It seems that the travelling element to each of our destinations in Africa is destined to always be eventful. The Ilala arrived in the bay and we duly boarded and left at about 5pm in the afternoon without anything untoward happening. It was only when we had to disembark at 3am in the morning did things start to get interesting. It seems to be normal in Malawi for people to board a vessel before the people getting off have got off! We were stood on the top deck...

We have arrived in Nkhata Bay (Malawi) ahead of schedule after making the trip from Mbeya over the border in a single day. It only took 5 different minibuses to arrive at our destination but we arrived in time to catch an afternoon of sunshine sitting next to what looks like the sea but is in fact the beautiful Lake Malawi! The third and longest bus ride taught me that the way we normally sit should be looked upon as a luxury! A wonderful gentleman brought along ...

From Dar es Salaam yet another bus journey beckoned, this time covering a momentous 868 miles from East to West Tanzania. We were heading for the Mbeya region where we would spend a few days before attempting our first land border crossing into Malawi. Mbeya is a mountainous region with two large peaks dominating the landscape and overshadowing the main town. Somewhat traumatised after our last overland experience we tentatively sought out another bus ticket in...

After such an enjoyable time in Kilwa we were slightly sad to say goodbye but as time is always against us we decided to move on down the coast to a town called Lindi which is the gateway to exploring the more rugged southern areas of Tanzania. Lindi itself was not particularly interesting but after finding a place to stay for the night we stumbled across a bar on the beach. It was little more than a few plastic chairs on the sand but the beer was cold and we w...

We stayed in a little lodge in Kilwa Masoko, another small village on the South East of Tanzania. On our first night we were joined by another couple but today we are again the only guests. Our Banda overlooks the ocean and we're treated to the constant rumbling of the waves. It's one of the nicest spots yet and the seclusion is becoming quite addictive. Yesterday was extremely hot and we soaked up the sun in the afternoon. Today we've been on a trip to Kilwa Kis...