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M.V. Sunbird |
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Activities Menu
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| Club Makokola offers a
number of air and boat charter options. All charters are dependant
on equipment availability and suitability of current weather
conditions.
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Sunbird
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on image to enlarge it |
M.V.
SUNBIRD
This
24 meter long cruiser offers all the amenities needed for pleasant
excursions on the lake and down to the Liwonde National Park.
The
boat has three cabins, two toilets, and a fully fitted kitchen, bar
facilities, a sun deck as well as a comfortable lounge. It can carry
twenty people on day excursions and can sleep eight passengers in
comfort.
Daily
charters are available to Cape Maclear, Monkey Bay, Malindi Pottery
and Mangochi Town. Half
day charters are available to Boadzulu Island and fishing villages
near the hotel.
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The
M.V. Sunbird is particularly suited to sail to Liwonde National
Park. This excursion is ideal for groups between eight and twenty.
The Voyage of the
Sunbird
The
boat sails from Club Makokola after breakfast at about seven thirty.
The first hour and half its sails southwards towards the mouth of
the Shire River, the only river that leave Lake Malawi and the
Zambezi’s largest tributary. Once it gets to the bottom of the
lake it crosses over the bar, as famous landmark often referred to
in early pioneers and missionary diaries.
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then enters the Upper Shire River, this part of the waterway is
fairly densely inhabited and a sharp look out has to be kept for
fishing nets and fishermen in their flimsy canoes. Many water birds
and birds of prey are sited in this bit of river. Soon after
entering the river the boat sails past the village of Mponda, once a
very important slave centre and seen of the first artillery firing
in the history of Central Africa. Immediately after Mponda comes the
town of Mangochi. A brand new bridge spans the river at this point
and the crew have to make the boat ready to pass under it. Mangochi
is a very old town, founded by Sir Harry Johnston in 1891 to control
the slave trade along the river and the southern lakeshore. From the
boat you can see some very nice old colonial buildings. The arrival
of the Sunbird always causes a lot of confusion along the banks and
on the bridge. Past the bridge the river is inhabited and you can
enjoy many scenes of rural African life. Woman washing in the river,
children playing, fishermen repairing their nets, fish drying on
racks.
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Not
long after the boat enters Lake Malombe a shallow round lake. Lunch
is usually served during the crossing. This lake is home to a very
large number of fishing boats which can be often seen out on it
waters. As the Sunbird reaches the end of Lake Malombe it enters the
Liwonde National Park and all traces of human inhabitations
disappear. On entering the river once again hippos and crocodiles
are abundant everywhere as well as the extremely rich bird life of
this beautiful park. The high deck of the Sunbird is ideal as it
permits an unlimited vies over the tall papyrus that lines the bank.
Herds of antelopes and elephants can be seen grazing. It is possible
board one of the tenders and go to see, at close quarters, crocodile
sun basking or look for the small richly coloured kingfishers. The
sunbird will eventually drop anchor in front of the Mvuu Camp at
about half past one in the afternoon.
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passengers can then check into either the Lodge or the camp for a
night with an evening car safari in the park, the following morning
a walking safari is recommended in this small but very picturesque
natural oasis before departing again on the Sunbird for Club
Makokola arriving off the hotel as the sun is setting over the
hills.
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M.V. sunbird is the only boat of its size in Central Africa that
runs from a great African Lake into a National Park along a river.
The scenery cannot be that different from what the first
missionaries saw when they sailed up the Shire on the first steamer
in 1875, just now it’s a bit more comfortable with cold beers and
snakes available all the time.
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AIR
CHARTERS
Club Makokola has its own aerodrome served by a scheduled IATA airline with
regular flights. This
offers unlimited possibilities for charters to many destinations in
the country and the neighbouring region.
In addition, those guests with their own plane can fly
directly in to the hotel grounds.
Information can be supplied on request.
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