Southern Africa - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 168

of misplaced aid and ensures guests' help is
given where it's most useful, and where it won't
stop locals from working. Accommodation is at
Mwaya beach on the shores of Lake Malawi,
in eco-friendly huts with private verandas
overlooking the water, where swimming, diving
and kayaking are among the best ways to relax.

215 bE ONE Of THE fIrST TO vISIT
kISSAmA NATIONAL pArk, ANGOLA

Angola, ravaged by 27 years of civil war until
2002, is just beginning to get back on its feet.
Virtually no tourists come here, so if you want
to experience its vast national parks and enjoy
white-sand beaches with hardly anyone else
around, now is the time to visit.
One of the shining lights in the slow birth of
Angolan tourism is Kissama National Park,
some 70km from the capital Luanda. Bordering
the Atlantic coast, this 12,000-square-kilometre
reserve once rivalled the great parks of Africa
in terms of its animal population. Unfortunately
much of the reserve's wildlife was lost as people
hunted for food during the war, although the
birdlife is incredibly diverse. Endemic species
abound, including the grey-striped francolin and
red-crested turaco.
Other than the birds, Kissma's current appeal
is more for its sense of solitude than its fauna.
All this may change, however, if visitor numbers
improve and bring in fees that can be used for
conservation. Over the past few years an ambitious
restocking scheme - called Project Noah's Ark
- has already brought back elephants, giraffes and
other big game from Zambian and South African
parks that are presently overstocked.
There's a long way to go, especially as the park
is not just committed to restocking wildlife but
also finding sustainable livelihoods for the eight
thousand people living within its boundaries.
In the meantime, though, there are few places
further from mass tourism than this, southern
Africa's last frontier.

Need to know The minimum stay is one week,
although volunteers are encouraged to stay longer.
Food costs are not included; reckon on no more
than US$2 a day. For more on volunteering
projects available, costs and testimonials see
W www.rippleafrica.org; T [phone].

214 kAyAk ON LAkE mALAWI

Exhilarating as paddling across Lake Malawi
is, it's important from time to time just to sit
still and allow the waters around you to become
calm. When that happens, it's like peering down
into a giant aquarium, filled with fish of every
conceivable colour. The cichlids alone, of which
Lake Malawi has six hundred species, are so
dazzlingly various that they are sometimes given
the name peacock fish.
Kayak Africa, based in laid-back Cape Maclear,
employs fishermen from the nearby village
of Chembe as guides, to share their lifetime's
understanding of the lake and the many islets
and caves that line its shore. Accommodation is at
exclusive bushcamps on either Mumbo or Domwe,
otherwise deserted tropical islands so picture-
perfect that the urge is to play Robinson Crusoe
and not come home. Spend a few evenings on the
empty beach, enjoying your freshly caught dinner
and watching the lights from the fishermen's
boats flicker on the darkening horizon, and that
feeling will only get stronger.

Need to know To get to Kissama from Luanda,
take the coastal road south for 72km and then
cross the Kwanza River. Follow the dirt road for
3km and then turn left at the sign for Kawa; this
turning leads for 37km to the camp. Entry fees are
US$10 per car. You can stay in Pousada Càua,
thatched chalets overlooking the floodplain of the
Cuanza River, for around $180 a night, including
breakfast. For more on Operation Noah's Ark and
contact details see W www.kissama.org.

Need to know Cape Maclear is a bumpy 115km
bus ride from the capital Lilongwe. As well as
kayak trips lasting anything from a few hours to
several days, snorkelling, PADI-certified scuba-
diving and spear-fishing are also available. For
tour details and rates see W www.kayakafrica.co.za;
T [phone].