Crossing Continents Episode Three—Malawi follows Scott Brady’s journey through the landlocked nation, including his ongoing challenges with finding fuel. This stunning country is filled with beautiful, warm, and joyful Malawians, which added to the sense of wonder while traveling the length of the most stunning of the Great Rift lakes—Lake Malawi.
I laughed out loud when I first saw Scott’s photos from Malawi. My wife Julie, and I traveled overland in that incredible country not that long ago, also at the height of tomato season. Everywhere we went, huge, plump tomatoes overflowed from buckets, were heaped in mounds on long tables by the roadsides, and the bruised ones rolled around in the barrow pits, fodder for the countless goats we dodged on the roadways. These are the funny kinds of memories that stick with you long after you come home from Africa. Eating nearly nothing but tomatoes day in and day out for two weeks in every conceivable form taxed my culinary skills, but we wouldn’t have had it any other way. Malawi: The Land of Tomatoes.
We also found the country far more diverse in terms of its landscapes and culture than we could have possibly imagined. Of course, the stunning Lake Malawi, which is like a little slice of the Caribbean in the middle of Africa, dominates the country and draws the most travelers, with good reason. The beaches are beautiful, and the views across the water of the crimson sunsets are magnificent. The lake teems with the colorful and endemic mbuna fish, as well as the occasional Nile croc. In the evenings, palms twist in the breezes drawn from the highlands as fishermen haul in their daily catch.
Don’t neglect Malawi’s fascinating interior routes—there are a number of national parks and forest reserves running down the country’s central spine across rough tracks that make for exciting driving (we broke a coil spring on our Defender on one such road). The ecology, geology, and geography at those altitudes are entirely unexpected. Malawians are relaxed and friendly, and you will find effusive, adorable children everywhere you turn. The entire country feels like one big family, and you’ll want to return again and again.
Watch more:
Crossing Continents Episode Two – Mozambique :: Video
Crossing Continents Episode Four – Tanzania
Crossing Continents: Africa Wrap-Up and Lessons Learned
Images: Scott Brady
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