Determination Tourism Consultant Mw

WORLD TOURISM DAY MESSAGE BY MZUZU UNIVERSITY TOURISM STUDENTS ASSOCIATION (MUTSA) PRESIDENT

Dennis Imaan MUTSA President

AS the world celebrates the World Tourism Day today under the theme, "Tourism and sustainable energy, powering sustainable development", It is my humble honour to issue a statement on behalf of the Mzuzu University Tourism Students Association, (MUTSA). 

I wish to express our great pleasure to be part of the  World Tourism Day Celebrations yet again  in 2012 and our status as a force in national tourism and as pioneers in being  the first tertiary education institution training experts of the tourism industry in Malawi at a degree level. We are so privileged to have produced the best groups of tourism professionals who are already making recommendable changes in this industry and even in  renewable energy sources such as adoption of solar, through the help from the Renewable energy department of Mzuzu university in which we are number one in the country again in that area as an institution.

This privilege to host an event of such great interest elicits a strong sense of commitment on our part as a faculty to ensuring that this forum—an opportunity to meet and reflect—enjoys a high level of success corresponding to the importance of this celebration. We are persuaded that it will be a good occasion to share our experience and knowledge in two fields, tourism and sustainability, that are very important for the development and well-being of our peoples as a nation.

 

For our Government, the tourism sector must constitute a real priority because it is an important asset for the creation of wealth and employment, and ultimately, for our economic recovery as we are in an economic fix at the moment. Tourism accounts for 10.2% of GDP and 11% of jobs, and performs with great dynamism and strength even in times of calamity. We therefore urge the government to design a Comprehensive Tourism Plan with the conformity and involvement of all actors, both public and private, that will promote a more favourable environment for the development and consolidation of the tourism sector which has been overdue for long.

 

We are also very happy to have the support of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in our programme of study and in an occasion like this one. This cooperation makes for very fluid and fruitful collaboration that, I am convinced, will continue for a long time to come. Cooperation is key in order to emerge from this deep crisis, and our relationship with the ministry is a good example in this regard. We thank the ministry for this gesture.

Lastly, I wish to welcome you to our country Malawi, (for those who read this online) where I hope you will also have some time to enjoy our considerable natural and cultural heritage. We are very excited about the celebration of WTD today on 27 September, which we have organized in collaboration with the Ministry here at Mzuzu University and all other places where celebrations of this kind are happening. It is our hope that this date will constitute another step towards the recognition of the tourism sector's crucial economic and social contribution and the importance of renewable energy for social, economic and environmental sustainability.

In absentia, let me Wish all of you a wonderful day on behalf of the Level 4 students  whom some of you are yet to meet in the next academic year.

Ladies and gentlemen, Enjoy the rest of the evening.

Thanks a lot.

Denni S. Imaan

MUTSA President.

A PARADOX THAT IS FDI IN MALAWI’S TOURISM SECTOR

By: Dennis S Imaan 

As the world starts celebrating The World Tourism Week today  the 20^th of this month, and The World Tourism Day on the 27^th, I would like to take sometime to reflect on our tourism sector from different perspectives. The theme might be "Tourism and sustainable energy, powering sustainable development", but I will have to take a different route from the usual that I know many people will take during this period. 

To begin with, this tourism journey dates back from 2008. My passion for it started to grow stronger each passing day that I had to do anything in my ability to nature this passion and be able to enjoy the life of a man on the move.   I chased my dreams and I can say it has not been an easy ride as my experience has at most times completely differed from my expectations.

What I thought was tourism some 3 years ago before I started my tourism management studies at Mzuzu University is far from the realities of this industry. Most of the times I forgive myself because I realize that it was maybe not of my own making, but that the government did not do enough to introduce this issue to me at a tender age probably when I was in primary school. But three years later I have a clear understanding of tourism which I would say is different even from what a lot of people including some personnel at the centre of the industry in this country believe it is all about. This I can say without holding back any words because I now have the knowledge and the expertise to differentiate tourism from leisure or accommodation business, a restaurant business that is born out of  ‘its cooking, I can do it too belief’ and visiting places simply to benefit financially from those destinations. 

Thanks to the times I have been sitting in those lecture rooms listening to my lecturers and the hour spent in the library understanding one big topic ‘TOURISM’

                 There are a lot of issues that I would want to talk about and space will not allow me to talk all these issues at once, therefore, I will talk about these in my subsequent writings bit by bit.

              In this piece, I want to dwell much on one belief or practice that the tourism sector encourages and recommends and has embraced. This is the concept called Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

For tourism to have an impact on the local economy, which is its core value, there is need to find ways of bringing in foreign investment to bolster the sector. This previous statement must be written in red at the ministry of tourism and culture and it has to be well understood as it says “foreign investment” and not ‘foreign ownership’.

