Nkhotakota Bay
Following our arrival in Nkhotakota Bay, we spend the next two days participating in the various Optional Activities on offer here, such as the Nkhotakota Pottery Training Workshop, walking safari into Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve or visit to Mbewa Village.
Lake Malawi is the third biggest lake in Africa and the eighth biggest in the world, located between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. The lake offers fantastic snorkelling and diving adventures and its tropical waters contain more species of fish than any other lake on earth. These fish support the locals who rely on the lake for survival, using mokoros (dug-out canoes) to set out massive nets. There is a massive variety of different ethnic groups dwelling in this area and as a result, there are plenty of dialects to be learned and spoken. Majority of these groups are Christians due to the countless missionaries who passed through the area, whilst the remainder have maintained their traditional belief systems.
David Livingstone arrived at Lake Malawi in 1895 whilst he was attempting to put a stop to the awful slave trades taking place. He returned in 1861 accompanied by seven missionaries who established a mission station in the southern area of the lake, but some contracted malaria and other various illnesses as well as suffered from conflict with slave-drivers. The surviving missionaries soon withdrew to Zanzibar. Livingstone came back again in 1866 as part of his journey to discover the source of the Nile. In 1869 he travelled north and was subsequently out of contact for almost two years. Found by journalist Henry Stanley on the banks of Lake Tanganyika in 1871, Livingstone was uttered the famous phrase from Stanley: “Dr Livingstone, I presume.” Livingstone then carried out his mission, eventually dying at a village called Chitombo in Zambia in 1873.
The death of this remarkable explorer revived the desire in other missionaries to come to Malawi and, after they finally finished setting up missions in various malaria-ridden areas, they constructed a malaria-free mission in the highlands of the eastern escarpment, aptly named Livingstonia. This particular mission is still operational today and is open to visitors willing to embark on a strenuous hike in order to reach it. Because of the relative difficulty of this 6-8 hour trek to the mission, you should be sure to partake in it only if you feel you are truly fit enough to brave the steep slopes and boiling temperatures.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Nkhotakota Pottery Lodge
Facilities: Hot Showers, Bar, Restaurant and Shared Ablutions
Route: Nkhata Bay to Nkhotakota Bay +/-220 kms
Travel Time: +/- 5-6 hours
Activity Package: Slave Trade and Historical Tour
Optional Activities: Mbewa Village Visit, Walking Safari into Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, Nkhotakota Pottery Training Workshop
