Lying at the southern end
of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, Lake Malawi occupies 20% of the
country’s total area. At 590km long and 85km wide, it’s the third largest lake in Africa. Its eastern edge is in Mozambique
and its northern edge reaches into Tanzania.
For such a large body of water it is surprising that only one river, the Shire, drains
from it. This eventually joins the Zambezi further south in Mozambique
before it spills into the Indian Ocean. The surface of the lake is
470 metres above sea level, but in the north it’s 700 metres
deep, plunging it well below sea level.
Part of southern Malawi has been proclaimed a World Heritage Site
for having the richest variety of tropical fish of any freshwater
lake in the world. Almost 600 species of cichlids are unique to these
waters. Although he was certainly not the first European to gaze upon
the lake, David Livingstone was the first to expose its presence to
the rest of the world. He described it as a ‘lake of stars’, referring to its glittering surface.
Today fishing villages are scattered along the length of the lakeshore
and the traditional fishing industry plays an important part in Malawi’s
economy. Between the villages are long stretches of totally uninhabited
golden sand, and plenty of opportunities for travellers to enjoy lake-based
activities at the various resorts.
The lake shore road runs the entire length of the lake, but to reach
the beaches it's usually necessary to take a short detour off the
main road. Once there, the cries of fish eagles, the fishermen in dugouts
silhouetted against the evening skies, and the warm, sleepy atmosphere,
make it impossible not to relax.
|
 |