The tendency of having most our major  tourism establishments owned by  foreigners in the name of investing in them in foreign currency as much as it is the way to go in this sector, it is depriving the country’s economy its hard earned foreign exchange. It could be taken as a hasty generalization but there is evidence that most of the companies that won concessions to run lodges in our parks and game reserves are investing more in their countries from their businesses than they are investing in the businesses from their countries through the agreements they signed with the government. I am sure the agreements go beyond social responsibility in the areas they are operating in to investment into the business they are running.

Lifupa Conservation Lodge in Kasungu National Park

I take a case of Lifupa Conservation Lodge inside Kasungu National Park. This Lodge is run by a company called ACT TO PROTECT a very reputable company from Holland. (www.acttoprotect.com) And  It is being managed by a volunteer named Alexander who according to the information  gathered, has worked for an accommodation or food service unit back in his country as a potter or whatever it is  and his spouse Lemecca who is an environmentalist and an animal health specialist who has worked with the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre and has done a recommendable job to save the wildlife of Malawi has a clear passion for the country's wildlife. 

They have 2 chefs, 2 waiters, 3 house keepers and a handy man. They also have 2 watchmen. 

This lodge for a record has been run by the government and Sunbird Tourism in the past until the government decided to have some foreign intervention into its running as it was felt that the government had failed to manage the lodge. I write about this Lifupa of Kasungu  because I have been personally there not only as a guest but I have been part of their workforce in the past two months. This lodge is one that officials from the ministry of tourism still say it is under renovation and yet to be opened, but I can confirm that the lodge is in full operation and charging the most exorbitant prices considering the raw deal their clients get. During my last stay there, there were about 21 Dutch nationals who lodged at the facility. I guess that is not any renovations at all.

Located some 64 km from Kasungu Boma, this lodge with 16 rondovells (executive round shaped rooms) and 3 bush huts (Banda) and a dorm does not have either a freezer or a refrigerator for the storage of food stuffs, runs its generator only for less than an hour when there are guests at the lodge, uses the old linen that the government left and were discarded, none of the workers at the lodge receives more than MWK15,000 as a salary, and the workers are forced to work for more than 8 hours per day. One would wonder why I am highlighting these flaws about this must visit lodge. Well, let me bring to your attention that prices for the rooms at the lodge range from MWK3,000 per person in a dorm, MWK5,000 per person in a bush hut, MWK22,000 per room in a standard rondovell and MWK30,000 per room for an executive rondovell. Looking at this price list, a lot of up market guests would think this is their ideal place for a vacation. But alas! The standard of the rooms leaves a lot to be desired and the meals which costMWK1,500, MWK2,500 and MWK3,800 for lunch, supper and dinner respectively, offers the guests an experience they would want to forget soon enough. 

I will give a simple example of  a group of 6 guests who come to the lodge without a booking and arrive at around 6 pm willing to stay for a night sleeping on empty stomachs because the lodge does not have food in store to prepare dinner for them since they did not make a booking and the lodge does not have freezers and refrigerators. Literally this team of six Germans who were touring the SADC Region survived on roasted sweet potatoes they prepared with the guard at the campsite. They were vividly disappointed when they left.

 The attitude of the manager is something we can not talk about here as people have different styles of management but its effects on the service delivery of the workers is something we can not ignore. Most of the guests who visited the lodge when I was there expressed their dissatisfaction with the deal offered and hinted that a return visit is not something they were considering in the near future.

Now looking at the service that this lodge is offering and the prices that it is charging in the face of operating illegally, one would clearly see that there is something fishy about our decision to let these so called foreign investors milk our already thin economy. You may wish to know that this lodge charges in $ (USD) and according to the information gathered, they only bank in Kwacha while asking all foreign guests to pay in USD. Now the question could be; what happens to the dollars? Only those in authority could give a better answer to this I guess.

Pic: View of Kasungu National Park from Black Rock. 

It was confided to us that the management takes out the dollars back to Holland. The sources told us that one of the managers will usually go back home citing an emergency call from home when the purpose of the trip is basically to smuggle the dollars out of the country. This was clearly evidenced when just few weeks after our departure from the lodge to the main camp where we were based, Lemmeca left for Holland to attend to a sick child. Is there anything fishy here? It’s up to us as a country to judge if she had gone back in good faith.

Now what bothers me a lot in this case of Lifupa Conservation Lodge is the role of FDI in tourism in our country. What is foreign investment about it? And if there are several of these lodges that are doing this, how much forex are we losing as a country in the name of foreign direct investment which in fact is but foreign direct ownership? Not to talk about labour exploitation by the managers and the abuse that these workers suffer as the white bosses go for unskilled work force as they are looking for cheap labour.

I know there are agreements and terms of conditions that are agreed in these concessions but have we really examined or analyzed how the establishments are being run? I know that Kasungu National Park is not among the top priorities of protected areas or tourists’ attractions but the forex and business that we are losing would have done our economy good if we had kept it within by having it run by the locals and provide a minimum standard and not a below par standard that is being provided at the moment. We know there are empty promises that are made by these said investors but we as a country should look at the bigger picture. 

