3 days of Awe - Malape Pillars
Ever heard of artistic serenity? Yeah, that’s what I was looking for. Cultural ancestral inspiration into my soul, to forge on. Initially it was just a trip to a national park, and ended up being diverted to a full vacay. An unexpected adventure.
Trip Recap
- Day 1: Early morning game viewing at Liwonde National Park was unforgettable!
- Day 2: Drove through stunning landscapes, enjoyed local flavors, and anticipated tomorrow's adventure.
- Day 3: We hiked Zomba Mountain, exploring its stunning views and historical sites.
Highlights
The food was amazing. The entire trip was fun. Tried local foods and met locals with their stories
Friendly guides and friendly locals. Experienced workers
A visit to the Malape pillars esp the part where they used to be ancestral grounds
Bathing under Williams falls, and pictures on Mulunguzi dam
Baboons stealing food 😂
Day 1
Early in the morning, we set out to the park for game viewing. We started off around 5am to Liwonde National Park and were required to pay entry fees.
We had a chance with some of the big five present at the park. Only lions were not seen. We enjoyed cheetahs, buffaloes, crocs, hippos, elephants, etc
After the game drive, we went for breakfast and later lunch. Soon after lunch, we decided to go for a boat ride on the shire river. We had a chance to see crocs close, hippos, and elephants. We also learnt of human wildlife conflicts on the shire with the surrounding villages. We met some locals drawing water from the river.
After the ride, we checked out and started off for Malape pillars, another tourist site. This we did because of our tight budget and schedule. After Malape pillars we then left for Zomba and we spent the night in Zomba.
Day 2
The day started with a drive from the capital city, Lilongwe. Travelled through the M1 road, which boarders Mozambique. I enjoyed the scenery along the way, with Dedza mountains, Kungoni mountains and the ntcheu-Mozambique plains. Very beautiful scenery and pictorial sites.
A small stopover at Tsangano turn off for local delicacies. A local market with a feel of the Nguni people. The best view was at Liwonde barrage passing over Shire River, with local fishermen seen as tiny specs on the water. Shire is the largest and longest river in Malawi.
Arrival at Liwonde national park was in the afternoon, in which we had lunch at Kutchire lodge and later enjoyed the sunset over the shire. We planned a boat ride over Shire and game viewing for the next morning.
Day 3
We spent the night at Ku Chawe inn, on top of Zomba mountain in the midst of Zomba plateau. In the morning, we hiked Zomba and went to Williams falls. We had a chance to see Chingwe’s hole ( a cave where leprosy people were thrown in to keep them away from the villages back in the 70s), Mulunguzi dam, and trout farm.
Later in the afternoon, after the hikes and lunches, we departed back to the city.
Anything you would add or do differently?
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Given the tour more time. It was fun and short. Schedule was squeezed
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Our planning was inadequate. We didn’t use a guide in Zomba.
