Notes on a trip to Explore Malawi: Tourism Review

“We would never have thought of going to Malawi if I had not become aware of Earth Changers. We are people who have deliberately avoided long haul travel for environmental reasons and were determined not to just do the standard ‘tourist’ thing.”

“We wanted to ‘encounter’ Malawi not just see it and I particularly wanted to ask myself some questions about what progress would mean for this country, with the anticipation that progress would not mean simply emulating the so-called developed nations.

The tour was a phenomenal experience and fulfilled our hopes in every way.

Malawi sunset - Ntchisi Forest

Beginning in the Ntchisi hills we walked in the last remnant of rainforest in this previously wooded country. Hosted by the lodge owners, Rob and Irene, we met and ate with local villagers and Evelyn, a traditional healer. The villagers grow maize as their staple food on every available piece of land and cook using firewood. As we saw convoys of women walking down from the forest with bundles of wood on their heads, we reflected on the struggle between needing wood for the fire and deforestation. It was a theme that repeated itself across the country.

Here we discovered for the first time the extraordinary friendliness of Malawian people. We also met Benson who coordinates a coffee cooperative, collects water and is attempting to grow diverse food crops throughout the year. We also met Lytton, who is currently plastering up his house before the rains come. and Eston, a man with a lifetime’s experience of the forest.

We drove to Lake Malawi near Salima almost entirely on dirt roads and the difficult situation of the villagers impressed itself on us as we passed through mile on mile of dirt landscape with fields prepared for planting but precious little woodland remaining in areas that until twenty years ago were forest.

Lake Malawi

We stayed in a beautiful lake retreat, went out on a boat trip where our host, blew a whistle and great fish eagles came out from the shore to his signal and he threw them a fish from the boat. We also went round the local rice research station in the company of egrets and heron and walked through the fishermen’s market and saw them making canoes hollowed out from trees using methods that I suspect have been used for thousands of years.

Moving onto a very smart retreat, I was delighted to visit Joseph from CISER and consider their struggles to implement permaculture. I heard about his planting of 1000 trees that had been devoured by wandering goats and the difficulties of sourcing water despite being just a few hundred yards from Lake Malawi.

Our next stop was paradise! An extraordinary experience: imagine crocodiles, hippos, waterbuck, warthogs, egrets, fish eagles, heron, water monitor, baboons, elephants, okoudu, impala and a host of other creatures all just a few yards from your lodge. We have never felt more in touch with the earth’s creatures or more appreciative of them.

See elephants from a boat safari, Malawi

Safaris by land rover and boat complemented the experience with insights from Justin our local guide. It also felt just a bit risky with elephants occasionally right next to the tents and severe instructions not to put your arm too near the side of the boat for fear of crocs! Enormous fun to us health and safety conscious Westerners!

Moving to the Zomba plateau we trekked up the hill to the viewpoints at around 6000 feet in the company of Felix, a local guide, saw some waterfalls and paid for a photo of some local wood collectors, which they asked for, so they could get some food for lunch. Highlight of this visit was the visit to a young peoples’ initiative called YODEP which incorporates a kindergarten, village bank and paper briquette making initiative. We also met Chimwemwe who is a community development worker turning his hand to serious farming with a permaculture intent.

Satemwa Fair Trade tea estate

Our final stop was a visit to the Satemwa tea estate. This was a most beautiful place of 2000 acres of a Fairtrade tea estate, has 2500 workers, with health clinics and schools etc. The highlight was walks through the original forest with our host Lammic, who had the most extraordinary ability to spot and identify local birds.

On the last day we planted three mahogany trees and I reflected on what Malawi might be like when those trees are fully mature.

Returning to our original question about progress, my inclination now would be to frame it around well-being and to notice that many Malawi people, who are, at one level, tragically poor, at another they appear to have a sense of well-being comparable to, or greater than, many of us in our anxious Western societies.

So, a big thank you to Vicky at Earth Changers and in Malawi for an eye-opening adventure and the opportunity to meet some wonderful people, some of whom we hope to keep in touch with and see if there can be any ongoing beneficial interaction.”

Chris and Bobbie - thank you!