Is it true that the locals can not run these establishments? Moreover it’s just a matter of ownership and keeping the costs of running the facility intact. If nothing is  done as soon as possible to make sure that this problem is solved, we will surely lose a lot of forex and still have tourism as a major economy booster only on paper which is the case as it is now!

Now I pose this challenge to the people at the herm of the tourism sector to look at this notion and see if we are making strides forward or backwards through these concessions. As long as things remain the same, we are bound to remain in the undeveloped stage  for long. It’s high time we  revisited our strategies. 

Whatever may be the case, this is my opinion. 

 

AN OPEN LETTER TO MY COUNTRYMEN ON THE SLEEPING GIANT THAT IS MALAWI.

TO: MY COUNTRYMEN

 

 

From:President at Mzuzu University Tourism Students Association (MUTSA) 

Dear countrymen,

It is so clear that the world is going through tough times economically, politically and spiritually and our nation has not been spared. There are a lot of things that I could have written to you but I found it important to write something that am conversant with and I can backup my assumptions and thinking with clear evidence and expertise. I am writing to you about one of the things that has of late become so part of my life and I think about it daily.

The other day I tuned in to the radio and the hot topic was the upcoming African Union Summit which is due to take place in Malawi “The Warm Heart of Africa” somewhere around July. When I heard this I had mixed feelings about the possibility of this event happening looking at the challenges this country is going through. I really thought Fuel shortages and persistent power failures will be a major setback to the success of the event. I did not stop there but also to think about what this summit would mean to a country that has forex shortages at this time.

My fellow Countrymen, I always believe that I am an optimistic fellow but I also cherish rationality in my thinking. I was glad to hear that the ministry of tourism had called for a stakeholders meeting to discuss how the country can benefit from this summit as far as tourism revenue generation is concerned. Much thankful even when I realized that the stakeholders meeting would take place just the day Mzuzu University tourism Final year students were to present their papers at a symposium that was organized for the same stakeholders to hear what they have accumulated over the 4 years that they have been being drilled in this under properly trained staff industry of tourism and hospitality. I was privileged to be with the team as they travelled to the capital city for the symposium and while I proceeded to Mangochi for my own symposium with the district’s operators who are serious about delivering real tourism products to the tourists.

Honorable folks, I would like to let you know that the tourism industry up to date is not a priority sector in Malawi and it is one of the underfunded portfolios in our budgetary allocations. But when the gentlemen at the stakeholders meeting started sharing notes and our media men pushed the ministry officials from left to right, back and forth to clarify on the logistics and strategies that have been put in place to make this summit a success, it was clear to me that the government was ready to do anything  in its capacity until this summit is done is a done deal. Clearly coming out were presidential villas, The five star hotel and indeed of course the Bingu International Conference Centre which will be on showcase to the visiting delegates! Impressive!

Ladies and gentlemen, for me this was a sign of how the issue of forex has finally hit the country so hard and how the government is ready to do anything as far as it brings forex home. This prompted me to go a step forward and look into some of the tourism policies that we have as a country and how these policies have been embraced over time. Ladies and gentlemen, let me start by telling you that Malawi as a nation formerly established the ministry of tourism in 1995. Prior to that, the sector had been represented by a department within the Ministry of commerce and Industry. In recognition to the importance of eco-tourism in Malawi the portfolio of wildlife and parks was added to the Ministry and recently the Ministry is recognized as The Ministry of Tourism Wildlife and culture.

Folks, Consider this fact:Tourism is Malawi’s third largest foreign exchange earner after Tea and Tobacco, (as of 2006 and it remains to you to decide if tobacco still has or will have the authority it posed on our economy) and a major employer, accounting between 5-9% of the total wage employment by 2002. It contributes about 11% of the gross domestic product (GDP).(still it is not a priority sector you got me right there) Unfortunately, I am not sure if a lot of us folks know about this. Tourism is not appreciated the way it should be in Malawi. It is for that reason that I have decided to write this letter to you so that together we can evaluate things in a lay man’s language and in the process, providing a clear insight of what tourism is and help the process of turning this largely ignored industry into a profitable therefore an economic turning point in the country's wider economic picture.

My country men, as long as many of us think tourism is for people with nothing to do, going to places and misbehave and defy all odds of sanity and try new things, there is more to tourism than that fact. In fact everyone is involved in tourism activities, only the levels at which we are involved are what differs. It is for this reason that countries that are very serious about the sector have made it a priority sector and that they are always prepared for all sorts of visitors who travel to their countries without pressing panic buttons as it is the case with our country preparing to host the forth coming AU Summit.

Tourism is one of the major sources of employment and government Income in several African countries including Kenya, Namibia, Botswana and also in  Jamaica, Brazil, America  and most recently the United Arab Emirates (Dubai). A lot of African countries have improved their economic gains by embracing tourism and taking the industry as a priority sector.

My fellow Malawians, It is no secret that tourism business is not a standalone thing and calls for collective efforts to fulfill its desired goals. It is our collective responsibility to represent and present Malawi as the “Warm Heart of Africa”. All along Malawi has been known as the friendliest destination where smiles are broad and call for assistance hides no agendas. But currently, instability that has largely been ballooned by our own efforts to highlight the bad on the expense of the good means that Malawi is losing its small share that it commanded on the international market as far  as inbound tourists numbers are concerned.

