Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
successful community projects, which thanks to
funding from tourist fees has involved twenty
thousand Nyanja people in schemes ranging
from building schools and a clinic to improving
productivity of local farmers (many of whom
supply the lodge with organic food).
Whatever you choose to do during your stay,
the Nyanja are here to be your guides. You can
camp for a night in the vast reserve amid the
birds, deer and even the odd elephant. Or you
may want to explore the lake in a kayak and
stop for a picnic on an empty beach. Or just lie
back on
Miss Nkwichi
(she's a boat) and let the
wind decide which way you go.
develops in Mozambique, you can at least help
steer it in the right direction.
Need to know
You can probably persuade a
fisherman to take you on a dhow anywhere along
Mozambique's coast, especially around Pemba,
Maputo or Vilanculos, where they are more used
to tourists. You'll need to bring all your food and
water, though. In the main resorts more organized
trips are springing up, such as Mapapay Dhow
Trips in Vilanculos (
W
www.dhowtrips.com;
T
+25
882 973 7160).
199 STAy IN AN AfrICAN vILLAGE,
ZAmbIA
Need to know
Details on how to get to the lodge
(by ferry, yacht or car) as well as booking info,
rates and activities are at
W
www.mandawilderness.
org.
To understand what daily life is really like in
an African rural community, a stay in Kawaza
village, on the edge of Zambia's South Luangwa
National Park, offers an authentic introduction
to its rigours and rhythms. Guests can drop
in for the day or stay as long as they like; on
arrival, you'll have a chat with your guides
to plan a programme that suits. Visitors are
encouraged to get as involved as they can,
whether it's learning about traditional herbal
medicine, fishing in wooden dugout canoes or
simply helping to prepare traditional meals.
This is no show village, however. The Kunda
people, former hunters who now mostly survive
through subsistence farming, have seen how
low-impact tourism can protect them against
the vagaries of farming in extreme conditions.
Villagers who provide services to guests are
given a monthly salary and the remaining profit
is ploughed back into the community, improving
facilities at the school and helping those most in
need. And at Kawaza visitors don't just get the
chance to see the school their money has helped
fund - they are encouraged to help with some
teaching too.
198 ArrANGE A TrIp ON A DHOW,
mOZAmbIquE
Dhow sailing is hard work. It takes a huge
effort just to hoist the sail, and as soon as it's
up the ropes have to be quickly fastened so that
it keeps its place in the wind. A plank of wood
nailed across the hull is where you sit, while the
captain tills the wooden rudder. Yet despite their
simplicity, when the breeze fills the sail they
cross the ocean as gracefully as any yacht.
The dhows are still used by fishermen along
the coast of Mozambique from Ponto D'Ouro
to Pemba, and while there are few organized
trips, by asking around you should be able to
arrange a ride. It's a good idea to be guided
by the fishermen - they will probably know
of uninhabited islands, secluded bays and
mangrove-lined inlets where they can take you.
You'll get the freedom of being on the open water,
knowing that your fee is helping the fishing
communities, which are struggling to compete
against industrialized fishing and motorized
launches. You may not be strong enough to raise
the dhow's sail on your own, but as tourism
Need to know
The village welcomes visitors from
April to November. For directions and rates see
W
www.kawazavillage.co.uk.
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