Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Karonga
Dusty little Karonga is the first place you'll come across if making the journey down from
Tanzania and while it won't enrapture you, it suffices for an overnight stay or to check
your emails, stock up on cash and have a close encounter with a 100- million-year-old di-
nosaur. Karonga has the proud title of Malawi's 'fossil district', with well-preserved re-
mains of dinosaurs and ancient humans. Its most famous discovery is the Malawisaurus
(Malawi lizard) - a fossilised dino skeleton found 45km south of the town. See it at the
Culture & Museum Centre Karonga
(CMCK; 01-362579;
www.palaeo.net/cmck
;
8am-5pm Mon-Sat, 2-5pm Sun)
. If you do decide to stay, opt for
Sumuka Inn
(
0999-444816; standard/deluxe/executive MK8500/10,500/12,500, suites from MK15,000)
or
Safari Lodge Annex
( 01-362340; standard/executive/chalet MK4500/4800/6500)
.
Apart from the
Mbandé Cafe
( 8am-5pm Mon-Sat, 2-5pm Sun)
, eating options are
slim, but there's a Standard Bank and National Bank of Malawi, internet at the museum
and the locals are friendly.
head to Mzuzu (MK1600, four hours) from where AXA City Trouper buses also leave for
Lilongwe and Blantyre. Minibuses go to numerous destinations, including Songwe
(MK1200, 45 minutes) and Mzuzu (MK1600, four hours). Taxis to the Tanzanian border
go from the main bus station and cost MK1200.
If you've got a 4WD you can cross into northern Zambia via Chitipa in northern
Malawi. It's four hours from Karonga to Chitipa on a rough dirt road (there's no public
transport but you might be able to get a lift on a truck). After going through customs it is
another 80km or four hours' drive to the Zambian border crossing at Nakonde.
Chitimba
Sitting on the main north-south road at the junction for the road to Livingstonia, Chitimba
has a happy, almost Caribbean air to it. Brightly coloured shops and shacks hug the main
drag but the real treasure lies a short walk away, fringing the glassy waters of Lake
Malawi - sand, powdery fine, and lots of it. If you're making the hellish road trip down
from mountainous Livingstonia, there are a couple of decent places to stay with bars to
steady your nerves over a cool Carlsberg Green.
