Malawi: Senga Bay to Ngala Beach.

Wednesday 4th March: Senga Bay, Lake Malawi.

Big thunderstorms during the night and very heavy rain about 7am meant we were greeting a very overcast and wet Wednesday morning. Lake Malawi is the 3^rd largest lake in Africa; 585 kms long, up to 100 kms wide and the 11^th largest in the world.

We went for breakfast at 9.30 and decided we’d move on, driving north towards Nkhotakota which is just over 100 kms distant. 

We relaxed at the Lodge for a while and eventually departed at midday, just as the day started to brighten up. We drove along to Senga Bay itself and at the end of the road is the Livingstonia Beach hotel, part of Le Meridien chain. We popped in to have a look, it was very nice. I noticed a lot of BMW motorbikes around the car park and after checking with the concierge, was told that a group of 14 Canadians were riding from Cape Town to Kenya, the same routing as ourselves. I saw a group of guys and went over for a chat. They were indeed the group of bikers and I discovered that they had shipped their motor bikes from Vancouver to Cape Town, to start this journey. Owning a BMW bike myself, I was very interested in their time plan and it turns out that they also departed Cape Town on the 15^th February, the same day as us. They are due into Nairobi a few days before us because we will be heading to the coast first. Unlike us though, they rode only on tarred roads throughout. 


They also have a mobile back up team with spare parts, tyres etc. It seems very organised. They finish their journey in Kenya & ship their bikes back to Vancouver from there. 

The person I happened to be chatting to was David Kennedy, representing BMW, who organised this trip, in Vancouver, and he has invited me to join them on a ride to the Arctic Circle in July. He said he would arrange the bike for me. However, our return journey from Kenya to Cape Town via Mozambique is meant to take place in mid June, for a month, so it might be difficult to fit the Arctic in too. Very tempting though!

SENGA BAY: We have one police check as we leave town, John is driving of course! I check that the road is open as apparently there is a bridge that often gets washed away. Good news, there is a new bridge so no road problems. 

NKHOTAKOTA:

After visiting the hotel, we made tracks for Nkhotakota. We visited the pottery, about 15kms before the town and arrived there just after 2pm. 

It is situated right on the beach of Lake Malawi and consists of a restaurant, chalets and of course the pottery. We ordered some freshly caught fish from the lake, filleted and fried. 

It was very tasty. Freshly fuelled, our energy restored, we decide to keep moving, in search of better things. Before we left, we had a tour of the pottery. You can stay there for two days and they will teach you the basics if you wish. We did see the process though and watched them loading the kiln where the pottery is fired, at up to 950c for 24 hrs. 

Then it is glazed and placed in an electric kiln for 12 hours, at temperatures up to 1200c. Pottery induction over, it is on to Ngala Beach, another 100 kms north. We need money as we paid cash at the Safari Beach hotel so we must find an ATM. I programme the GPS and discover there is one in Dwangwa, so we will stop there en route to Ngala Beach. When we get there, we follow the sign for the Standard Bank and it takes us into a huge sugar cane farm. We have to clear ourselves through security and then drive about 5 kms into the heart of this farm. Cash retrieved, we’re back on the road and only 20 kms to destination. Fingers are crossed that it will be OK because we are now running out of daylight. 

NGALA BEACH: 5.45 pm.  

We turned off the main road for a 500 metre drive down a dirt track to Ngala Beach. The track is so small it would be very easy to miss it. Thankfully, it is still daylight and as we pull up, we can see the lake the other side of reception, which is open plan. First impressions are very good indeed. We are greeted by Sandi, and her husband Chris is not far behind. It looks absolutely gorgeous, right on the edge of the lake. It has its own beautiful beach as well as a beach bar.

Sandi has a special on accommodation just now, as it’s the low season. We go off to look at the rooms and again, very pleasantly impressed. Each chalet has a king size bed with the mosquito net already lowered. All bedroom furniture is clearly of good quality, including two armchairs. A very comfortable place and we have already agreed to extend our stay to two nights. We are due a day off now.

Sandi noticed the bandage on my knee and enquired as to my predicament. You will notice I’ve been quiet the last two days regarding that. The painkillers have been working but I’ve been doubtful as to the anti inflammatory properties of the medication. Sandi confirms my fears, they are just painkillers (paracetamol & codeine) but she can let me have some anti inflams. My knee has been a lot better these last two days and the real discomfort is over. Another couple of days & it’ll be fine I’m sure. 

Wednesday night is pizza night so the pizza oven was already lit. We ordered 2 pizzas, both delicious. Had a couple of beers at the bar, chatted with some local people and got lots more info on the area.