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We are delighted that you are interested in visiting Malawi and supporting our work - thank you! We hope you will choose our Volunteering Opportunities. We are delighted to partner with Swiss charity Play Football Malawi who now deliver the volunteer programme. We focus our time on building school, library and sports facilities. Come out to Malawi and work with some inspiring young Malawians! We are a small organisation.
Frequently Asked Questions (please send any questions to us here!):
Malawi lies, land locked, in the Great Rift Valley, 20% of its area is taken by the picturesque Lake Malawi, which runs along the North East edge. To the south Mt Mulanje, Central Africa's highest peak, towers above the plains. In the North is the Nyika Plateau, a vast expance of rolling hills, dotted with herds of zebra and antelope. Scattered through Malawi's varied landscape are several Game reserves and Parks where the big five can still be spotted. In the middle of the country and only 1 1/2 hours from the lake shore is the capital city and the base for BFiM, Lilongwe.
Lilongwe
Lilongwe is a small city, scattered over a large area. It has two centers, old and new. In the new side, City Centre, you will find offices, banks and government Embassies seperated by well kept gardens and grassy areas. In old town you will find a vast bustling market and the chaotic mini-bus station, it is busy here and there is plenty to be seen.
The Lake
Senga Bay
This is a small town at the eastern end of a board peninsula that juts into the lake from Salima. The clear water and sandy beaches are inviting and you can go windsurfing, canoeing and snorkelling. You can also go hiking in the nearby Senga Hills.
Steps campsite/Livingstonia Beach Hotel - this is a gorgeous campsite. There's good security and spotless bathrooms (but no hot water). It sits peacefuly at the end of a private beach where a rocky headland juts into the water.
Nkhata Bay
The small, bustling town of Nkhata Bay is cradled amoung the hills of the northern lakeshore. In front of the town a peninsula where Ilala ferry docks, juts into the lake. Although local 'tour guides' are a nuisance, Nkhata Bay is a lovely place to visit and offers a good balance of activaties and relaxation.
Njaya Lodge - Perched serenly on a hilltop above the lake, this place is ledgedary on the travellers grapevine. The chalets range from simple without bathroom to comforatable with bathroom. The bar and restaurant open onto a wide terrace with a magnificent view.
Monkey Bay
This small port, at the southern end of lake Malawi, is home to a large and animated monkey population. It is also home to theIlala, the trusty passenger ferry that has been chugging slowly up and down the lake for more than 50 years. Most visitors arrive or depart on the Ilala, from the deck you will get a unique view of Malawi as the ferry calls at isolated villages, loading and offloading its intriguing cargo of fish, bicycles, goats and furniture.
Nyika National Park
Shrouded in peaceful solitude amid an expanse of waving grass and rolling hills the Nyika Plateau is protected by the Nyika National Park. The park is home to the rare roan antelope as well as many other grazing animals. The air is pure and there is a special kind of beauty in the barronness of the plateau. On clear days the views from the edge of the plateau are endless. Although you won't see the bigger animals you see in other parks, the distinctive feature of Nyika is the romantic landscape. As you approach antelope and zebra will watch warily from a distance or gallop off into the safety of the tall pine forests around the camp.
Once inside the park you can arrange day walks or hikes that last all week, horseback safaris or drives with a ranger.
Liwonde National Park
A few kilometres south of Lake Malawi, Liwonde national park is a fine wilderness area. A boat trip of the wide River Shire, which meanders lazily through the park, is a great way to explore. You can watch floating islands of weed slip past on the smooth current, birds building their nests in the reeds, snorting hippos and snoozing crocks.
As well as its river dwelling creatures Liwonde is known for its large elephant population. You'll also see plenty of Antelope species and warthog. If you are lucky you may even spot a lion or leopard. There's also a rhino breeding programe close to Mvuu Camp. It's best to visit in the dry season when the roads are more accessable and animals are easier to spot.
Mvuu Camp - This beautiful camp is perched on the riverbank in the northern part of the park. It has comfortably furnished chalets and roomy walk-in tents with bathrooms. There's a large thatched restaurant and bar overlooking the river.
Blantyre
Malawi's commercial capital, Blantyre was named after a town near Glasgow in Scotland, the birthplace of David Livingstone. The city is spread out along Chilembwe Hwy to the point where it merges into its 'sister city', Limbe. The city centre, however, hemmed into a triangle by Victoria Ave, Haile Selassie and Glyn Jones Rds is very compact and most places of interest are within easy walking distance.
Hundreds of Photos from Lingadzi Academy Now On Facebook!
Friday 14th December 2012
Hi everyone,
Building Malawi has been extremely fortunate to welcome many visitors and volunteers to Lingadzi Academy in Malawi.
These wonderful folk have posted photos to our Facebook Page. Please check them out here:
https://www.facebook.com/BuildingMalawi/photos_stream
Be sure to like us on Facebook too!
We would love it if you could visit Lingadzi Academy. We do not charge our volunteers. For more information check out our Volunteers page here:
http://www.buildingmalawi.com/volunteer.html
Best wishes from the entire team at Building Malawi!
[caption id="attachment_103" align="alignnone" width="301" caption="Kids at Lingadzi Academy earlier this year"][/caption]
to find us!