zombaplateau
Zomba is a lot of people's favourite town in Malawi.
Now, I have written a lot of blog posts about Malawi, almost all on my previous blog. Now that I my work is not unrelated to helping people visit and enjoy Malawi, it makes sense to blog about matters somehow connected to this. Although that means that there is now another angle behind what I write, I should emphasise that this in no way changes my intention to write honestly and hopefully positively, about Malawi. I will never use my blog to promote or sell something in Malawi that I do not believe in. That should be easy enough as I am my own boss and I only want to work with people and organisations that I think are doing a good job, especially if it is something I find interesting.
So, now that I have that disclaimer / explanation out of the way, let's get on with the blog.
I have been fourtunate enough to have been visiting Zomba since I was eleven months old. So, although I might be biased, I hope that I do by now know something of the town and of course, the mountain rising behind it.
Part of the beauty of Zomba are all the trees and beautiful forested areas on the slopes at the more elevated part of the town. There is also the botanical gardens from where I have happy and very early memories. That part of town on the lower slopes of the mountain also contains a lot of old colonial building and houses. With the original Malawi parliament and much more the old capital of Malawi is one the best places to feel the history of Malawi and somehow sense the passage of time. The reason why Zomba was the capital of the old colonial Nyasaland is because the first colonial rulers from Britain thought that it was a very nice looking place and exactly where they would like to live. In fact, it was once said that Zomba was the most beautiful capital in the entire British Empire. Who had the privilege of visiting every capital I do not know, but that is what wa said. Perhaps it is partly because Zomba is small? Although the old building and gardens are showing the signs of their age, it is still a cool and shaded gateway to the beauty of Zomba Plateau and the wildlife of Liwonde National Park.
Enough of the old of Zomba, what about the new?
Pakachere is a very nice and quiet new backpackers destination situated right next to the golf course. Usefully, as far as security is concerned, it is very close to Zomba police who are good friends of Pakachere. I know it because it is the place I choose to stop in Zomba if I want to eat or do some work on the laptop. I was a familiar face to the owner long before I ever suggested the idea to him of putting Pakachere on the transfers network we have set up. (When we decided to add to our website bookings and information for visitors who are traveling about Malawi I had my mind set of lodges, cottages and other accommodation outlets that I would recommend for international visitors.)
What are the positives about Pakachere? The key points are: location, free internet, good food, nice garden, choice of accommodation types, information on what to do locally, it is friendly and popular and seems well organised & clean and tastefully decorated. They are also very well connected with local artists, projects and what is going on in town. When I was there they had just completed the Zomba Arts Festival where the place had been buzzing all week with the best of everything local on display around the gardens. That said I have never had someone come up to me there to try and sell me anything. Curios are on display at any time (not just during the arts festival), but there is no salesmanship going on.
In slightly more detail I should say that there are very few places in Malawi where customers can get freely connected to the web via wi-fi. I say that the location is good because it is the right side of town that slopes uphill to the mountain which is where the botanical gardens, history and old buildings are located. To stay you can economise by bringing your own tent or staying i one of their tents or the dorms. Otherwise there are private rooms.
Pakachere organise their own walks and tours of the mountain and other places. i expect to write elsewhere about Zomba Plateau, one of my favourite places in Malawi and a place that is becoming undiscovered again. Where Mulanje Mountain is about adventure, Zomba mountain is about relaxation. You can set out for a hard hike on Zomba Mountain but instead find yourself wandering by mountain forest streams, marveling at the varied bird life, meandering along old tracks overgrown with wild flowers or overlooking fantastic views towards Mulanje and Lake Chilwa and across the plains below.
One thing I must recommend about Zomba Mountain are the forest berries and also the Zomba potatoes you can buy from the side of the road. I don't normally rave about new potatoes but here they are very good.
So, I hope that you can make it to Zomba. If you need transport then here is the link.
