Malawi - A love affair

Advantages: As naff as it sounds: Malawi IS the warm heart of Africa
Disadvantages: none

...Malawi - A love affair In October 2001, I fell in love. Not with one man, but with a few million of them, plus an equal number of women, loads of kids and even more fish, birds, butterflies, grasses, flowers, trees, bushes, rivers, hills, villages and towns and one lake (well at least there I get back to being monogamous). It's not for nothing that Malawi calls itself 'The warm heart of Africa' - it is an extraordinarily friendly, warm-hearted country indeed. The one opinion I planned on writing has grown far too long and turned into a series. For more details on various subjects I refer to my other opinions on the subjects, which I'll list at the end of this one. The hard facts: 1. Geography and bits Malawi is a small landlocked country in southeast Africa with borders to Tanzania, Mozambique and Zambia. Of the almost 120...

garlicpress 27.11.2001 (28.11.2001) · Read review
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Review of General: Malawi

Kande Beach, Lake Malawi

Advantages: Quiet, peacful, relaxing.
Disadvantages: Wind can be very strong.

...Kande Beach, on the shores of Lake Malawi Having arrived in darkness after a 12 hour drive I was very grateful for the beach huts that were available. (I was in no mood to put up a tent!) Each hut was for 2 people, and cost about $10 US per night ? they were basic, but perfect for the surroundings and the mood of the place. The morning brought the most amazing sights. The view from our hut was stunning. The sun rising over the huge beautiful lake, the waves crashing onto the soft sand, the birds hovering over the blue water ? incredible! The lake is huge, we were not able to see the opposite shore. It was one of the most relaxing places I have ever been to. After weeks together on the truck we had a bit of a chance to do our own thing, although we did tend to stick together most of the time. By day we played beach...

LeilaR 13.06.2001 · Read review
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Review of General: Malawi

Lilongwe the heart of Malawi

Advantages: Great place
Disadvantages: May be "slow" for some

...This is the the business centre of Malawi- bang in the centre of the country it boast some of the cultural values that have shaped Malawi to be what it is now. There is the burial site of the life president Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Unlike Blantyre or the other cities, Lilongwe is spaced out with clearly defined neigbourhoods. There are two shopping areas, city centre and old town. There are many up and coming places, like cross roads that has opened up more retail opportunities. Steers, Pizza Inn and Cresta hotels have all moved in and there are many privately owned businesses- shops, toys fun and games. The night life in Lilongwe is also growing- if you want to go for some quiet drinks there is always Chameleon situated in the new Four Seasons complex in Area 12, Pacific Paradise in Area 10. French Corner on Mchinji Road and many...

chichi43 19.06.2007 · Read review
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Review of Lilongwe (Malawi)

Malawi - Arriving

Advantages: The adventure in paradise is taking off...
Disadvantages: It didn't last forever...

...If some of this sounds like a fairy tale, so be it. I am bewitched, so there. On October 29, we have returned from a four-week holiday in Malawi and it still feels like we were forced out of paradise. Not a perfect paradise mind you, but a paradise nevertheless. Our eyes and hearts are still wide open, which I'm grateful for. Malawi is a small country in southeast Africa, bordering onto Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique. In the four weeks we stayed there, we have not seen terribly much, as the main reason for our trip was to visit friends who have emigrated there just over a year ago. We will however, return and have a good look around. Most likely we'll need more than four weeks; everything is a bit slower in Africa, including ourselves. We traveled with KLM, which was a bit of a nightmare. Not the planes or the service which were...

garlicpress 28.11.2001 · Read review
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Review of Everything that starts with A ...

Malawi - Downside of

Advantages: Don't let fear govern your behaviour...
Disadvantages: ...but be careful

...So far, my Malawi series has mainly been inspired by the beautiful and positve aspects of this country. But of course, there are, as anywhere in the world, darker sides to Malawi; sometimes it's just a nuisance, and once in a while something may actually be quite dangerous. Here is some information on how to deal with those. As I've said before, the Malawis are a friendly and helpful people. On the other hand, they are among the poorest in the world and they will, understandably, often try to make a bit of extra money. If you do need help, with a broken down car for example, it is very important to say very clearly whom you ask for help. Point to a person and say: "Can YOU help me please?" You should also agree payment for a service in advance, otherwise you're in for endless discussions. Presently (October 2001) the minimal daily...

garlicpress 20.12.2001 · Read review
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Viva Nkhata Bay !

