Lake Malawi is also known as Lake Nyasa and lies between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania. The lake is huge, and covers an area of 29,600sq kms. It is the second deepest lake in Africa and the eighth largest in the world. It has been declared a reserve area by the Government of Mozambique and the Cape Maclear area is also tagged by UNESCO as a heritage site. David Livingstone, the missionary explorer was the first to ‘discover' this lake. Lake Malawi is a jewel in the crown of the country's tourist attractions. Though Malawi is landlocked, Malawi is blessed with this ‘inland sea' and its golden beaches, which provide a scenic wonderland around this freshwater body. There are even water sports facilities for tourists, besides its sun, sand and swimming opportunities. The lake has a sobriquet, ‘the calendar lake', thanks to its dimensions of around 365 miles N to S and 52 miles across. The Lake is formed due to a natural fault in the Great Rift Valley, in which it lies.
This lake hosts more species of freshwater fish than any other waterbody on earth, and this include 1000 species of cichlids. Variety of fish available makes fishing a major economy around the Lake. Fishing villages all along its shore, traditional industries and practices attract tourists. The Lake is easily accessible by road. Snorkelling, sailing, kayaking , scuba diving and water skiing are some lake activities which visitors can indulge in. You can travel across the lake by motor vessel Ilala or by an ocean going yacht. The water is salt free, there are no tides, or sharks, and it is crystal clear. There are also conducted cruises along the upper parts of the great Shire river. Mangochi and Monkey Bay, a functioning port town, have a wide variety of accommodation. Manda Wilderness in the Mozambique shoreline is a community reserve of about 1,20,000 hectares of white sand beaches and unspoilt wilderness. Likoma Island here has beautiful beaches, good accommodation and a cathedral the size of Winchester's. Endemic fish and their importance in the study of evolution is as important as the finches of the Galapagos Islands or honeycreepers of Hawaii. Biodiversity conservation, exceptional natural beauty, rugged hillside contrasting with crystal clear waters, all this makes Lake Malawi a particularly interesting place to visit. Cichlids called ‘mbuna' locally, their isolation helps develop adaptive radiation and speciation, and ecological processes exclusively. Habitat ranges from rocky shorelines, sandy beaches, wooded hillsides, swamps to lagoons, granitic hills and sandy bays.
If you are on a tour to Lake Malawi, make sure you have indulged in sunbathing, diving, swimming, snorkeling, water-skiing, sailing, kayaking or parasailing, wherever your interests lie. There is always a customized local tour in small groups which makes it easier to move about. Lonely Planet ranks Malawi as the 3rd friendliest country in the world and is one among the top 10 happiest places on earth.
This lake hosts more species of freshwater fish than any other waterbody on earth, and this include 1000 species of cichlids. Variety of fish available makes fishing a major economy around the Lake. Fishing villages all along its shore, traditional industries and practices attract tourists. The Lake is easily accessible by road. Snorkelling, sailing, kayaking , scuba diving and water skiing are some lake activities which visitors can indulge in. You can travel across the lake by motor vessel Ilala or by an ocean going yacht. The water is salt free, there are no tides, or sharks, and it is crystal clear. There are also conducted cruises along the upper parts of the great Shire river. Mangochi and Monkey Bay, a functioning port town, have a wide variety of accommodation. Manda Wilderness in the Mozambique shoreline is a community reserve of about 1,20,000 hectares of white sand beaches and unspoilt wilderness. Likoma Island here has beautiful beaches, good accommodation and a cathedral the size of Winchester's. Endemic fish and their importance in the study of evolution is as important as the finches of the Galapagos Islands or honeycreepers of Hawaii. Biodiversity conservation, exceptional natural beauty, rugged hillside contrasting with crystal clear waters, all this makes Lake Malawi a particularly interesting place to visit. Cichlids called ‘mbuna' locally, their isolation helps develop adaptive radiation and speciation, and ecological processes exclusively. Habitat ranges from rocky shorelines, sandy beaches, wooded hillsides, swamps to lagoons, granitic hills and sandy bays.
If you are on a tour to Lake Malawi, make sure you have indulged in sunbathing, diving, swimming, snorkeling, water-skiing, sailing, kayaking or parasailing, wherever your interests lie. There is always a customized local tour in small groups which makes it easier to move about. Lonely Planet ranks Malawi as the 3rd friendliest country in the world and is one among the top 10 happiest places on earth.