Countrymen, As Malawians we have a lot to be proud of and to share with the rest of the world apart from the little that the world knows. But it is unfortunate that we have all chosen to showcase another side of this once probably peaceful nation only second to Botswana by encouraging negative news publications and corrupting all media and saturating them with political propaganda and making tourism promotion and marketing through these mediums a farfetched dream.

It is a shame that despite going on satellite, our state run Television is still yet to carry inspiring programmes or promotions that will entice a tourist from outside to come and visit Malawi on the expense of a night in Botswana or Kenya.

Let me bring it to your attention ladies and gentlemen that Malawi has identified              eco-tourism as an area with potential to the international market although due to poor planning we as a country seem not to know what should be our priority within the industry. It is for this reason that we will jump onto any possible chance to host any summit in desperation that it will bring us the much needed forex. But let me warn our authorities that this desperation if not well prepared for will hugely result into negative publicity for our country.

If it is true that the delegation that will be coming to Malawi is over 4000 and we have about 2000 registered rooms in Lilongwe and we say we are ready for the summit, then that shows desperation at its best.

 Does our tourism strategic plan show which our segment market is? I know some of the well informed honorable members in these issues are reading this letter so please help me with the answers am looking for.

Well! My fellow Malawians, if my first tourism class is anything to go by the move to ask house owners to turn their apartments into lodges is only encouraging the much needed dollar to only be with the top guns in this country thereby not impacting the local communities or the common man I should say of which tourism is all about. Only the top officials will benefit and I wonder how much will be invested to up the standards and how much revenue will be generated thereafter. Do we have enough forex to buy materials for the face-lift of the houses? And what else thereafter with these makeshift lodges? (I really need to be helped on this one) Do we have tourists oriented car drivers around? How about Tour packages that will force these delegates spend an extra dollar on a fruit on the street, an extra fare on the road and even a souvenir on the streets? Where are we taking these visitors when they come? Do we have attractions that they will visit and appreciate that they were in the warm heart of Africa? How accessible are the routes to these attractions if there are any? Are our farmers ready to sell to the hotels and lodges where these visitors will be lodging or the hotels are now busy spending the remaining forex that we had on importing food stuffs from outside in preparation for the summit? I am looking for answers to these questions if you have any folks.

Well if we play our cards well as a nation we may and will benefit but I just hope that the benefits of one event will not compromise the future benefits that our tourism sector is poised to bring to this nation when well trained and creative managers will take over the mantle of executing these long overdue policies which keep going out of date before they even start to be implemented. Tourism calls for political will but when governments choose to turn to it only when they are under panic then it is not tourism as it should be. We can as well look for a new name for it.

This is only my first letter to you honourable members but it is not my last. In fact it is the first of many letters I am writing to you until I see that the tourism industry is treated as it should. I will keep writing you and I will be glad to read your feedback and ideas. Do not get me wrong as I am only trying to communicate to you what I know most of these people you respect will not let you know. There is more to the industry than the Mzungu on the street taking photos and being mobbed by kids. My duty is very simple and I want to make sure that we all play our duties.

Folks, before I leave you, let me share this with you.

Before I started writing this letter to you this morning I was in class with Mr BMC Nyirenda my faculty dean one of the only surviving few tourism trained practitioners and he shared this which I will be looking at with one of my friends who is doing a research in this area: Please read through and with a critical mind see where Malawi is getting things wrong as far as our target market is concerned.

“A report on the ecotourism opportunities for Hawaii’s tourism industry (Center for Tourism Policy Studies 1994) put ecotourism and Hawaii into perspective by acknowledging the fact destinations (i.e. Latin America, Africa and Asia).  They found that the main considerations constraining ecotourism in Hawaii could be summarized as follows :”

1. 1.     Physical characteristics.  Hawaii’s isolation, limited size and fragile natural environments create conditions which can lead to irreversible environmental harm from the overuse of its natural resources.
2. 2.     Culture and local lifestyle.  Native Hawaiian issues and the preservation of community values have become increasingly sensitive to land use decision-making.
3. 3.     Competition abroad.  Hawaii faces competition from a number of well-established ecotourism destinations including countries in Central and Latin America, Africa, Asia and the pacific.   Island destination areas include the Caribbean, Mexico, the Galapagos Islands and the South Pacific.
4. 4.     Dependence on a mass tourism economy.  Ecotourism’s contribution to Hawaii’s mass tourism industry and should be viewed in terms of diversification, not substitution.
5. 5.     Popular image.  As an ecotourists destination, Hawaii will have to overcome its sun, sand and surf reputation and the impression that it is too overdeveloped to appeal to outdoor enthusiasts seeking a back-to-nature experiences.
6. 6.     Private-sector investment.  Owing to the relatively low-return/high-risk nature of the ecotourism industry, venture capital and investment support for small business enterprise development are limited while liability costs (i.e. insurance) for landowners remain high.
7. 7.     Public policy considerations.  There is presently a lack of policy which formally addresses ecotourism issues, resulting in inadequate support for the development and maintenance of eco-tourism resources.