Advantages: Small & Friendly
Disadvantages: Lose track of time

...Well where can I start....the beginning I hear you cry !. I had never heard of Malawi before let alone Nkhata Bay. It was on my travels in 1998, that I stumbled accross this little fishing village in Malawi. After a bumpy, wet and very uncomfortable bus ride with a Malawian football team, we arrived in a town called Muzuzu, which is the largest town in North Malawi. As it was early hours of the morning we asked to be dropped off at the nearest hostel so we could have a wash down and a good sleep before deciding on our next destination. The next morning we woke up and flicked through our much used lonely planet and found that the cheapest scuba diving in the world was in Nkhata Bay, so Nkahata Bay here we come. The bus station was about a 10 minute hike away where we purchased our one way ticket to Nkhata Bay. Six hours later we...

Porky2005 21.02.2005 · Read review
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Review of Nkhata Bay (Malawi)

The warm heart of Africa has a cold spot

Advantages: The view is spectacular
Disadvantages: It's freezing at the top!

...This is my review of camping on Mount Mulanje in Malawi, Africa. I've just moved from Malawi to England (this summer) and I went on this camping trip with some friends as part of our Silver International Award (the international equivalent of the Duke of Edinburgh Award). The family who carried out the expedition had been to Mulanje many times and were a great help, without them it wouldn't have been possible. First of all I would like to say that this was a big achievement for me. I'm always proud to say that I've climbed to the summit of one of the highest mountains in Africa. It was tough but well worth it. FACTS - AKA Mulanje Massif - Located in Thyolo district (the tea estates of Malawi are found here) - Measures 13 x 16 miles - Highest peak (Sapitwa) is 3002m (9855ft) - Sapitwa is the highest point in Central Africa...

alexpal 23.11.2005 · Read review
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Review of Mont Mulanje (Malawi)

Malawi - Community in real life

Advantages: A way of living together that deserves both the words "live" and "Togetherness"
Disadvantages: Poverty making it necessary

...This third part of my Malawi series contains some of the very personal experiences I made. We were in the very lucky situation to be visiting friends who have been living in Malawi for quite some time now. It was therefore much easier to get in contact with the local people - Malawis and Mzungus (generally foreigners, but mainly used for whites) - than on other trips as 'ordinary tourists'. Some of what follows may sound like pure picturesque kitsch and I frankly admit that I am probably a bit too enthusiastically positive. However, the people I met, the things I saw and the experiences I made were simply overwhelming. Malawi is a poor country, a very poor country. An average daily salary (for those who have work) is about 50p. A lot of things are also quite cheap, but some not-so-luxurious goods can also be really expensive. A 50-kg...

garlicpress 14.12.2001 · Read review
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Malawi - Be open for it all

Advantages: It's different!
Disadvantages: If you think the above is one (don't bother reading this, then)

...The fairy tale continues.... Once upon a time, there was a small country in Africa, in the southeast of this vast continent. It was surrounded by Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique and luckily, this country is still there... In this opinion I will tell you a bit more about what you will get to see if you decide to go there (Don't forget, I am on a commission by the Malawi tourist board and will receive one pound of cassava per tourist I send there!) The Natural World ----------------- It is a very beautiful country and is sometimes called the Switzerland of Africa, because there are mountains and hills and many rivers. The mountains and hills offer very good hiking, where you can even spend a night on the summit. Unfortunately, we haven't done that this time, but everybody who has done it could not stop talking about how beautiful...

garlicpress 02.12.2001 · Read review
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This is Fair Trade Fortnight

Advantages: Ethically produced
Disadvantages: All things in moderation?

...Golden granulated is a sugar that is less refined than the ordinary white, but can be used in its place most times when you would reach for the white granulated. It contains slightly coarser size crystals than castor sugar, which is the smoothest granular sugar you can usually buy, and is the most widely used type of household sugar. This Fairtrade brand is sourced from smallholders in Malawi, producers who are ensured a decent living wage that is not dependent on middle men and fluctutations in the world market. Buying Fairtrade products can help ensure that farmers at the sharp end of the global chain do not get a raw deal, by providing steady profits that can be used to build schools and other projects that benefit their communities. All this comes at a small premium to the consumer - 500g bag of Golden Granulated normally...

aspebbles 22.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Co-op Fairtrade Golden Granulated Sugar