Another World on the Island

SCENIC SCENES PRESENT A TRULY  LIGHTER SIDE OF LIKOMA

When residents call Likoma ‘Half London’, they are not saying it resembles either side of England’s capital.

Rather, they are only paying homage to their geographical similarities: both of them are isles—and Malawi’s hard-to-reach ‘overseas spot’ sometimes gets tourists from its overseas namesake.

ILALA BRINGS TOURISTS TO LIKOMA EVERY WEEK

With no attractions the size of London’s Big Ben, solemn West Minister Abbey and towering Trafalgar Square in sight, the island in the Northern Region and its tagline might be hyperbolic, a virgin adventure seeker’s paradise crying for greater investment in infrastructural development and marketing to realise its potential.

However, tourists interviewed aboard the country’s largest passenger ship, Ilala, declared that the small undeveloped island—measuring 28 square kilometers—is big enough as a relaxation destination.

To the visitors, it gives them something that eludes them on the vast land across the lake where sightseeing sites are abundant.

This is perhaps the reason Likoma District Council’s strategic plan (2011-2016) set aside developing the tourism industry a priority.

MAKWENDA BEACH AT CHIZUMULU

However, most of the lodging and recreational facilities are run by expatriates, with locals boasting low-cost facilities that resemble rest houses and restaurants seen across the country.

“With inadequate capital, it is difficult for locals to venture into tourism business on Likoma. 

Transport problems hike the cost of building materials. Besides, business is slow. If Ilala or other boats do not bring visitors, we often have to do with one or two visitors a night,” said Simeon Msamaliya who owns 36-room Alemekezeke Likoma Port.

Unlike locals, expatriates have seized the worldwide web to market their tourism havens, whose prices are often billed in US dollars.

Bed and breakfast charges range from $100 (about K35 000) to $1000 (K350 000) a night, something traditional leaders describe as a subtle way of stopping them from visiting the sites.

KAYAMAWA LODGE

And there are some destinations which blatantly prohibit locals in preference for tourists from other countries on the continent and overseas who can afford their sky-rocketing dollar billing which is outlawed by the Reserve Bank of Malawi.

“It is discriminatory and unacceptable for  any tourist establishment to expect my people and I to book an appointment to visit recreational facilities constructed on our own land.  

As a chief, we only give the expatriates land because our sons and daughters seem uninterested or constrained to invest in our beautiful beaches,” said Nkumpha in an interview.

Similarly, district commissioner Charles Mwawembe said the local government council was negotiating with foreign investors to desist from racial profiling, a tendency that counters the country’s Constitution which insists on equality.

“As a council, we are aware of the unbecoming behaviour and we are discussing with investors to stop discriminatory practices. Some have changed while others have gone as far as using exorbitant prices to bar locals from accessing their places,” said Mwawembe.

MARRIAGE OF CULTURES: STEVENS WITH LOCALS AT ULISA BAY

 One of expatriate-owned lodges that welcome locals is Ulisa Bay, a four-chalet affair owned by Christopher Stevens.
Stevens, who also runs Nkhotakota and Dedza Pottery having lived in the country since 1979, believes that Likoma has great tourism potential.

“By nature, islands are a different world from what we are used to. They are so calm and isolated from the grinding life on the mainland that in the dead of the night, you can walk from one end to another without worrying about thugs,” explained Stevens.

His place is located on a stunning collage of rock-paved and baobab-paved beaches which offer picturesque views of Chizumulu Island in the distance.

This partly explains why he opted to invest in Likoma which is powered by a 400-kilowatt diesel-powered electricity plant which only works from 8am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 10pm.

Ulisa Bay—built on exceptional simplicity to give lodgers encounters with life in the neighbourhood an unforgettable escape and captivating views—was meant to be his
retirement home as well.

WHERE TANNING SUN MEETS STUNNING SIGHTS

The Britton vividly recalls his tours of the islands of Crete in Greece and Shetlands in Scotland, restating what ought to be obvious to government and policy-makers envisaging tourism substituting tobacco as a main foreign exchange earner.

He says: “Likoma has more potential as a tourism destination, but the numbers remain very low because of travel problems.

“There is need for cruise boats so that tourists can get here faster than they do on Ilala. The boats need to ply daily so that visitors can come and leave Likoma when they want, instead of waiting for the ship.

He bemoaned that for the past year without Ilala, tourists had to endure being boxed in risky boats which carry overloads of passengers, foodstuffs, poultry and livestock.

“This further lowered the numbers of tourists destined for Likoma. Rather than drinking and enjoying postcard views of the lake and landscapes on Ilala’s deck, people who came to relax were being boxed in slow and risky boats,” he said.

IMPOSING ST PETER'S CATHEDRAL

After the experience, a certainty has emerged that not only transport must improve. Even Nkumpha and the DC said there is need to create a truly inviting environment by constructing a jetty so that tourists can embark and disembark the vessels without hustles; improving roads and transforming Nkhwazi-Makulawe ‘stony highway’ into a tarmac to increase visits of overland attractions; putting in place reliable power supply for convenience’s sake; and commissioning a faster ship as MSC envisages.

These steps would help beckon tourists to the islands’ handful lodging facilities, including Ulisa at Ulisa Bay, Kaya Mawa and Mango Drift at Nkwhazi, Khaiko at Mwasi, Sunrise at Chinyanya, Lemekeza at Jalo fishing ground and Makwenda at Chizumulu.

The nests are like helipads from where backpackers and sightseers launch their forays to the islands’ attraction.

PROBABLY THE OLDEST BAOBAB ON THE ISLAND

The sights include the historic St Peter’s Anglican Cathedral, African doctors, iconic rocks and a hut-like baobab tree at Likoma market.

The country must surmount these and more challenges to attract and retain tourists who use Likoma Island as a gateway to Mozambique.

According to district immigration officer Jack Kateta, passport holders from overseas often land at Likoma Airstrip in transit to Nkwichi Bay Lodge across the border.

With Air Malawi grounded by the ongoing liquidation, tourists seen in Likoma usually fly Air Link, Nyasa Air Taxi, Executive Charter and other private jets.