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ABOUT MALAWI

MALAWI, THE "WARM HEART OF AFRICA”, has fascinating contrasts, the magnificent Lake Malawi  and the awesome Great Rift Valley. Here you can teach or work with disadvantaged children in orphanages.

Malawi is a small and wonderful country. A quarter of the country is made up of the magnificent Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa) with its beautiful beaches, backpackers, great wildlife and fascinating local traditions.

While you're there, you can visit Game Reserves, go boating along the river, and stroll around in bustling, crowded cities. You'll be surrounded everywhere by people who have a well-deserved reputation for being very friendly. Malawi is a small country, which makes it excellent for travellers and tourists - it's easy to travel around to all the great sights.

Liwonde National Park, for example, has the highest concentration of hippos in Africa. It's said that along the Shire River there's a hippo every 20 metres! Lake Malawi is huge and plays a big part in how the people live in the country - it's a great place to visit and has that unique African feeling!

"Here you'll see Africa as it is and you will fall in love with it immediately!"

You don't need any qualifications to do any of our Projects in Malawi - just lots of enthusiasm and a zest for life! To see what Support & Backup we provide in our countries, please click here.

ABOUT MALAWI:
A fantastic country with fantastic people! Set in the Central-East area of Africa, Malawi is an extremely popular destination for backpackers with so much to see and all of it very easily assessable. From beautiful mountain plateaux to glorious lake beaches, not forgetting excellent game reserves with Liwonde having the highest population on Hippos along the Shire river then any other African country; this truly is an exceptional country to visit.

The country is dominated by the 350-mile-long Lake Malawi and, being part of the Great Rift Valley, there are steep escarpments, valleys, rolling plains and mountain plateaus, giving the most glorious views.

You will be made to feel welcome by all of the locals and travelling around this beautiful country is very easy compared to other African countries. malawi has a population of over 13 million, with over 11 different ethnic groups and more than 7 different languages - an incredible diversity that will give you a phenomenal cultural experience.

Here you'll see Africa as it is and you will fall in love with it immediately! The first inhabitants of present-day Malawi were probably related to the San (Bushmen). Between the 1st and 4th cent. A.D. However, Malawi derives its name from the Maravi, a Bantu people who came from the southern Congo basin circa 1400.

Malawi fell under British Rule in 1891 when the British Central African Protectorate (known from 1907 until 1964 as Nyasaland), had a controlling arm in most of present-day Malawi. On the 6^th July 1964, Malawi become independent of British rule and have since had a fairly stable economy.

It has a multiparty democracy and the economy is predominately agricultural, with approximately 90% of the population living in rural areas. Its' three most important export crops are (in order) tobacco, tea and sugar.

Teaching: All types of teaching projects, from English to Music and Drama, Maths to IT. No qualifications required.

 Care for Orphans: In the lively township of Chirimba, Blantyre, you'll help local children in orphanages. The children range from babies to much older. A very worthwhile project!

 Physiotherapy: Gain hands-on work experience in Physiotherapy in a Clinic Rehabilitation Department, in the beautiful country of Malawi.

 Medical Work Experience: Ever wondered how Third World hospitals work? Come and observe experts in your field and get a behind-the-scenes view of medicine in Blantyre, Malawi.

 Journalism Work Experience: Gain valuable Journalism work experience at a Premier newspaper. Get a behind-the-scenes view of Journalism in Malawi.

  Veterinary Work Experience: This is perfect for animal lovers who are looking to gain experience in the Veterinary field. The centre is based in a unique protected area.

Lake Malawi, runs almost the entire length of, yes, you guessed it - Malawi! The Lake forms a natural border with Malawi on the west coast and Tanzania and Mozambique to the east.

The Lake, with its sandy shores and clear warm water has developed over the years as a holiday destination for expats living in the neighbouring counties. There are resorts along along the coast line down as far as Cape McClear, a designated national park, most offering diving and tuition.

