake Malawi.
There are a lot of campsites in the south of Lake Malawi and we couldn’t decide where to stay, so we first stopped at Norman Carr Cottage and campsite, a beautiful spot where the author himself once lived. The South African owners Taffy and Leonie were very welcoming and we spent two days with many interesting stories at the bonfire.
We then drove up to Cape Maclear and spent two days at the Eagles Nest Campsite, another front-row beach campsite with beautiful views. There, we met up with Ed and Micheal from South Africa again, the two guys we had met in Tanzania at Lake Shore Lodge. During the time we slowly slowly drove south to Malawi, they already had gone up to Kenya and back again. At the campsite, we also met Nadja, a widowed mom, who travels the world together with her daughter. We all had a fantastic Braai that night. Ed and Michael really have the skills, can’t wait to meet them again in Cape Town hahah (of course not just for the Braai). Before we left the lake to continue to the beautiful mountains of Malawi in the very south, we took a kayak and paddled along the bay of Cape Maclear all the way to Otter’s Point, where we spotted some sea eagles who were hunting for fish. The scenery was just magic.
