Elephants in Liwonde
LIKE A PRAYER, MALAWI CALLS ME
First contact as soon as you land in Lilongwe, the capital of the country. The colonial and African style of **Heuglin's Lodge**, a simple and relaxed hotel, helps to permeate the Malawian aroma.
There were many stories that had been told to us, much had been read, but few first-hand experiences, since Malawi remains a great unknown outside of Africa.
While we all know from the gossip press and the tabloids that Madonna maintains a close relationship with the country and its people, since here she has adopted her children and has built a children's hospital, in addition to being involved in numerous initiatives, we hardly know anything about the wonderful corners that surround Lake Malawi or its impressive natural parks, still unexploited.
The irresistible pool at Heuglin's Lodge
Africans pray a mantra in which they give this little gem the nickname of Warm Heart of Africa And they are not exaggerating in the slightest. Although there is no sea in Malawi and, therefore, it cannot be called the Beautiful Island, we allow ourselves the license because this small country, in which almost everything revolves around its so-called Lake of the Stars (in which there are also islands), has many other treasures: the hospitality of the locals, their smiles and their respectful relationship with the natural elements they make their nickname their greatest flag.
We embark on an adventure that will last twenty-five days and that our retinas will never be able to forget. Arriving in the capital, Lilongwe, we stayed in Heuglin's Lodge, a beautiful construction of the 30's perfect for the traveler who lands ready to start his journey or for those who culminate it here and seek a few last moments of tranquility.
The garden and the swimming pool are an added value in this small urban oasis that has six very spacious rooms and provided with everything necessary for the guest. The common areas are decorated with African and colonial winks , which helps to soak up the trickster aroma of the country... and its flavors, because the agapes are to repeat. But let's go easy, there is still a long way to go.
The rooms of the Heuglin's Lodge, always impregnated with the light of the tropics
RAY OF LIGHT, THE LIGHT OF A COUNTRY
In the rift valley , the setting in which Homo sapiens began his great adventure around the world, every corner is contemplated with the feeling that it was here that humanity sealed his fate.
At six in the morning we got up anxious to pick up our 4x4 at Land & Safaris , a car rental company with or without driver that has a great experience in safaris. Shortly afterwards we headed north to our first destination in the Great Lake Malawi, the Chintheche region.
In the path, the African savannah, the baobabs and the acacias were forming the landscape until some mountains full of conifers made us doubt if we were in Africa or Canada.
Slowly, that almost alpine forest became more tropical at the height of Mzuzu , the great capital of the northern region of the country. We were surprised by the good condition of the roads, where a parade of people transporting food or water, on foot or by bicycle, always accompanied us.
What sacred television tree does this one on Chinteche beach remind you of?
Chintheche was very close and the great protagonist of our trip, Lake Malawi awaited us. It is here that they witness the festival every year Lake of Stars , whose poster brings together dozens of international artists.
Our home was **Chintheche Inn, a state-owned beachfront hotel surrounded by greenery.** Here we enjoyed a healthy dose of fresh fish (chambo) and the typical nsima, a corn-based paste. From here we visited the town and its market, we met one of the most important fishing ports of the lake, in Nkhata Bay , and we enjoy the magic with which the women dance and sing healing songs at sunset.
In the hotel gardens, the employees are responsible for growing fruit trees and others for the reforestation , the main environmental problem in Malawi. Our days in Chintheche were coming to an end, but this had only been an appetizer, so we crossed numerous rivers that poured their waters into the great lake until we reached our next destination: the Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve.
Traditional dances from the Chinteche region at the foot of Lake Malawi
SECRET GARDEN, SIESTA IN EDEN
Tongole Wilderness Lodge It always sneaks into the lists of the best cabin hotels in the world. We checked it out on the spot and found out what that merge with nature. But, really.
This authentic natural spectacle, the epitome of sustainable and aesthetic design, is located facing the Bua River, which runs through the entire Nkhotakota Reserve , with a structure created with wood in the traditional way but with a touch of modernity that comes from the elevation of its roof, very pronounced, at a great height.
The rear entrance opens into a huge space overlooking its lush forests and the river , the ideal place to see the birds that come to drink or fish at dawn and dusk.
In addition to its swimming pool, surrounded by lush vegetation, and excellent cuisine accompanied by a great selection of South African wines, the jewel in the crown is the viewpoint of the upper area, which is accessed by a spiral staircase and awaits the curious with impressive views.
Terrace of the Tongole suites
The calm and relaxing canoe rides on the river , with the sunset rays filtering through the undergrowth, the transparent waters making dazzling effects with the light , the silence broken only by the wild nature, the rapids, the snacks on the banks, the walking safari to the top a mountain from which to contemplate Lake Malawi and the miombo forests are some of the activities offered by Tongole, which, by the way, means 'rest'.
Unfortunately, we had to leave for the south but we soon discovered that another corner of Eden was waiting for us. Only a couple of hours separated us from the Lake Malawi National Park , declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its important biodiversity. For this we arrived in our jeep to Monkey Bay (which also has an airport) and from there, about twenty minutes away, Pumulani awaited us.
The kitchen at Tongole Wilderness Lodge
LIKE A BEAUTIFUL ISLAND... WITHOUT THE SEA
Cape Maclear is the most tourist town in Malawi , and also the most fun when you miss having a beer and strolling among the locals after having sailed the great lake in the typical dhow.
