Grand Escapades
Travel Photography & Travel Experiences of Africa, South America, the Middle-East & Asia
Approaching Livingstonia, the shores of Lake Malawi
Founded by Scottish missionaries in the late 19th century, Livingstonia sits on top of the cliffs of the Rift Valley, dropping dramatically towards Lake Malawi, 900 meters below. Continue Reading →
Saturday Afternoon (Football) Fever in Nkhata Bay, on the Shore of Lake Malawi
This small town – Nkhata Bay – is heavily advertised as an alternative to busy Cape Maclear, further south on Lake Malawi. Well, we were not in Cape Maclear, but Nkhata Bay was the only place in Malawi where we had troubles finding a place to stay. Continue Reading →
Nkhata Bay, on the shors of Lake Malawi, one of the “Backpackers ghettos” in Malawi
Nkhata Bay has become the second party location in Malawi. Cape Maclear in the very south of the lake is the most known one. Before the ferry stopped running to the southern part of the lake, these two places could be easily reached just by hopping on the boat. Continue Reading →
Remembrances of the Slave Trade that lasted until the XIXth Century in Malawi
This area bore some of the horrendous of African slavery… When in most parts of the world slavery had been abolished, an era of monstrous bloodshed was about to start here around 1860. Continue Reading →
Fish Eagle Lodge in Nkhotakota, on the shores of Lake Malawi – Paradise found!
A fantastic place to relax for a few days, absolutely quiet and, above all: we had it all to ourselves! Luckily the owner, Anchen and her son Derek, happened to be visiting from South Africa, and we had lots of interesting exchanges. Also the manager of fish Eagle Lodge, Camille from Congo, had lots of stories to share. He was an expert in African politics and we never got tired of listening to his eye-opening analysis. Continue Reading →
Gule Wa Nkulu – When young men are commanded by the spirits of their ancestors to dress up in very strange customs…
Driving in a very rural area, we spotted the first Gule Wa Nkulu, a young man hidden behind a mask and with white broad stripes painted all over his body. Excited we stopped, having read about this tradition. Continue Reading →
Chongoni Rock Art Area, Dedzar Area
We never miss Rock Art, no matter where we go. This one, in Chongoni, is easily accessible and comes with a terrific view over the area of Dedzar, about an hour south of the capital Lilongwe. Before we started out, we stopped for lunch at the famous pottery shop and restaurant in Dedzar, where we also got the proper information as to which are the best rock paintings. There are so many, spread out in different directions and most only accessible after long walks. Continue Reading →
An unexpected vistior – Young African Elephant (Loxodonta Africana), in Bushman’s Baobabs Lodge at the edge of Liwonde National Park
When you least expect it, the most marvelous things happen. After our disappointing Sunset Jeep Safari, we gathered around the campfire to enjoy a cool beer. Within minutes a young South African started to annoy us big time, by hollering at the top of his voice when speaking to the people sitting around the fire. Continue Reading →
Pied Kingfisher (Ceryle Rudis) on the Shire River, Liwonde National Park
We of knew that Malawi was not a safari destination. Nevertheless, we spent two days at the Bushman’s Baobabs Lodge at the edge of Liwonde National Park. A canoe Safari took us on the Shire River and its shores studded with reeds. A few hippos, lots of waterbucks and some birds were the wildlife we encountered. On a Sunset Jeep Safari, we came across a few elephants inhaling dust and blowing it onto each other to cool themselves, the absolute highlight of this excursion. Otherwise, again lots of waterbucks, warthogs and a beautiful kudu were really all we saw. Continue Reading →
Malawean Kwachas – Approx. 280 €
The tedious trip from the Mozambiquean border to Blantyre made us decide to get our own transport, no matter what. An undertaking that required us to wait out the weekend in Blantyre for the bank and car hire to open. On Monday morning, we were faced with an unexpected odyssey! Continue Reading →