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  • Crossing from Malawi to Zambia
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  • 2022 Southern Africa

Crossing from Malawi to Zambia

On August 24, 2022April 11, 2023
Scott D
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The problem with doing Malawi as part of an African overland tour is that you never spend as much time as you should in the country. We only spent 3 nights in the country, staying only at overland camps on Lake Malawi, without seeing the National Parks or cultural attractions elsewhere in the country. However, the country has been on my bucket list for so long I’m glad to have finally made it.

Saying goodbye to Lake Malawi

This morning we had an early start, with breakfast at 05:30 ready for a 06:30 departure towards the Zambian border. I’m starting to get used to the early mornings now, and on my way to breakfast I was treated to an amazing sunrise over Lake Malawi that was so beautiful I’m going to use it for postcards home.

Sunrise over Lake Malawi, as seen from Kande Beach
Sunrise over Lake Malawi

I wanted to make the most of my time on the lake so ate breakfast quickly and then returned to the shores of the lake to take some more photos. This would be my final time seeing Lake Malawi up close on this trip and I wanted to leave some lasting memories. To help with that, I also took a video showing the grounds of Kande Beach resort before making my way back to the truck ready for the journey ahead.

The bar at Kande Beach Resort, Malawi
The bar area of Kande Beach Resort, Lake Malawi
The bar at Kande Beach Resort on Lake Malawi
The bar at Kande Beach Resort, Lake Malawi

Travelling from Malawi to Zambia

The journey to the Zambian border took a slow 6 hours across the Malawian countryside. There wasn’t much to note once we left the lake, although we did drive though the Nkotakhota Wildlife Reserve to take a shortcut. We didn’t stop to try to spot any wildlife, although the condition of the roads through the reserve meant that this particular portion of the journey was extra slow.

Driving through the Nkotahota Wildlife Reserve in Malawi
Driving through the Nkotahota Wildlife Reserve in Malawi
Scenery while driving across Malawi
The scenery of Malawi

Crossing from Malawi to Zambia was a lot easier than crossing into Malawi. The whole process, from us arriving at the border to being stamped into Zambia and having our vaccination records checked, didn’t even take an hour which is incredibly fast for an African land border. We had to wait a bit longer for the truck to clear customs, however, but after another hour or so we were on our way towards tonight’s stop at the South Luangwa National Park.

Breaking the journey in Chipata

We broke up the journey with an hour or so in the town of Chipata, which is the administrative centre of this region, where we spent an hour stocking up on supplies, changing money, and having lunch while the truck was refuelled. Some people also used the stop to pick up Zambian sim cards for their phones but I spent the time walking around and soaking up the atmosphere before sampling one of the best milkshakes I have ever had at a place called Creamy Heaven.

The centre of Chipata in Zambia
The centre of Chipata
Buying SIM cards in Chipata, Zambia
Some people decided to buy SIM cards in Chipata
The centre of Chipata, Zambia
Our truck at a petrol station in Chipata

The journey from Chipata to our camp at the South Luangwa National Park took roughly 90 minutes, and it treated us to our first sights of the Zambian scenery. We also drove right past a controlled fire – a sight that is very common in this part of the world.

Setting up camp at Croc Valley

Tonight we are staying at Croc Valley Camp which is adjacent to the Luangwa river and only a few minutes from the National Park. We set up camp in the grounds before exploring the site – including checking out the great bar that they have here. We also paid for our night game drives which are an optional extra but that come highly recommended.

Something that is a little scary tonight is the sound of Hippo which we can tell are very close. In fact, while setting up camp, we were advised to keep our tents spaced out and to make sure we scanned the camp site using a torch if we needed to use the bathroom in the night since Hippo regularly walk through the campsite. We were also told not to camp next to any trees since Elephants have been known to walk through the campsite and they like to use the trees to scratch themselves!

We’re definitely in the real Africa now, if there was ever any doubt.

It’s an early night tonight as we need to get up early tomorrow ready for our morning game drive. I can still hear the sounds of Hippo close by – hopefully they don’t keep me awake too much!

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In 2022 Southern AfricaIn Africa , Chipata , Croc Valley , Intrepid , Malawi , Overland , Overlanding , South Luangwa , Truck , Zambia

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A day at Lake Malawi
Lions and Leopards at South Luangwa

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