In my next letter, I will try to look at Malawi’s main focus on tourism which is eco-tourism with regards to its marketing and promotion. Let us be realistic ladies and gentlemen, You have a visitor coming all the way from The UK, America, Netherlands and China, do we expect to market comfortable beds to them? Do we expect to convince them that they will visit the best casinos the world has to offer? Do we tell them they will experience glamorous cities than they have seen before? Are we serious if we do so? Do we have state of the art conference facilities to compete with the high standard auditoriums in Nigeria, south Africa and Egypt?Then what is and must be our focus as a nation as far as the international market is concerned?

It has been great writing to you revered countrymen and I am sure that you found this letter helpful and that you will be able to share it with your friends, lovers and relatives even your members of parliament.

Let me go and drowse for my chicken portion before I take off for some weekend fun in and around Malawi in preparation for my long awaited trip to Mangochi for the Easter Blues at Zitherepano Leisure Centre in Mangochi!

TIZIYAMBA NDIFE A MALAWI

Adios Countrymen,

ZIKOMO KWAMBIRI

NDATHA INE WANU

 

 

 

 

 

DENNIS SANGULUKANI IMAAN

 Dennis S. Imaan

(Coordinating activities of MUTSA the tourism students Association at Mzuzu University and in organizing events)

The Chief Executive Officer at Determination Tourism Consultants

(Marketing Malawi Tourism to the World for the complete experience of The Warm Heart of Africa)

 Specialties

Tourism consulting

Events planning and management

Directing of ceremonies

Education

Mzuzu University

Tourism, Tourism and hospitality, 2009 - 2013

(An Undergraduate Tourism student)

Executive Director at Determination Initiative Network

(Founder of Determination initiative Network an award winning Network of young achievers and innovators).

 

 

TOURISM DESTINATION PROMOTION AND MARKETING. A case study of Mangochi District.( Part 1)

Mar 22, 2012 12:21:19 PM | Travel

As the sporty Mini Countryman buzzed by, wind lifted the cap off the head of a snoozing street-side vendor – his feet propped up on the bag of charcoal he was trying to sell. He stirred, collected the mutinous cap and grinned at the little blue bee, its racing stripes a blur in the distance. Autumn leaves, still stubbornly clinging to their branches long after the season, finally flickered to the ground in celebration as the car approached. At a petrol station a paparazzi of young men advanced, cellphone cameras at arm’s length, clicking furiously.

Web editor, Sarah Duff, and I had gone in search of the warm heart of Africa, reported in the tourism brochures to belong to Malawi. But so far – as we snaked up north from Johannesburg through Zimbabwe and Mozambique – we were discovering that if Malawi was the heart, its reverberations packed a powerful beat beyond its borders. It might have been that we were in fine holiday fettle or just that we happened to be driving the coolest car this side of the stiletto curtain, but everywhere we went we were treated like celebrities.

Even the border police – a species impervious to enthusiasm – battled to maintain their indifference. A hefty specimen at the Beitbridge crossing ambled over to the Mini, leaned heavily against the window rim and craned his neck, turtle like, to inspect the interior.
‘Is it turbo?’ he asked, his tone still official.
‘Turbo,’ we affirmed.
‘Hmm, pow-wa-full,’ he admitted.
‘Crank up the sound,’ he demanded.
‘EX-CA-LLAA-ANT,’ he boomed in time to the beat as he flapped his hand towards the exit, indicating we could leave.

If we thought we’d had a good time on the drive up, however, Malawi was to prove to be all that, but in capital letters with explanation marks. From the minute you step into the country, the vibe changes from the officious pomp and mayhem common at most borders to a gentle lollop. It’s as if a magical personality transfusion occurs within the mere metres it takes to transverse countries. Even the landscape changes from hot and dry to undulating, green and significantly cooler. Touts approach without aggression and hang around, even after being fobbed off, not to cash in but to chat about this and that.

It’s true what they say, Malawians are among the world’s friendliest people, which is probably how it earned the cliché: Africa for Beginners. Jittery foreigners keen to explore the continent, but souped up on bad press and news clips, would do well to start here. For visitors, this is a gentle land where smiles are broad and offers of assistance hide no agenda.

At 120 000 square kilometres it might be only a tiny slip of a country, but it bursts with a good sampling of what Africa has to offer, sans the aggression and threat of crime of some other nations. Landscapes are peppered with traditional villages and are generally green and lush, ranging from misty mountain heights to rolling grassland, forests, escarpments and dramatic river valleys. The variety of scenery provides myriad opportunities for activities, from wildlife safaris to climbing, hiking and mountain biking. Birding is particularly good with about 650 species recorded in the country, of which roughly 10 per cent aren’t seen anywhere else in Southern Africa.