The Lake Malawi or Nyasa it is the southernmost of the great lakes of the Great Rift Valley. With 560 km from north to south, a maximum width of 75 and up to 706 meters deep, It is the largest tropical lake in the world. When David Livingstone saw him he christened him the Lake of the Stars by the reflection of the sun in its crystalline waters.
Here is **Pumulani Luxury Beach Lodge**, owned by Robin Pope Safaris, which blew us away. Located in Malawi's most popular tourist destination, Cape Maclear, its design is open, clean and with a certain air of surfer mansion on a Pacific island. On his private beach he is moored a dhow, a small wooden sailboat, typical of the seafaring Arabs of the Indian Ocean , in which we enjoyed one of the most spectacular sunsets of our lives.
In the evening, chats around the fire with other travelers they made our desire to explore the fascinating Africa grow even more while we enjoyed the gastronomic gifts that Garth, chef and manager of Pumulani, gave us. In fact, the entire Pumulani team made us feel at home , and much of our love was taken by Loyce, one of the waitresses, who runs a small craft shop at the entrance of the hotel and whose profits go to help children without families.
Cape Maclear is a typical coastal town that lives from fishing and tourism, and here we stay in the Thumbi View Lodge , a simple and very cozy establishment with pool facing the lake and vintage air which usually hosts many of the artists of the Lake of Stars festival. Stroll through its picturesque streets, have a beer at Funky Fish, enjoy Lebanese food at Hiccups or some pizza at Geko It was the best plan in the place with the most charming, respectful and cheerful people we have ever met.
Hammocks on the shores of Lake Malawi
YOU´LL SEE, LIFE IN THE SAVANNAH
Heading south we leave the lake behind to reach the Liwonde National Park following a river whose waters pour into the mythical Zambezi.
This wildlife reserve is one of the most important in Malawi and represents everything you expect from a good safari. Upon arrival, we were met by David, our inseparable guide, who would take us by boat to Mvuu Lodge , from Central African Wilderness Safaris, another of the main companies on the continent.
The first impact was just a few minutes from the boat. David knew that a kilometer upriver something was happening: between hippos and countless birds that were flying over us, we suddenly saw a huge herd of elephants crossing the small arm of the river. We stayed there for a few minutes, silent, contemplating its passage through the waters.
A first-rate staff that brimmed closeness and cordiality made us enjoy our days in Liwonde like children, thanks also to activities such as the boat rides on the Shire River , like Bogart and Hepburn in The African Queen or, the big surprise before embarking on the adventure again, the visit of a family of hippos who wanted to say goodbye to us.
Hippos and Cranes in the Zambezi River
WASH ALL OVER ME, TEA TIME
With our heads full of unforgettable images we headed south, to the last stage of our journey. We cross the Shire Plateau, pass Zomba and then Blantyre , the former capital of Malawi and economic epicenter of the country, named after Livingstone's hometown in Scotland, until reaching Huntingdon House , which was built by Maclean Kay in the mid-1930s at Satemwa, a tea and coffee plantation today in operation and run by the Kay family.
The ultimate retreat made us feel at home thanks to people like Tracy, the lovely manager, who told us how successful it was for her to leave Europe decades ago when, traveling through Africa on a motorcycle, she fell in love with it and decided to stay in Malawi forever.
One of the most magical moments of the trip came here, when the generator broke down and we spent the night by candlelight with a glass of wine and enjoying the silence, as Meryl Streep in Out of Africa.
The only thing missing was Robert Redford getting out of one of the coffee and tea picker vans and sitting at our table. But we still had the final touch of the trip: Mulanje.
Hundington House Colonial Drawing Room
THE POWER OF GOODBYE, A BIRD'S EYE
We come to the end of the journey peek into the Iron Age and, moving away from the omnipresent lake, climb the mountains that protect one of the most important groups of cave paintings in Africa.
A little further south, an hour and a half from Huntingdon House, is Mulanje, a city famous for boasting the highest mountains in Malawi. There we hire a guide -it's easy to do it on your own, although there are companies that organize it-, and We climbed up to two thousand meters between meadows, forests, ravines and rivers.
Luckily we had prepared ourselves because it was not easy at all, but the effort was worth it for the view of these mountains, the rivers that descend their steep slopes and the well-deserved bath that we took under a beautiful waterfall.
Huntingdon House, the visit to the tea and coffee factories, the contemplative afternoons and the climb to Mount Mulanje were the perfect finishing touch for an unforgettable trip, generating a trembling heart that now yearns for Malawi.
And, already as a brilliant epilogue of sensations capable of broadening our African experiences, before returning to Lilongwe we made a stop to contemplate with great emotion the cave paintings of Chongoni, near the city of Dezda.
Declared a World Heritage Site, they gave final meaning to our adventure. As we lost sight of the Great Rift Valley, it was outlined in our heads to the rhythm of Madonna an accelerated film about the great human adventure that took us from here to all corners of the Earth.
***** _This report was published in **number 130 of Condé Nast Traveler Magazine (July-August)**. Subscribe to the printed edition (11 printed issues and a digital version for €24.75, by calling 902 53 55 57 or from our website). The July-August issue of Condé Nast Traveler is available in its digital version to enjoy on your preferred device. _
Kungoni Art and Culture Center