Sanje Kayaking trip

---

Just before Christmas I headed off on a 2 day/1 night kayaking trip with Monkey Business, a Kayak and Canoe business operating out of Butterfly. There were 7 of us who went which included a few volunteers and guests that couldn't leave Nkhata Bay, a phenomenon which occurs quite often here. It seems that many people coming here have been on the road for some days so the thought of leaving Lake Malawi causes them to stay longer. I can see why too as the lake is simply beautiful, the views looking out on the horizon now are stunning. On a clear day, one can see both Tanzania and Mozambique and it feels surreal to be able to see two different countries. It's no wonder people love the Lakeshore.

So, having decided amongst our group that 1 night was more than enough given the in different weather, we set off on our trip just a few days before Christmas. The kayaking was good fun and we all swapped around the double kayaks, interestingly enough, the guys had built a rudder system in the kayaks so their clients can steer which made things rather easy.

The weather on the first day was extremely hot with the following day being the exact opposite, it was like the Indian monsoon season. The trip was spent leisurely kayaking north to Sanje, passing remote rural fishing communities nestled into the hillside. We were offered some splendid scenery and the rolling hillsides we passed were spectacular. This made for a rather exciting 30 foot cliff jump which I somehow managed to complete despite having vertigo. In actual fact, I was the first one to jump off as I decided the longer I looked down, the less likely I'd jump. It was a good thrill for the 5 second free fall and it certainly got my adrenaline running.

Not long after the jump, we headed for the shore and had lunch on a secluded beach which was nice. The guys put a good spread on of sandwiches, fruit and biscuits which did the job. The locals seems very intrigued to see some white people on their beach but they were very friendly and spent most of their time looking at the kayaks and the kit we had with us.

8km further north and after 18km of paddling which certainly wore most of us out, we pulled up at a beach which was our accommodation for the night. Upon arrival, the tents were up and the food was being made. Whilst this was going on in the background, many of us played football and frisby with the local kids who were lovely. My frisby brought a few funny looks from a few of them as I don't think they'd ever seen one but it was great watching them learn how to use it.

The night was spent under the stars having a beer before departing in the pouring rain in the morning. And it rained and rained, due to the weather we actually paddled 15km south and had lunch not far from Nkhata Bay. We then stopped by the dive shop for a beer and piece of cake which was a nice luxury.

All in all, the trip was a great break before the hectic Christmas/New Year at Butterfly and it was great to spend some time with some genuinely lovely people.

P.S Enjoy the photo's - more blogs coming soon

---

Photos

PC280235
Butterfly beach

PC280251
Sophie and Heather jumping

PC280301
Our accommodation

PC280243
Cliff jump - 25 foot