Every year from September 19 -25, Malawians observe tourism week and it is for this reason I embarked on an adventure of discovering our tinny-jewel like nation.
On this one week journey, I felt no longer like a citizen; I really was a tourist in my own country-to find out what makes Malawi the ‘Warm Heart of Africa.’
Cultural heritage
My first destination was at Traditional Authority (T/A) Kalolo, in Lilongwe district, almost 40 kilometres from the City itself. It is where I saw how our parents are trying hard to preserve our cultural beliefs.
Being a Chewa tribe territory, we were welcomed with Gule Wamkulu (Big dance) which is the pillar of their tradition.
“Gule Wankulu remains part of our lives and one way of communicating with our ancestral spirits. It has traditional, religious, environmental and life skills teachings.
“It has remained one of the tourist attractions for years and we are determined to protect it hence the passing from generation to generation,” said Group Village Head Madetsa.
Madetsa said as one way of marketing their traditional beliefs, they conduct several festive where tourists are invited to grace.
“Over the years, almost everyone in this area knows the importance of preserving our culture because there is a growing interest of visitors in our area,” said Group Village Nsangwi.
Cultural heritage is also preserved through the cultural museums, one of which is at Mua Mission under the Department of Kungoni (waterfalls).
Established in 1976 as a training center for artists, Kungoni is in Ntcheu district about
“Our focus was on curving to depict religion as related to our cultural beliefs. In early 1980’s, we started training the artists to re-focus on curving based on their cultural heritage,” said Claude Boucher Chisale, care taker of the department.
He said it was until then that the mission decided to build the cultural museum focusing on Malawi’s three main tribes, the Chewa, Yao and Ngoni.
“The essence of opening this museum dwells on the word Kungoni itself which means water fall. When the water falls, the sunrise brings about new life which is found in our rich cultural beliefs.
“Our work not only to attract tourist to appreciate our cultural heritage but to tap our past and brings back as it was in the past. We want people to turn to their way of life and find everything in it either in traditional or religious norms.
“This is some sense of being proud of your own heritage. They say black is beautiful, but is it beautiful here? I am proud to be Malawian, but is it the case with everyone out there?” asked Chisale who arrived in Malawi in 1967 from Canada.
He said the museum has in stock the information of the country’s three main tribes dating from 1900-1200 AD and through the formation of the Malavi Empire.
The creativity in putting history into curving is evidenced in the sculpture of the Horned Chameleon and the Origin of Life story of the Chewa tribe which dates back to 304-0469 BC.
The Chewa believed that long ago, the horned chameleon remained the sole creature on earth until his loneliness forced him to look for companion.
This search led him to the top of a tree which had delicious fruits and after it one too many, he fell into deep sleep. In the middle of the night, there was a storm which shook him and fell on the rock, where the chameleon burst open and died.
Out of the chameleon’s body came out all types of animals and the last being the man who was the wisest of all.
“That’s what we do, recreating our cultural beliefs which are slowly fading out and give back to Malawians,” he says.
Chisale said that over the years, there has been an increase on top-level tourists visiting the department.
“It is because of the richness in cultural preservation this museum has. Another advantage is that we are between Blantyre and Lilongwe cities but also that we are along the lake shore road,” he said adding that they host different art students from the European countries.
Chisale said some curving from the museum have found their way in bid museums like the Vatican and in State Houses in many countries.
Lake Malawi National Park
Established in 1980, this is the world’s first freshwater national park and a World Heritage Site, is at Cape Maclear. The park includes a land area around the cape and bay as well as the Lake and islands up to 100 metres (330ft) off shore.
Here is a veritable aquarium of tropical fish providing a colourful kaleidoscopic display. The countless thousands of freshwater fish, the mbuna, are more abundant and varied here than anywhere else in the world.
Boats are available for hire and the fish will feed directly from the hand. Away from the Lake, the park has baboons, antelope and hyrax, and, of course, there is a great variety of birdlife including fish eagles, cormorants and hamerkops
Established in 1980, Lake Malawi National Park has five major attractions namely; the lake itself, Mbuna fish, the historical Mwala wa mphini, historical 800 years old baobab tree which Dr. David Livingstone conducted his first classes with the natives and a missionary gravesite.
The missionary gravesite is the burial place of a medical missionary Dr. William B. Black who died on May 7, 1877, Captain G. Benzie who died on February 11, 1880, Shadreck Mackey and Shadreck Ngunana who worked with Dr. David Livingstone.
The uniqueness of this park is that unlike others, the community is allowed to settle in it and assist in looking after it.
“This park was established as an education center so most of the visitors are student wildlife clubs. After driving them in the park, we conduct lessons so that at the end of their visit, they should have something back home to other people in as far as preserving the nature is concerned,” said Parks and Wildlife Assistant Denis Nyondo.
He said the visit of these clubs is free with accommodation.
Liwondes National Park
Visiting Liwonde National Park reminded me of my secondary school days. I was schooling in the same area but whenever my friends visited the park, I declined to accompany them-not knowing what I was missing.
Although only 220 sq miles (580 sq km), Liwonde is perhaps the most popular of all the game parks. It is about 100 miles (160 km) north of Blantyre and only rather more than half that distance from the hotels on the southern Lakeshore.
“With quite large numbers of elephants and the river which attracts countless hippos and crocodiles, the park is an attraction to many.
“We have Antelopes including kudu, sable and bushbuck. There are leopards and hyena and the occasional visiting lion. Black rhino has been re-introduced. Birdlife is exceptionally varied. The river attracts fish eagles and weaver birds build their nests in the thin woodland. Pel’s fishing owl is often seen at dusk along the river’s edge,” said Blessings Msikuwanga Research Manager of the park.
This is a prime park in Malawi which attracts a lot of tourists both education and international visitors,” said Msikuwanga.
This was my final place to visit. I returned home with an appetite to visit more places. Malawi is indeed the Warm Heart Of Africa.
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