Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Atmospheric, houseproud rooms with warmly coloured rugs, sequined cushions and
mozzie nets, come in all shapes and sizes. The central courtyard lounge is a good place to
feast on a menu of Caribbean chicken, steaks, English breakfasts and more intrepid dishes
like crocodile tail in honey.
Pick & Pay Resthouse $
( 0991-356762; s/d without bathroom MK1000/ 1500, s/d MK2000/2500)
Friendly digs
with locals playing
bawo
(similar to checkers) on the front verandah. Rooms are super ba-
sic with the odd fan and prison-style toilet. The walls though don't seem to have been
painted since the days of Hastings Banda! A cafe serves cheap local fare for around
MK600.
GUESTHOUSE
Information
There's a branch of the Commercial Bank of Malawi on the main north-south road, which
offers foreign-exchange facilities. A petrol station and a Peoples Supermarket are also on
the main road. Buses and minibuses stop at the petrol station. Get online at the
Nkho-
takota Internet Cafe
(
01-292284; per min MK300;
7.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri,
8am-6pm Sat, 2-6pm Sun)
.
Getting There & Away
You can get to Nkhotakota by the
Ilala
ferry. AXA buses go to and from Lilongwe
(MK2000, three hours). The bus will drop you off roughly outside Nkhotakota's Shell pet-
rol station, which is on the highway. Minibuses also leave from here and go to Salima
(MK1100, two hours) and Nkhata Bay (MK1500, four to five hours).
CICHLID FISH
There are around 500 species of fish in Lake Malawi. Most of these are of the family
Cichlidae
- the largest fam-
ily of fish in Africa - and 99% of these cichlids are endemic to the lake. Chambo, familiar to anyone who has
eaten in a restaurant in Malawi, are one type of cichlid. Others include the small
utaka,
which move in big shoals
and are caught by fisherfolk at night. But Lake Malawi is most famous for the small and colourful
mbuna,
of