As for Sarah and I, ours was a backpacking safari, which took us to Africa’s third-largest lake cushioned within the trenches of the Great Rift Valley. Lake Malawi is the pride of the country and is a prime diving and snorkelling destination, largely because of an estimated 700 species of fish – the most abundant being the tiny, multicoloured cichlids, which are easily spotted weaving and dancing in the shallows.

Our route took a spidery trail from Senga Bay in the south to Nkhata Bay in the central district, back down the lake to Cape Maclear before buzzing further south to Mangochi. It was only a taster of the lake’s mellifluous (that’s sweet or musical – ed.) charms. Each stop took on a fresh aspect, deepening our love affair with this enchanted body of water.

From the comfort of loungers at Cool Runnings in Senga Bay we watched village life unfold against a wild lake, waves crashing in perfect imitation of the sea. In the afternoons we were mobbed by smiling faces as children bust out their kungfu moves for the muzungus (white people) clicking cameras. Later in the day the kids were keen to entertain, but in the early mornings rumbling tummies and the serious business of breakfast took precedence over play. With the red dawn rising, a stream of children trundled towards the village, their silver plates glinting, to where the fishermen unbundled their hauls from the night before.

The town at meanwhile, boasted one of the main ports on Lake Malawi and bustled with industry. It’s an energy completely out of sync with the dreamy lethargy of Mayoka Village, the backpackers we called home for a couple of days. Perched magically against a steep, shaded slope the quaint eco-buildings were connected via a maze of pathways and stairs that offered generous views of the calm, aquamarine bay below. It was so reminiscent of a rustic Rivendell I was surprised not to happen upon a stray elf or hobbit.

Equally chilled, but with a hint of Euro-African cool was Gecko Lounge in Cape Maclear. There’s an easy alliance between the parallel universes of tourist and villager, each going about their business, be it washing clothes and collecting water or lazing at the beach bar.

To top it all off, we cruised down to Mangochi for what has to be Africa’s coolest festival, Lake of Stars for three days of music, friendship and fun. By the time we turned our Countryman’s nose towards home, we were sporting grins as wide as any Malawian. The Foals and Freshlyground might have been the headline act at the festival, but it was Sarah and I who felt like the true rock stars of Africa’s warm heart.

Getting there

From Johannesburg, head north on the N1 to the Musina/ Beitbridge border. Once in Zimbabwe, head to Harare on the A4, then get on to the A2 to the Nyama-Panda/Cochemane into Mozambique and take the 103 through Tete. From there you have the option of entering Malawi through the Zóbue border post or (as we did) taking the 223 to the Dedza border post into Malawi.

Need to know

At the time of going to press, Malawi was experiencing electricity cuts and shortages of fuel, soft drinks and beer. Many tourist venues have generators and pack a case or two of your favourite beverage if you’re worried you might get thirsty. Check with your intended accommodation vendor to find out what the fuel situation is like before you leave. Fill up at every available opportunity and hide some filled jerry cans in the boot for emergencies.

Also note that the fluctuating exchange rate and high fuel prices mean that while accommodation vendors are trying to keep their rates down, they reserve the right to increase prices from those that are printed here.

Currency

The Malawian unit of currency is the kwacha, which divides into tambalas. It’s a good idea to keep some cash on you as banks and ATMs can be few and far between. Most tourist-based businesses will accept US dollars and rands, although you’re unlikely to get an optimal exchange rate.

Health

Malawi is a high-risk malaria area, so take prophylactics. Bilharzia used to be common but now is a stiry of the past. Wear insect repellent and avoid swimming in areas with reeds or stagnant water. Dry yourself thoroughly and vigorously after swimming.

Where to stay

Cool Runnings is an oasis with lush lawns overlooking the lake. Accommodation includes camping, dorms and en suite rooms. Grab a beer at the bar, watch a spot of DStv in the lounge or try activities such as kneeboarding, water skiing and kayaking. Forty-five per cent of the backpackers’ profits are ploughed into community projects. Rates start at $5 (about R43) a person for camping to $35 (about R300) a person a night for an en suite room (sleeps two). Tel +26-512-63-398, email coolrunnings@malawi.net.

Gecko Lounge at Cape Maclear may appear überchilled, but don’t be fooled. Come party time DJs are on the decks. Accommodation ranges from self-catering chalets (sleep four), a dormtype room (sleeps eight) and en suite rooms (sleep four). Activities include hiking, cultural tours and scuba diving. Rates are from $15 (about R130) a person a night to $130 (about R1 120) for a four-sleeper chalet. Tel +265-999-787-322 or +265-999-833-856, email bookgeckolounge@gmail.com, www.geckolounge.net.

Kande Beach is a stopover bristling with overlanders, fronted by a wide strip of white sand and pristine blue lake. Accommodation caters for a range of travellers, from dorms and camping to en suite rooms, beach chalets and self-catering units. Activities include horse riding, kayaking and catamaran hire. Rates start at MK750 (about R40) a person a night for camping and range to MK12 000 (about R640) a night for Stoned Cottage (sleep six). Tel +265-888-263-500, email info@kandebeach.com, www. kandebeach.com.

