Tuesday's Travel To Do- Lake Malawi

I have that burning sensation.....to TRAVEL!

Thought I was going to confess something different didn't you? LOL 

Anyways.... I have fallen off my own wagon AGAIN of doing my TTTD but

....well there's no buts, I have no excuses. 

Since I have this burning sensation to travel and it's summer time I'm of course dying to go somewhere beachy. 

If you can't beat em join em...isn't that what they say? 

Well I can't beat the heat but I can at least join in the heat and enjoy it at this lost treasure....

This week's Tuesday's Travel To Do is in AFRICA at Lake Malawi.

Fast Facts: facts found at Wikipedia

• Lake Malawi was officially declared a reserve by the Government of Mozambique on June 10, 2011 in an effort to protect one of the largest and most bio-diverse freshwater lakes in the world.
• This lake, the third largest in Africa and the eighth largest lake in the world, is located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania.
• It is the second deepest lake in Africa, although its placid northern shore gives no hint of its depth. This great lake's tropical waters are reportedly the habitat of more species of fish than those of any other body of freshwater on Earth, including more than 1000 species of cichlids.

Info on Choosing a Place to Stay: from Malawi Tourism

Good lodges are now to be found the length of the lakeshore, with a few collections in areas of particular beauty. Between Mangochi and Monkey Bay is a long line of wonderful beaches backed by a variety of accommodation. This Mangochi Lake shore has the Lake’s greatest concentration of lodges and hotels. Monkey Bay is a functional port town, but round the headland is Cape Maclear and the Lake Malawi National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a veritable aquarium of tropical fish. In recent years, a number of high quality lodges have been built in this area. Senga Bay is another place where there are a number of lodges & hotels, and it benefits from being the closest point on the lake to Lilongwe. The stretch between the historic Nkhotakota and the sugar estate town of Dwangwa has a smattering of lodges. Another concentration is found on the Chintheche lake shore, which has some stunning beaches. Nkhata Bay is primarily a port town, but has grown as a centre for independent travellers. The Northern Lake shore beyond Chitimba has fewer lodges, and Karonga, an important archaeological centre, is the only town of note before reaching Tanzania. Across the lake, into Mozambiquan waters, is Likoma Island. Not only does it have some beautiful beaches, and accommodation, but also a missionary-built cathedral the size of Winchester’s. A nearby stretch of the Mozambique shoreline, Manda Wilderness, is a 120,000 hectare community reserve of unspoilt wilderness and white sand beaches.

Things to Do: from World Travel Guide

Scuba Dive

For experienced and beginners see all the wonders of Lake Malawi that lie under the surface by scuba diving

Anglican Cathedral

See the Anglican Cathedral, built by missionaries over 100 years ago, on Likoma Island. Located on the east side of the lake, near the Mozambique shore, the island also offers excellent swimming.

Blantyre

See Blantyre, Malawi's commercial capital and largest town, established at the end of the 19th century. It is really two towns: Blantyre and Limbe, joined by a development corridor. Sights include the National Museum, St Michael and All Angels Church (associated with Dr David Livingstone) and Mandala House (the oldest European building in Malawi).

Cycle Nyika

Cycle through Nyika, Luwawa Forest and along the lakeshore.

Freshwater national park

Visit the world's first freshwater national park and its renowned settings and attractions. Lake Malawi National Park, close to Monkey Bay, lies towards the southern extremity of the lake. Snorkelling or scuba-diving reveals tropical fish and further inland klipspringer, bushbuck and vervet monkeys can be seen.

Go fishing

Go fishing on the southern lakeshore north of Mangochi and at Senga Bay. There are opportunities to fish for yellow fish, lake salmon and lake tiger. Angling for trout is easily arranged at Chelinda on Nyika Plateau and on Zomba Plateau.

Kasungu National Park

Look for elephants during the early mornings and evenings in Kasungu National Park, where they appear to drink from dambos (river channels). The grasslands support large herds of buffalo and some varieties of antelope, such as kudu and reedbuck.

Lilongwe

Explore Lilongwe, Malawi's capital. Alongside the traditional Old Town, with its interesting markets, is the modern city and seat of government with its imaginative architecture in a garden setting.

Lower Shire Valley

Spot the difference in the Lower Shire Valley. Because it is low lying, hotter and dominated by the great river which drains Lake Malawi, this part of the country looks and feels different. There are also vast sugar plantations to see at Sucoma.

Mulanje Massif

Behold the magnificent Mulanje Massif. The highest point of this huge block of mountains, which cover more than 640 sq km (250 sq miles) and rise to over 3,000m (10,000ft), can be see at Sapitwa.

Mzuzu

Discover Mzuzu, the capital of the northern region. There are two game areas in the region: the beautiful and unique plateau of Nyika National Park and the Vwasa Marsh Wildlife Reserve. The famous Livingstonia Mission, with its interesting museum, is nearby.

Nkhotakota

View the many markets, including Nkhotakota, on the central lake shore, which is one of Africa's oldest market towns and was once a centre of the slave trade. Further north is Nkhata Bay, a busy port and market and a favourite stopping place for visitors.

Nyika Plateau

Hike the Nyika Plateau, a popular attraction for trekking and walking. There is excellent walking on the Zomba and Viphya Plateaux and climbing on Mount Mulanje, which, at 3,000m (9,850ft), is the highest mountain in central Africa. Dedza, Michiru, Ndirande and Chiradzulu also offer challenging slopes.

Stunning views

North of Blantyre, be mesmerised by the stunning views at the top of the 2,100m (6,890ft) Zomba Plateau. Its vast forests and waterfalls tower above Zomba, a university town and the former capital.

Watersports

Try out the range of watersports available along the length of Lake Malawi. Snorkelling and scuba-diving are increasingly popular here because of the attraction of seeing the brilliantly coloured fish, the mbuna. Swimming, waterskiing, sailing and kayaking are all available along the lakeshore.

Wildlife and game viewing

Go wildlife and game viewing in the national parks, without the tarred roads filled with convoys of 4-wheel drive vehicles. Top parks and reserves include Nyika, Vwasa Marsh, Liwonde and Lengwe. Due to its unspoilt environment and prolific game, Liwonde National Park is generally regarded as the best game reserve in Malawi. It covers 550 sq kilometres (212 sq miles) of mopane and savanna woodland on the floodplains of the River Shire and Lake Malombe in the south of the country. Wildlife includes large herds of elephant, hippos, crocodiles, antelope, zebra, warthogs, bushback and sable. Visitors can also see lions and leopards, and the river plains are home to many species of bird.

Lake Malawi sounds and looks like the perfect place to do exactly what I want which is soak up the sun, enjoy the great outdoors, and visit somewhere awesome!

HAPPY TRAVELING & HAPPY TUESDAY