Lightning Tour: Malawi

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I spent five nights in Malawi. This was enough for me to make several oversimplified comparisons to Tanzania:

  • Local food: nsima and relish (same as ugali and mchicha in Tanzania).
  • Local languages: many, with English the common tongue. As in other African countries, language barriers are probably still a contributing factor of tribalism and discrimination. Tanzania, with its near-universal Swahili, seems more cohesive.
  • Roads: fantastic.
  • Scenery: stupendous. Mountains tower above Lake Malawi from both sides, resulting in spectacular sunrises, sunsets, days, and nights.
  • Backpacking: Malawi is a superb backpacking country. Rates are cheap, people speak English, roads are good.... If you want to visit Africa, Malawi is a great place to start.
  • Business: it may just be a feeling, but I get the impression Malawi revolves around South Africa whereas Tanzania revolves around Kenya.
  • Politics: when I left Malawi, parliament was dissolving. No difference from Tanzania there.
  • In general: I would need to stay much longer to understand Malawi.

Next up: Zambia and Victoria Falls.