Mayoka Village has earned a must-visit status among backpackers. Activities include free boat trips every Tuesday and use of snorkelling equipment and dugout canoes. Stay in the campsite, dorm rooms, chalets (sleep four) or luxury stone cottages (sleep five). Prices start at $5 and $6 (about R43 and R51) for camping and dormitory beds a night and range to $20 (about R170) a person a night for the stone cottages. Tel +265-999-268- 595, email mayokavillage@ yahoo.co.uk, www.mayokavillagebeachlodge.com.

Get more online

• Read Sarah’s 10 things she loves about Malawi at blog.getaway.co.za/featured_posts/10-love-malawi/
• For a range of incredible Malawi travel packages, go to Getaway Adventures at adventures. getaway.co.za/category/ countries/malawi.
• Read CarMag’s review of the Mini Cooper S All 4 Countryman at www.carmag.co.za/article/mini-cooper-s-all4-countryman-2011-01-25

(Photographs by Lisa Johnson and Sarah Duff)

Malawi Tourism at a Glance!! By: Lisa Johnston

As the sporty Mini Countryman buzzed by, wind lifted the cap off the head of a snoozing street-side vendor – his feet propped up on the bag of charcoal he was trying to sell. He stirred, collected the mutinous cap and grinned at the little blue bee, its racing stripes a blur in the distance. Autumn leaves, still stubbornly clinging to their branches long after the season, finally flickered to the ground in celebration as the car approached. At a petrol station a paparazzi of young men advanced, cellphone cameras at arm’s length, clicking furiously.

Web editor, Sarah Duff, and I had gone in search of the warm heart of Africa, reported in the tourism brochures to belong to Malawi. But so far – as we snaked up north from Johannesburg through Zimbabwe and Mozambique – we were discovering that if Malawi was the heart, its reverberations packed a powerful beat beyond its borders. It might have been that we were in fine holiday fettle or just that we happened to be driving the coolest car this side of the stiletto curtain, but everywhere we went we were treated like celebrities.

Even the border police – a species impervious to enthusiasm – battled to maintain their indifference. A hefty specimen at the Beitbridge crossing ambled over to the Mini, leaned heavily against the window rim and craned his neck, turtle like, to inspect the interior.
‘Is it turbo?’ he asked, his tone still official.
‘Turbo,’ we affirmed.
‘Hmm, pow-wa-full,’ he admitted.
‘Crank up the sound,’ he demanded.
‘EX-CA-LLAA-ANT,’ he boomed in time to the beat as he flapped his hand towards the exit, indicating we could leave.

If we thought we’d had a good time on the drive up, however, Malawi was to prove to be all that, but in capital letters with explanation marks. From the minute you step into the country, the vibe changes from the officious pomp and mayhem common at most borders to a gentle lollop. It’s as if a magical personality transfusion occurs within the mere metres it takes to transverse countries. Even the landscape changes from hot and dry to undulating, green and significantly cooler. Touts approach without aggression and hang around, even after being fobbed off, not to cash in but to chat about this and that.

It’s true what they say, Malawians are among the world’s friendliest people, which is probably how it earned the cliché: Africa for Beginners. Jittery foreigners keen to explore the continent, but souped up on bad press and news clips, would do well to start here. For visitors, this is a gentle land where smiles are broad and offers of assistance hide no agenda.

At 120 000 square kilometres it might be only a tiny slip of a country, but it bursts with a good sampling of what Africa has to offer, sans the aggression and threat of crime of some other nations. Landscapes are peppered with traditional villages and are generally green and lush, ranging from misty mountain heights to rolling grassland, forests, escarpments and dramatic river valleys. The variety of scenery provides myriad opportunities for activities, from wildlife safaris to climbing, hiking and mountain biking. Birding is particularly good with about 650 species recorded in the country, of which roughly 10 per cent aren’t seen anywhere else in Southern Africa.

As for Sarah and I, ours was a backpacking safari, which took us to Africa’s third-largest lake cushioned within the trenches of the Great Rift Valley. Lake Malawi is the pride of the country and is a prime diving and snorkelling destination, largely because of an estimated 700 species of fish – the most abundant being the tiny, multicoloured cichlids, which are easily spotted weaving and dancing in the shallows.

Our route took a spidery trail from Senga Bay in the south to Nkhata Bay in the central district, back down the lake to Cape Maclear before buzzing further south to Mangochi. It was only a taster of the lake’s mellifluous (that’s sweet or musical – ed.) charms. Each stop took on a fresh aspect, deepening our love affair with this enchanted body of water.

From the comfort of loungers at Cool Runnings in Senga Bay we watched village life unfold against a wild lake, waves crashing in perfect imitation of the sea. In the afternoons we were mobbed by smiling faces as children bust out their kungfu moves for the muzungus (white people) clicking cameras. Later in the day the kids were keen to entertain, but in the early mornings rumbling tummies and the serious business of breakfast took precedence over play. With the red dawn rising, a stream of children trundled towards the village, their silver plates glinting, to where the fishermen unbundled their hauls from the night before.