Lake Malawi is the third largest lake in Africa. Its approximate dimensions are 365 miles (590 km) north to south and 52 miles (85 km) broad, hence the sobriquet: "the calendar lake". The Lake drains an area larger than Malawi itself yet, surprisingly, only one river, the Shire (pronounced "shiray" – the old spelling) flows from it. Eventually, the water spills into the Indian Ocean via the River Zambezi.

Lake Malawi is one of the Great Rift Valley lakes and lies in a depression which plunges well below sea level - to a depth of at 2,300ft in the north. Half the south-eastern section of the lake belongs to Mozambique with the border running through the centre of the water, while Tanzania lies along the north-eastern shore.

Malawi is a long thin landlocked country, so the lake is extremely important as many people make their living from it

There are four busy ports and hundreds of fishing villages. However, there are still many stretches that are completely deserted with plenty of sandy beaches.

Lake Malawi bears many qualities of a sea except salty water and for much of the year it is placid and welcoming, while at other times strong winds and storms can produce surfable waves. A section of the lake at Cape Maclear in the south, has been declared the world's first freshwater National Park and includes the peninsula of land and several islands

For much of the year the Lake is placid, a gentle giant, but, especially when strong winds blow north or south, it can become an angry monster.

Because of its potentially rich harvest of fish, the Lake plays an important part in the country’s economy. Fishing villages are scattered along the length of the lakeshore and the traditional industry and practices are an attraction to visitors.

Despite the attraction the Lake has to settlements, there are long stretches of totally uninhabited golden sand lakeshore, and plenty of opportunities for visitors to enjoy activities on and in the waters.

Bird watching is an absolute pleasure and can be bewildering, as there is sometimes too much to look at! Within the national park it is not uncommon to find a pair of territorial fish eagles every 100 yards (100 metres). There are also countless kingfishers, herons and cormorants, all patrolling for food at different heights.

SEASONS

Rainy Seasons: It usually rains from November to March and the storms are unpredictable. The air is clean at this time and there is no haze over the lake. The rain diminishes in April and May followed by gentle winds and calm water.

Dry Season: July is cool and a little unsettled with more wind usually from the south east. The wind drops in August & September and the water becomes calmer. October is one of the best months as the lake is calm and very clear and the air is hot.

Swimming, snorkelling or scuba diving amongst colourful fish
• Warm lake water
• Fish Eagles
• Fresh fish for supper
• Watersports
• Friendly people

Liwonde lies at the southern end of Lake Malawi along the Upper Shire River (pronounced Shirree), and borders Lake Malombe. It encompasses riverine swamps, deciduous woodland, open grassland and even mopane woodland on the higher stretches. Although the number of visitors has increased, Liwonde is still quite peaceful and uncommercialised.

Liwonde has some of the most scenic game viewing in Malawi and reputedly the best bird watching in Southern Africa. Animal-wise you're guaranteed to see hippos and crocodiles. You can also see plenty of elephant, impala, water buck, and baboons. Less common are sable, kudu and bushbuck. More recently, the black rhino has been re-introduced to the Park. Of late, Black Rhino are an endangered species and there is a worldwide drive to save these awesome animals .

Bird life, being on a river, is also plentiful and exceptionally varied. The river attracts fish eagles and weaver birds build their nests in the thin woodland. Pel’s fishing owl is often seen at dusk along the river’s edge.

Cats are more difficult. There are often rumours of lion, but usually if they're seen, they are at the far eastern end of the park where none of the game drives get to - they come in from Mozambique. Leopards exist and can be spotted on the night drives. However, it's the sort of park where one day you can see nothing one day and everything the next, it really is pot luck.

Although only 220 sq miles (580 sq km), Liwonde is perhaps the most popular of all the game parks. It is about 100 miles (160 km) north of Blantyre and only rather more than half that distance from the hotels on the southern Lakeshore. Additionally, game viewing is enhanced because the River Shire flows along its western border.

SEASONS:
Rainy Season: It rains mainly during the hot season November to March. April and May become dryer and cools down a little.
Dry Season: Liwonde is most pleasant between the cooler months of June to August and the dry season continues up until November

• Hippos
• Large herds of elephants
• River trips
• Exceptional bird watching