Nestled in the heart of Africa, Malawi offers an exciting explosion of culture, arts, history and beautiful landscapes. These are 5 Weirdly Cool Facts About Malawi!
1. Malawi is a country with an amazingly diverse population
A variety of different ethnic groups reside in this small African country. Some of the most well-know tribes are the Chewa, Lomwe, Ngonde, Ngoni, Nyanja, Sena, Tumbuko and Yao.
2. The capital Lilongwe is something of a child
Lilongwe is younger than Blantyre. Pretty much. While there has been a fishing village on the banks of the Lilongwe River for centuries, the modern city was only officially founded as a trading post in 1906 – and only recognized as a town in 1947. It became the Malawian capital even later, in 1975 – when kingpin status was taken away from Zomba, which had stood as the administrative hub in the colonial era. In truth, Lilongwe is not a place which will detain travelers for too long, but it was still pretty cool and I still remember the dangerous tree bridges in town crossing the Lilongwe Weather and the colorful markets.
Do you like my Malawian shirt?
3. Malawi is Africa’s 2. Largest Tea Producer
Malawi has a variety of fair trade coffee and tea plantations, including ones at renowned Satemwa and Thyolo, which were established almost 100 years ago. The country is the second largest tea producer in Africa after Kenya.
4. Mt. Mulanje is Africa’s Highest Peak south of Mt. Kilimanjaro
Malawi can be very mountainous at places. The majestic Mt. Mulanje rises to 3000 metres providing incredible views of the surrounding landscape from its heights. Here with some curious followers in a small Malawian village!
5. Malawi is home to the popular pet fish Cichlid
Cichlid, a very common pet fish, resides in Lake Malawi. The lake is estimated to have close to 3000 species of cichlids, the most of any lake in the world.
These Were 5 Weird Facts About Malawi
These were in fact 5 weirdly cool facts about Malawi, a green and lush country I went all the way through in 2017 and had a pretty epic time in when it didn’t rain. But a little rain won’t stop the guys from posing!
Did you know any of these weird facts about Malawi? Have you been there?
There is a lesson for everyone in Africa. I can sometimes be sad about my life and the problems I have, and then go to Africa and see people with 100x bigger problems than me, smiling and enjoying their life.
Why You Can Learn So Much When Traveling Africa?
Appreciation of life (perspective): In my country and in many Western countries people love to complain. Life is sooo challenging, we don’t get the small pay rise we obviously deserve from our boss, why do we absolutely need to pay so much in tax, if I don’t live in the middle of Copenhagen I can’t live anywhere, tonight we’re having fish “badhrrr, I hate fish..” The list go on..
We have endless problems! This is why you can learn so much when traveling around Africa..
Problems?
Travel Africa and you feel like a massive douche bag complaining about some of these luxury problems.. All people have tough periods indeed, but some of the problems we create in the Western World aren’t really problems. In most African countries if you don’t have a job, the Government won’t pay you anything and you have two options: Find a job quickly/be an artists/create an income or go begging on the streets or die.
Differences Between Western World VS Africa
Appreciation is everything: The appreciation I’ve been privileged to witness in Africa over more than 15 months of travel on the continent is authentic, honest and incredibly powerful in the way it constructs most African people’s life. I have learned to be much more grateful for the small things and I guess the saying: “you don’t see the rich people dancing on the streets” is a very powerful statement. Those people you see dancing on the streets are the ones who have appreciation of life. The happy ones. There are those that live in extreme poverty yes, and in the face of a large stereotype- there are also those that don’t. Not one of them is deprived of an appreciation of life that we may never understand or care to look for.
The Search Of Happiness
Happiness: Most people I know are constantly searching for happiness in day to day life. The perfect career, the perfect relationship, the perfect car, the dream house.. If we have a Ferrari, we want a helicopter next! We keep wanting more and more stuff! People are yearning for the next event on the weekend that will distract them from their studies or uninspiring 9-5 job. But we forget living life right now! To be in the moment.. I thrive getting away from this environment here and there, to explore the World and the different mindsets that exists. I like to surround myself with people who value happiness as a rich part of life. The smiles, laughs and joy in Africa can be about the simplest things and sometimes we really don’t need to complicate things too much! Happiness can never be huge amounts of material stuff which limit us!
Generosity Is Unreal In Africa
Generosity:Not generosity like buying our friends a drink, or buying them a meal, but generosity of the heart. Generosity that is not of monetary value, but consists of love, support, encouragement and respect. I witnessed children in kindergarten for those from underprivileged families in Arusha, Tanzania, literally share their food with those who didn’t have any at lunch time. Children, 3 or 4 years old, breaking up their own food, and genuinely passing it to those kids whose family could not provide them food this day. This generosity does not stem from privilege, it stems from values. It stems from understanding what it means to not have anything at all, either from your own experience or from that of people you are close to, and understanding the warmth received from passing on your kindness. I get a little emotional thinking about this kind of stuff, but there are a lot of lessons to be learned about generosity from all over Africa.
Who’ll Help You The Most When You Need It?
A big challenge for me was getting a ride 1 hour in England from outside Portsmouth to London, because I was stuck there for hours with plenty of cars passing by. But when I arrived to Bissau, Guinea-Bissau with no idea where to go or stay, I was immediately welcomed as a complete stranger inside of a family’s house. They didn’t have anything, but offered me everything they had. I wanted to pay for it all, but they rejected me every time. Real generosity! Sometimes I had the most from the people who had the least.
Do You See Why I Love Africa So Much?
Yes, cultural shock may confront most people on arrival, and you’ll for sure meet good and bad people like anywhere else in the World, but once you understand the heart of Africa, you’ll never look back.
Here are some random pictures from all over the world. One from each country/territory. I will add more here and there from new travels and adventures, so check back every now and then. Enjoy!