The town at meanwhile, boasted one of the main ports on Lake Malawi and bustled with industry. It’s an energy completely out of sync with the dreamy lethargy of Mayoka Village, the backpackers we called home for a couple of days. Perched magically against a steep, shaded slope the quaint eco-buildings were connected via a maze of pathways and stairs that offered generous views of the calm, aquamarine bay below. It was so reminiscent of a rustic Rivendell I was surprised not to happen upon a stray elf or hobbit.

Equally chilled, but with a hint of Euro-African cool was Gecko Lounge in Cape Maclear. There’s an easy alliance between the parallel universes of tourist and villager, each going about their business, be it washing clothes and collecting water or lazing at the beach bar.

To top it all off, we cruised down to Mangochi for what has to be Africa’s coolest festival, Lake of Stars for three days of music, friendship and fun. By the time we turned our Countryman’s nose towards home, we were sporting grins as wide as any Malawian. The Foals and Freshlyground might have been the headline act at the festival, but it was Sarah and I who felt like the true rock stars of Africa’s warm heart.

Getting there

From Johannesburg, head north on the N1 to the Musina/ Beitbridge border. Once in Zimbabwe, head to Harare on the A4, then get on to the A2 to the Nyama-Panda/Cochemane into Mozambique and take the 103 through Tete. From there you have the option of entering Malawi through the Zóbue border post or (as we did) taking the 223 to the Dedza border post into Malawi.

Need to know

At the time of going to press, Malawi was experiencing electricity cuts and shortages of fuel, soft drinks and beer. Many tourist venues have generators and pack a case or two of your favourite beverage if you’re worried you might get thirsty. Check with your intended accommodation vendor to find out what the fuel situation is like before you leave. Fill up at every available opportunity and hide some filled jerry cans in the boot for emergencies.

Also note that the fluctuating exchange rate and high fuel prices mean that while accommodation vendors are trying to keep their rates down, they reserve the right to increase prices from those that are printed here.

Currency

The Malawian unit of currency is the kwacha, which divides into tambalas. It’s a good idea to keep some cash on you as banks and ATMs can be few and far between. Most tourist-based businesses will accept US dollars and rands, although you’re unlikely to get an optimal exchange rate.

Health

Malawi is a high-risk malaria area, so take prophylactics. Bilharzia used to be common but now is a stiry of the past. Wear insect repellent and avoid swimming in areas with reeds or stagnant water. Dry yourself thoroughly and vigorously after swimming.

Where to stay

Cool Runnings is an oasis with lush lawns overlooking the lake. Accommodation includes camping, dorms and en suite rooms. Grab a beer at the bar, watch a spot of DStv in the lounge or try activities such as kneeboarding, water skiing and kayaking. Forty-five per cent of the backpackers’ profits are ploughed into community projects. Rates start at $5 (about R43) a person for camping to $35 (about R300) a person a night for an en suite room (sleeps two). Tel +26-512-63-398, email coolrunnings@malawi.net.

Gecko Lounge at Cape Maclear may appear überchilled, but don’t be fooled. Come party time DJs are on the decks. Accommodation ranges from self-catering chalets (sleep four), a dormtype room (sleeps eight) and en suite rooms (sleep four). Activities include hiking, cultural tours and scuba diving. Rates are from $15 (about R130) a person a night to $130 (about R1 120) for a four-sleeper chalet. Tel +265-999-787-322 or +265-999-833-856, email bookgeckolounge@gmail.com, www.geckolounge.net.

Kande Beach is a stopover bristling with overlanders, fronted by a wide strip of white sand and pristine blue lake. Accommodation caters for a range of travellers, from dorms and camping to en suite rooms, beach chalets and self-catering units. Activities include horse riding, kayaking and catamaran hire. Rates start at MK750 (about R40) a person a night for camping and range to MK12 000 (about R640) a night for Stoned Cottage (sleep six). Tel +265-888-263-500, email info@kandebeach.com, www. kandebeach.com.

Mayoka Village has earned a must-visit status among backpackers. Activities include free boat trips every Tuesday and use of snorkelling equipment and dugout canoes. Stay in the campsite, dorm rooms, chalets (sleep four) or luxury stone cottages (sleep five). Prices start at $5 and $6 (about R43 and R51) for camping and dormitory beds a night and range to $20 (about R170) a person a night for the stone cottages. Tel +265-999-268- 595, email mayokavillage@ yahoo.co.uk, www.mayokavillagebeachlodge.com.

Get more online

• Read Sarah’s 10 things she loves about Malawi at blog.getaway.co.za/featured_posts/10-love-malawi/
• For a range of incredible Malawi travel packages, go to Getaway Adventures at adventures. getaway.co.za/category/ countries/malawi.
• Read CarMag’s review of the Mini Cooper S All 4 Countryman at www.carmag.co.za/article/mini-cooper-s-all4-countryman-2011-01-25

(Photographs by Lisa Johnson and Sarah Duff)