The rocky islands
Smooth boulders above clear water.
Joachim Huber from Switzerland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Joachim Huber from Switzerland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Joachim Huber from Switzerland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Joachim Huber from Switzerland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Joachim Huber from Switzerland — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Hans Hillewaert — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hans Hillewaert — CC BY-SA 4.0
Lake Malawi National Park lies at the southern end of one of the world's deepest lakes, and it is the only park in the country created to protect fish. UNESCO listed it in 1984, and its appeal combines craggy mountains, clear water and colourful fish found nowhere else. The lake lies in the Great Rift Valley at 500 metres and reaches 700 metres deep. The park covers about 95 square km of land and water with 13 islands. It holds over 350 species of cichlid, whose evolution is compared with Darwin's finches. David Livingstone reached the lake in 1859, and a Scottish mission was set up at Cape Maclear in 1875. You see small rocky islands and huge smooth boulders above clear blue water, with green mountains rising to 1,143 metres behind. Fishermen's dugout canoes pass by, and fish eagles fly over the water. The park holds the graves of five early missionaries and a large baobab. Chembe village lies within the park but is not part of it. Cape Maclear is 68.1 km in a straight line north-west of Mangochi and 116.3 km east of Lilongwe. Hippos and crocodiles live in the water, so ask local people where to swim, and ask your doctor about water-borne illness and malaria. Do not touch or feed the fish. Agree boat prices first, carry a copy of your passport, and dress modestly in the village.
Smooth boulders above clear water.
Colours found nowhere else.
Carved trunks on the water.
Nankumbu Peninsula, southern Lake Malawi
Ask local people about suitable spots, as the lake holds hippos and crocodiles.
One or two for the water and islands, staying near Cape Maclear.