Not a country on many peoples holiday lists, I should imagine.

The border post between Zambia and Malawi was housed in one building, with a set of desks to depart Zambia and another set to enter Malawi. I think this is the first time I’ve come across this set-up at a land border.

We were at the border for a while, mainly waiting for the truck to be cleared, but we eventually set off into Malawi. My first impressions were that the villages seemed bustling (and more solidly built than in Zambia), there were some quite fancy brick houses with fences and security quite close to the border, and then eventually the scenery gave way to hills as we approached a national park.

The road up to the national park was ok but as soon as we entered the park, it deteriorated significantly. We were merely driving through the park but did spot a family of elephants including a small baby elephant less than a year old (which you can tell as it will still fit underneath its mother’s body whilst standing).

The potholes were truly incredible and the road got increasingly dusty. As it was quite warm, the ‘air conditioning’ in the overland truck (opening the windows) meant the dust was in the truck and, increasingly, in my lungs. I soon developed a hacking cough.

By the time we arrived at the accommodation in Ngala on the shores of Lake Malawi, the sun had already set. Fortunately we were staying here for 2 nights and I had given myself the day off the following day to relax after a week of long and bumpy drives since Vic Falls.

I also needed to do a bunch of admin as, due to upcoming travels to Canada, I have had to cut short my Africa trip, and my intended travel to Uganda to see chimps and gorillas will not go ahead. I used the occasionally solid WiFi to arrange the cancellation and rearrange my flights. The battle with my insurance company will come when I get home…

Ngala is on the shores of Lake Malawi, one of the largest lakes in the world. Big enough that you can’t see the other side, and you get waves crashing in to the shoreline. After my admin was dealt with, I spent the rest of the day under the shade on the beach, reading and relaxing. I was very glad of this day to rest up and recharge my batteries for the rest of this trip.

The usual early start the next day as we drove north. The roads were somehow even worse, but we still past more colourful villages. As we drove, I noticed a lot of the villages had water pumps, and there were satellite dishes and football posts everywhere, and so many people wearing football shirts. Football is like a second religion here.

Driving through the villages, there were lots of cries of ‘muzungu muzungu’ from the children – they were excited at seeing the white people in their villages!

The scenery became more dramatic with the land rising steeply by the lake as we arrived at Chitimba for an overnight stop. It was so beautiful on the beach at sunset, with the mountains in the background.

Our brief visit to Malawi concluded the next day, on possibly the worst roads so far – the truck needed repairs when we got to Tanzania! Overall I thought Malawi was a very pretty country, and I’m certain I wouldn’t have got here without doing this overland trip.

Onwards to Tanzania and an immediate change in the quality of the roads!