Iyesithathu enkulu kwiiLwandle eziLwandle zaseAfrika, iLake Malawi idlulisela phantse isahlulo sesithathu selizwe laseMalawi elingenamhlaba. Ichibi li malunga neekhilomitha ezingama-360 ubude kunye neekhilomitha ezili-52 ububanzi, kwaye ngoko ke ngokuthandana ngabantu ngabanye njengeCalendar Lake. UMalawi akuyena ilizwe elilodwa kuphela ukuya emngceleni kwelibi. UMozambique kunye neTanzania baphatha amanxweme awo, kwaye kulawo mazwe kwaziwa ngokuba yiLago Niassa kunye neLake Nyasa ngokulandelanayo.
Naluphi na ukutyelela khona, amanzi ahlambulukileyo, amanzi kunye namabhenqo egolide anxiba upelo lwazo olukhethekileyo.
Amazwi anomdla
Nangona akuqinisekanga ukuba i-echibi lidala kangakanani, ezinye izazi ze-geologists zikholelwa ukuba i-basin ye-echibini yaqala ukudala iminyaka eyi-8.6 yezigidi ezidlulileyo. Kuza kubonelela umthombo obaluleke kakhulu wamanzi aphelileyo kunye nokutya kwabo bahlala kumanxweme abo ukususela ngexesha labantu bokuqala eAfrika. Umntu wokuqala waseYurophu ukufumanisa amanxweme alo ngumthengisi wesiPutukezi ngo-1846; kunye neminyaka engama-13 kamva, u-David Livingstone owayephengululi owaziwayo. Wanika ilibi lakhe igama laseTanzania, iLake Nyasa, kwaye lanikezela ezimbini iinqununu ezingaqhelekanga - uLwandle lweeNkwenkwezi kunye neLake leNqabileyo.
Ngo-1914, iLake Malawi yaba yindawo yokuqala yokulwa kweMfazwe Yehlabathi yokuqala, xa isikebhe saseBrithani esiphezu kwechibi savula umlilo kwisikebhe saseJamani kwindawo efanayo. Isibhamu saseJamani sasikhubazekile, sabangela iBritani ukuba isichotho eso siganeko njengokunqoba kokuqala kwemfazwe.
Namhlanje, ilitye mhlawumbi lidumileyo ngenxa yezinto eziphilayo ezintle. Ipaki yeSizwe yaseLake Malawi yasungulwa ukuze igcinwe inhlanzi ye-cichlid yebala elinebalabala, apho kukho ezininzi iintlobo zeentlobo ezahlukeneyo, phantse zonke ziphela. Ezi ntlanzi ezicwangcisiweyo zibalulekileyo ebalulekileyo ekuqondeni kwethu kwamhlanje.
EMzantsi Shore
Ummandla oselunxwemeni yiyona ndawo ityelelwe kuyo iLake Malawi, kuba ifikeleleka lula ukusuka eLilongwe naseBlantyre. Ngokomzekelo, inxweme elungileyo e-Senga Bay, umzekelo, ngowama-1.5 iiyure zokuhamba ukusuka kwikomkhulu, ngelixa i-Mangochi indawo yelibi ifikeleleke kakhulu ngeBlantyre. Eli lilandelayo likhaya kwezinye iindawo zokulala ezikhudlwana zeli zibi, kwaye ziyaziwa ngamabhantshi ayo angabonakaliyo kunye namanzi okuzola. Noko ke, iCape Maclear iyona ndawo idumileyo kwiindawo zaseLake Malawi. Ukutshatyalaliswa ecaleni kwiphondo leNenkumba Peninsula, iCape Maclear ithandwa ngenxa yamanxweme ayo amhlophe, i-crystalline kunye neziqithi ezinqabileyo.
I-Central kunye neNorthern Shores
Amanxweme asekuhlaleni naseNyakatho eMalawi aphuculwa kakhulu, ngoko ke awenza ukuba bafumane ukuhamba ngokukhawuleza kwabo bazimisele ukuhamba amabanga amade. Ininzi yezenzo kule ndawo ijikeleze idolophu yokuloba yaseNkhata Bay, i-Chikale Beach yayo iyaziwa ngamanzi ayo acacileyo kunye nobomi obuninzi bentlanzi. Kukho iindawo zokulala ezininzi ozikhethayo apha. Ngasemzantsi kweNkhata Bay iindawo eziphambili ze-Kande Beach kunye neChinche; ngelixa i-Nkhotakota yinto ekhethekileyo kubathandi bemvelo. Hlanganisa ukuhlala kwakho ngokutyelela kwiNkhotakota Wildlife Reserve, ikhaya kwiqela leendlovu ezifudukayo kunye neentlobo zeentaka ezili-130.
