LIFE IN LILONGWE We think Lilongwe is one of Africa's most pleasant capital cities. As John said, it had a 'touch of Winchester' about it. We camped at the rather smart Gold Club where we had eight security guards protecting Biggles...these flying golf balls can be dangerous. Rather than a pressing security threat in Lilongwe this seemed to be due to over-staffing (something we are accustomed to at campsites in Africa). The following morning we were woken ...

PANTS ON FIRE! The drive to Lilongwe took longer than we expected. We had spent a couple of hours choosing our chairs and had forgotten that we had a further 300kms to get to Malawi's capital. As the sun was setting, children played football and waved as we passed, and thunder roared in the distance. By 6.30pm the road had become pitch black, due to an early sunset and the storm clouds. As a rule we try not to drive in the dark as African roads are filled wi...

LIWONDE TO ZOMBA PLATEAU As John was an experienced South African Ranger, working for the now legendary lodge called Mala Mala, it was time to hit a game park to benefit from his knowledge and experience. We headed for the Liwonde National Park in the South East of Malawi. Unlike Tanzania's expensive and overpriced parks, the entrance fee is only $5. This seemed a great deal although, as we were to realise, due to the rainy season only 10% of the park was ...

FROM THE BANKS OF LAKE MALAWI From the tranquil setting of Makuzi beach we headed for the rowdy party scene of Kande Beach, a legendary overland truck stopover known for late night revelling and indulging in the consumption of local vegetation known as 'Malawi Gold'. We were intrigued to see this side of travelling in Africa. Perhaps it was because of our trip, or that we have just got that little bit older, try as we may we couldn't fit in with the four o...

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE FISH! Whilst camping at Nkata Bay we met up with a lovely South African couple travelling in a Land Cruiser from Jo'burg to Nairobi and back. John and Cathy have spent eight years living in London and are finally moving back to S.Africa to build a life there. Very few white South Africans venture further north than Namibia, Botswana and Mozambique but they are keen to experience and learn about the complexities of the continent that they...