Isiqithi saseLimpoma
Kutholakala kwingxenyana esempuma yelibi, iLipoma isiqithi saseMalawi kodwa iwela ngaphakathi kwamanzi aseMozambique. Lilikhaya kwikedareli enkulu eyakhiwe ekuqaleni kwee-1900, kunye neemoto ezimbalwa nje, ziyaziwayo njengezona ziindawo ezinokuthula kwilibi. Kukho amabhedi amnandi amaninzi apho kufuneka ahlalise khona ilanga, ngelixa i-kayak ihamba kwaye ihamba phakathi kwezilwanyana yongeza kwi-adoma yeLimpoma. Indawo yokuhlala ihluka ukusuka kwii-backpackers ezibuyiselwayo ukuya kwiindawo zokulala ezinamahlanu ezinqabileyo. Ukufikelela kwisiqithi saseLikoma kuyisiqingatha sokuzonwabisa. Incwadi yendiza ehleliweyo esuka eLilongwe okanye wenze uhambo lwe-MV ilala.
ILake Malawi Imisebenzi
ILake Malawi yiparadesi kulabo banomdla kwimisebenzi esekelwe ngamanzi kuquka ukuhamba ngomkhumbi, ukubhukuda, i-windsurfing kunye ne-ski-skiing. Uninzi lweendawo zokulala kunye neeehotele zinika ukuhamba ngokuloba, ngelixa abo banqwenela ukuba bangaphantsi kwamanzi kunokuba bangene kwi-snorkelling kunye ne-scuba diving.
Amanzi amaninzi aphelile kunye nekriststal ecacileyo, okwenza oku kube yindawo efanelekileyo yokufumana i-scuba eqinisekisiweyo. I-Kayaking ivuyisa ngokukhethekileyo kwiSiqithi saseMambo (kufuphi neKapa Maclear), kwaye unyaka wonke, i-echibini inomxholo womculo weentsuku ezintathu obizwa ngokuba yiLake ye-Stars Festival. Ngelo xesha ekupheleni komhla oxakekileyo, samphula ukutya okwakhiwa ngendawo ngenkathi ukhangela ukushona kwelanga okuphawulekayo, ubhiya waseMalawi esandleni.
ILake Malawi yokuhlala
Ichibi laseMalawi liye lafumana indawo enomdla kubantu abaneminyaka emininzi ubudala, into eboniswa ngokukhethwa kwayo kwinqanaba lokuhlawula ibhajethi. Kwisiqithi saseLikoma, i-Mango Drift Lodge inikeza uluhlu lwee-beachlets ezifikelelekayo, iiborori kunye neenkampu kunye ne-bar bar kunye nevenkile. I-Beach ye-Kande iyona nto ikhethekileyo kunxweme elisentshonalanga, kunye neendlela zokukhetha iinkampu kunye nokutya. Abaya eKapa Maclear kufuneka bahlole i-Gecko Lounge, i-backpacker ethandwayo ibuyisela igcwele ibhar, indawo yokutyela kunye nemisebenzi yamanzi esekelwe kuyo.
Kwesinye isigxina se-spectrum, i-Likoma Island yeKhaya Mawa indawo yokulala iyindawo yokunethezeka, kunye neendawo ezinama-eco-friendly ezihlotshiswe ngesitayela esibucayi se-rustic. Abanye banamanzi aphantsi kwamanzi, kunye nazo zonke iindwendwe ezixhamlayo kwi-spa yesayithi, ibhar kunye nevenkile. I-Pumulani yinto ekhethiweyo efana neCape Maclear kunye ne-pool yangaphantsi kunye nama-villas ayi-10; ngelixa iMakuzi Beach Lodge e-Chintheche iyindawo ehamba phambili enqabileyo enxweme esentshonalanga eyaziwa ngokuba yi-cuisine gourmet kunye neembono eziphambili.
Ukufika apho
Ukuba uhambela elunxwemeni eliselunxwemeni, ungathatha ibhasi lendawo ukuya kuM Mangochi okanye kwiMonkey Bay, kwaye ukusuka apho ulungiselele ukukhethwa kwendawo yokuhlala okanye ihotele yakho. Ungakwazi kwakhona ukuhamba phambili ngeeteksi zendawo. Isiqithi saseLimpoma sifike nge-plane okanye nge-MV Illala, isiko saseLake Malawi esixhaswe eMonkey Bay esinikezela ngeenkonzo zamanqanawa kwezinye iindawo ezikufutshane nxweme lolwandle. Ukuba uzimisele ukuhamba ngeendlela ukuya ngaselunxwemeni, thabatha ibhasi lendawo ukuya eMzuzu, eKaronga okanye eNkhata Bay. Ukuqasha imoto yindlela enye, njengoko iindlela zihlala zigcinwe kakuhle.
Eli nqaku lihlaziywe kwaye libhalwa ngokubhaliweyo nguJessica Macdonald ngoNovemba 7 ka 2017.